WWII German Spreewerke cyq P.38 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,105.00

WOA# WY240714LP022

Make: Spreewerke 

Model: P38 cyq Series, pre-Alphabet Run 

Serial Number: 7931 

Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1943 

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum 

Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker lever.

?Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “P.38”, “cyq” and “7931”. The left side of the frame is marked “7931” and an “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt. The left barrel flat is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and at the rear is an eagle clutching globe. The front barrel flat is marked “7931”. The right barrel flat is marked “B 17”. The bottom of the locking block is marked “931”, the right side is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and the left side is marked with an Eagle clutching globe. The right side of the slide is marked with two “Eagle / 88” Waffenamts, with an Eagle clutching globe in the center. 

Barrel Length: 5” 

Sights / Optics: The pistol is mounted with a flat topped “U” notched rear sight dovetailed into the slide and a blade front sight dovetailed into a band on the front of the barrel. 

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are dark serrated AEG production panels (correct for early Spreewerke pistols). The grips have some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches, most notable in the smooth portions at the top. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition. 

Type of Finish: Blued 

Finish Originality: Original 

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some minor erosion in the bore, mostly toward the muzzle-end, and there is some stubborn fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 8 out of 10. 

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The most notable finish loss is handling wear in the grip areas. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is tool marked with a usable slot. The markings are generally clear, some inspection marks are poorly struck. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good condition. 

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety at the left rear of the slide. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards. 

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a reproduction leather flap holster and a total of two 8-round Walther (E/359 marked) magazines. One magazine floorplate is marked with a non-matching serial number. The other magazine’s floorplate has some play front-to-rear.

Our Assessment: Walther’s P38 occupies a significant place in history. It was the first locked breech pistol to have a single action/double action trigger. After the start of WWII, Walther could not keep up with the production required, and production was finally started in 1942 at Mauser and Spreewerke. During the war, the German code for Spreewerke appeared to change from cyq to cvq, and this has sparked much discussion as to whether not there was actually a code change or if the stamp was just worn out, and the tail of the “y” no longer present. This pistol was made ca. early 1943, showing a higher quality finish than will be found on later-war examples. This example is in nice shape for its age, retaining matching parts, original finish, strong mechanics and a good bore. This is a neat find for the P38 collector, and would make a good addition to any collection of WWII P38s. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud

WWII German Spreewerke cyq P.38 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1943 C&R
WWII German Spreewerke cyq P.38 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1943 C&R