WWII German Spreewerke cyq P.38 P-38 P38 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol 1944-1945 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1026
LSB#: 210612TP54
Make: Spreewerke
Model: P.38 cyq Series, 1st Alphabet Run
Serial Number: 6101z
Year of Manufacture: 1944-1945 (See Pg. 138, Vol. 2, “The P.38 Pistol” by Buxton)
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”, “cvq” (sic) and “6101 Z”. The left side of the frame is marked “6101 z”, “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt and “*” under the left grip is “374”. The front barrel flat is marked “6101 / z”, the left is marked with “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt, “cyq” and at the rear with an eagle clutching swastika. The right side of the slide is marked with two “Eagle / 88” Waffenamts, with an Eagle clutching Swastika in the center. The right of the barrel is marked “B i”. The right of the locking block is marked with “Eagle / 88”, the bottom has “101 / z”, the left has eagle clutching swastika.
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 serrated Julius Posselt production panels. The left panel has the earlier “31” maker’s code on the inside toward the top, the right has the later “41” code. The grips have light handling wear with a few minor nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is some handling wear in the grip areas and controls. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. Areas show the rough machining typical of late-war production. The screw head is tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are generally clear, some are poorly struck including the serial marking on the locking block. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good-plus 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 singe 8-round magazine. The magazine is marked with eagle over “88” waffenamt (occupied Czech production) on the spine. The magazine shows light operational wear. There is an oddly defined line between the top 1″ or so of the magazine body and the bottom with the top portion having a very slight red tint to the color. The feed lips are intact and the spring is strong, in about Very Good condition.
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 late in the war, either in 1944 or 1945. In addition to the “cvq” marking on the slide, it has late features such as the coarsely serrated hammer spur, non-serrated slide stop and some rough machining which was common late in the war as standards were dropped to increase production and decrease costs. It shows light wear for a service pistol and retains a great bore with strong mechanics. The pistol is in about Very Good-plus condition with about 90% of its metal finish remaining. This is a nice find for the P38 collector, and would make a good addition to any collection of WWII P38s. Please see our photos and good luck!