WWII Late War Dual Tone Mauser P38 svw45 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol 1945 C&R

SOLD FOR: $2,285.00

LSB#: LSB260625WM079

Make: Mauser

Model: P.38

Serial Number: 2855e

Year of Manufacture: 1945

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum

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

Barrel Length: 5″

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a boss at the front of the barrel, marked “4” on the left. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide. 

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are Polyamid 6 two-piece black serrated panels. The grips have evenly scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The serrations are generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition. 

Type of Finish: Phosphate & Blued

Finish Originality: Original. Numbered parts match.

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

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There are infrequent spots of minor surface oxidation. There are some scattered light nicks and small scratches. The action shows light operational wear. The screw head is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are generally clear, some inspection marks are poorly struck, as is common. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety on the left side of the slide. The slide has minor play to the frame. 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 single jvd-marked magazine.

Our Assessment: The 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 ordered to commence at both Mauser and Spreewerke in 1940. By the end of the war, Walther had only produced about 580,000 of the 1.2 million produced.

Up until the beginning of 1945, Mauser Werke had used the code “byf” for identification, but in early 1945, they switched to “svw”. On April 20, 1945, French troops occupied Oberndorf and in June, the Mauser plant began making weapons under French control. Needless to say, the “svw” marked P38’s which were accepted by the German Army are among the rarest of the P38’s produced during the war, estimated at about 7,800 total. This pistol’s serial number, 2855e,  places it among the earlier svw45-marked Mauser P.38s, near the transition from the earlier byf 44 code. Its combination of phosphate-finished major components and blued parts is consistent with the scarce factory dual-tone configuration used during the closing months of German wartime production.

This pistol has matching serial numbers on the barrel, slide, frame and locking block, and is correctly marked for a Mauser produced pistol in 1945. It retains the great majority of its scarce dual-tone finish with a good bore and strong mechanics. This pistol should be a big hit with the P38 collectors. Please see our photos and good luck!

-Bud