WWII Late War German Walther P38 ac45 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1945 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,125.00
LSB#: LSB260625WM067
Make: Walther
Model: P.38
Serial Number: 4903b
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 AEG two-piece reddish-brown serrated panels. The grips have even light handling wear with a few minor nicks and scuffs. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blued, some small parts Phosphate
Finish Originality: Original. Numbered parts match.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There are a few spots of light erosion and a little stubborn copper fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas. There are scattered spots of minor surface oxidation. There are some scattered light nicks and small scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are generally clear, some marks are poorly struck, as is common in this period of production. Notably, the serial marking on the locking block has a poorly struck capital “B” appearing as “E”. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good 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 P38v/U-marked magazine.
Our Assessment: This Walther P.38 was produced in 1945 during the final months of German wartime arms production. The “ac45” marking identifies Walther manufacture at Zella-Mehlis, while its 4903b serial number places it in the B-block, produced in approximately March 1945, only weeks before American forces occupied the Walther factory. By this stage, production increasingly reflected Germany’s strained industrial situation, with subcontracted components, mixed finishes, simplified machining, and considerable variation between otherwise contemporary pistols.
This example has an especially interesting late-war configuration, retaining period-appropriate AEG grips and a Czech-produced barrel supplied to Walther under Germany’s increasingly dispersed wartime production system. These Czech barrels, associated with Böhmische Waffenfabrik and the “fnh”/WaA76 markings, are a feature of late Walther P.38 production found in the ac45 B-block. Together with its matching numbered components, these features make for a fine example of a P.38 characteristic of the closing weeks of WWII. Please see our photos and good luck!
-Bud