WWII Nazi German Walther P.38 P38 P-38 ac-42 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1942 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1350
LSB#: 210423DW23
Make: Walther
Model: P38
Serial Number: 6863h
Year of Manufacture: 1942
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker safety.
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “P.38”, “ac / 42”, and “6863h”, the right is marked with two eagle over “359” waffenamts, one to each side of an eagle clutching swastika proof. The left of the frame is marked “6863 h” and with eagle over “359” waffenamt above the trigger guard. The front face of the barrel assembly is marked “6863 / h”, the left is marked with eagle over “359” waffenamt at the front and with eagle clutching swastika proof at the rear. The left of the locking block is marked with eagle clutching swastika proof and “3”, the bottom with “863 / h”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a boss at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are AEG two-piece serrated panels. The grips show light handling wear with some scattered scuffing and handling marks. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with generally rifling. There is scattered light erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 70% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The barrel has generally strong finish with most notable finish wear on the front sight band. The slide has scattered finish wear, a few nicks and on the right flat there is what is either a more notable ding or a forging flaw at the top edge behind the ejection port. The frame has handling wear in the grip areas. There is infrequent faint surface oxidation. The screw head is very lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety on the left side of the slide. The slide is tight 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 black leather flap holster and a total of two magazines. Both magazines are marked with eagle over “359” on the spine (Walther), one is marked “P.38v” on the left, the other is marked “P.38v / U”. The magazines show light operational wear with some scattered minor surface oxidation, intact feed lips and strong springs, in about Very Good condition. The holster has scattered wear with intact stitching, in about Good-Very Good condition.
Our Assessment: The P.38 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. This is a mid-production Walther model made in 1942. All of the waffenamt marked parts have a Walther “359” marking, and serialized parts all match. This pistol should make for a nice example of a mid-war production P.38 with a shootable bore. No collection of WWII small arms would be complete without a P38 made by each of the three manufacturers, and many collectors have one from each year that they were made by each of the three manufactures, in addition to most of the common variants. This pistol would make a nice addition to a collection, but could also make for a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!