WWII Russian Capture German Walther P38 ac43 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1943 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,000.00

LSB#: WY241106MC005

Make: Walther, imported by ATI

Model: P.38

Serial Number: 1681e

Year of Manufacture: 1943

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. 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 interior of each panel is marked with an e/359 waffenamt. The grips have some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The surfaces show what appears to be minor chemical erosion, common to this material. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition. 

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished, serialized parts are matching, some may have been force-matched.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is worn, but visible. There is light erosion and pitting scattered through the bore, more in the grooves than on the lands. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 4 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 87% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There is some scattered minor surface erosion, mostly under the finish. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. 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 8-round magazine, marked with eagle/WaA135 waffenamt on the spine (Mauser), “P.38v” on the left, the magazine body has a black paint coating.

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. This is a mid-production model made in 1943 which has the “stacked” ac-43 marking on the slide. The “X”-marking on the left of the frame is typical of Russian captured guns, as is the uniform “hot dip” blue finish. Given that it survived the end of the war, Russian capture, and made its way across the pond, it’s in pretty darned good shape. 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 manufacturers, in addition to most of the common variants. This pistol would make a nice addition to a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!

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

WWII Russian Capture German Walther P38 ac43 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1943 C&R
WWII Russian Capture German Walther P38 ac43 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1943 C&R