*LIVE* Spreewerk P.38 9mm Blue 4.7" *DESIRABLE WWII GERMAN MILITARY PISTOL*

Bryant Ridge's Analysis

The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942. The Walther P.38 was in production from 1939 to 1945. Initial development of the pistol took place 1937-1939, culminating in the first model, designated Model HP or Heerespistole ("army pistol"), which had several variants as engineering changes were made. Early production included a Swedish contract.

The designation P.38 indicates Wehrmacht adoption in 1938, although the exact date is unknown. The transition from HP to the mechanically-identical P.38-marked pistols took place 1939-1940. Sweden bought the P38 in 1939. During WWII, the P.38 was produced by three separate manufacturers: Walther, Mauser, and Spreewerk. To conceal manufacturer identities, each wartime manufacturer used a letter code: ac (Walther); byf (Mauser), and cyq (Spreewerk), followed by the date (e.g.: ac44: Walther 1944 production). Spreewerk did not mark production dates.

Pistols were produced in blocks of 10,000 consecutively numbered pistols, with each block having a consecutive letter suffix, to conceal production volume. 1,277,680 P.38s were produced during WWII: 617,585 by Walther in Zella-Mehlis; 372,875 by Mauser in Oberndorf; 287,220 by Spreewerk Grottau. Late in the war, the Spreewerk cyq die broke. Subsequent pistols appear to be marked "cvq" due to the broken die. About 31,400 pistols are so marked. Spreewerk production ended April 1945.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Spreewerk

Model: P.38

Serial: A5045

Date of Manufacture: 1945

Caliber: 9mm

Finish: Blue

Barrel Length: 4 7/8"

Optics/Sights: Dovetail Blade Front and Fixed Notch Rear

Stock/Grips: Black Synthetic 

Action: Semi-Automatic 

Markings: Standard / The right side of the slide is stamped with Waffenamt proof marks and a German swastika proof mark. The left side of the frame is stamped with a Waffenamt proof mark. 

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