Help confirming P38 origins

Chameleon

Chameleon

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I have been doing my best to research the origins of my P.38 and was hoping someone could help confirm what I have found. I have included some pics of the numbers and marks on my gun.

What I believe at this time from charts on P38forum and Google is my gun is was made in the Spreewerk factory December 1943.
I've also discovered that the softshell holsters manufacturer was Gebr.Klinge, Dresden in 1944 and it has the little eagle mark.

Can someone confirm or correct what I have found. Or maybe add a little more? Thank you!

Right Side
P1220009.JPG


Left Side
P1220010.JPG


P1220012.JPG


Just for fun
P1220017.JPG
 
Your basic info is quite correct.

Some folks say that the cyq P-38s are not as well-made as a Mauser or a Walther, but the only place where they fall down at all is in the finish. What a lot of folks don't realise is that polishing and finishing a piece of steel to a bright shiny commercial-like glow takes just as much time as it does for the machines to chew the actual parts out of a block of iron. Spreewerke, as the Italian arsenals turnng out the Carcanos, just cut back a bit on the finishing time in order to produce more actual weapons at a time when every single one was needed. The actual proof-tests the weapons withstood were identical.

P-38 is an interesting design. The dropping locking-block short-recoil operation was largely ignored until Beretta stole it for their Brigadier in 1951. The Brigadier was adopted by Israel and by Egypt both, so the same gun fought on opposing sides during a couple of small but ugly wars. Beretta then developed a new pistol with a double-stack magazine, called it the 92 and sold it to the US. YES: your P-38 is the direct ancestor of the All-American Beretta 92F. Put the two on the same table and take 'em apart; mechanically, there is zero difference in operation.

P-38s are fun!

Hope you enjoy yours.
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P38 cyq

Hi Chameleon,

Production date December 1943 is correct.

Your P38 is the so called "Fourth Variation" (late configuration frame and slide).

Approx. 229.000 P38's of this variation were produced which makes them the most common P38 of all variations.

You can look up collector values in the Standard Catalogue of Military Firearms.

Just PM or EM me if you have more questions.

Cheers

Klaus

PS: Does the locking block s/n match?
 
I had your sister P38 that was shy of 10,000 units off from yours. Very nicely made pistol being from late '43 so I can imagine yours is just as nice.

Mine didn't have the asterix on the slide beside the property markings.
 
Elefant said:
PS: Does the locking block s/n match?
Click to expand...

Thanks all for the confirmation and comments.

Yes Elefant, I would say they match. The 9 is faded completely away but you can clearly see 806 on it as well as a tiny symbol. So unless the top cover was stamped (Click here for for more info) I should have a #s matching piece?

P.S - Any suggestions on products for cleaning/restoring the softshell holster?
 
Chameleon said:
Thanks all for the confirmation and comments.

Yes Elefant, I would say they match. The 9 is faded completely away but you can clearly see 806 on it as well as a tiny symbol. So unless the top cover was stamped (Click here for for more info) I should have a #s matching piece?

P.S - Any suggestions on products for cleaning/restoring the softshell holster?
Click to expand...

Locking blocks only have the last three digits of the number. So it matches.

Also from my reading the asterisk may be an defective part marking, mine has it on the barrel. This would have gone on prior to the proofs and waffenamts. Ive rad that assuming the problem could be corrected, the part would be used when deemed fit.
 
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