grelmar you have waited this long to get a WWII P.38----IMHO take a little more time to find a correct WWII holster for your pistol. (Don't buy a repro.)
I don't know what the serial number is on your Spreewerk but but this chart might give you an idea of the date of manufacture of your gun.
Choose a holster that is reasonably date compatible with your pistol.
This is an article regarding E/88 magazines.
E over 88 marked magazines.
It is my opinion that no magazine production ever took place at Spreewerk Grottau or Spreewerk Kratzau. Spreewerk was never set up for or intended to be in the business of manufacturing magazines. Unlike the experienced and self sufficient arms manufacturers such as Walther and Mauser, that manufactured all parts and components for their pistols, Spreewerk was a satellite facility for wartime pistol manufacture only. So other than the first few magazines brought by Walther, ENM was most likely the only manufacturer of magazines for the Spreewerk pistols.
It is also my opinion that the E/88 inspector served both factories until he was replaced at the ENM factory by the E/WaA706 inspector. The code jvd was assigned prior to that as evidenced by the mags marked both jvd and E/88.
Since some jvd marked mags are also marked E/88 we cannot assume the E/88 stamp indicates Spreewerk
manufacture. Just as we cannot assume anything from the shape of the welds since round, oval, rectangular, and elongated all appear on these magazines.
Therefore it is a bit of a misnomer to use the description "Spreewerk" magazine for these mags marked E/88 with no other markings as this implies these were manufactured by Spreewerk. This has never been proven. They were intended for and issued with Spreewerk pistols but I suggest that since these early E/88 mags do not carry a factory code that we stick with calling them "E/88" magazines as some collectors already do.
I would like to thank the following individuals that contributed information and photos for this research and
presentation:
Jan Balcar Leon DeSpain Marc Mandro
Dennis Johnson (DJ) Dennis de Vlieger Mark Castel
Malcolm Saxon Per Mathisen Dave Shike
This is not my stuff---it was put together by people far smarter than me. (I do have a Spreewerk P.38 with a few mags and holsters.)
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This 'cyq' code pistol was manufactured in 1943--serial number 5118f----I am lucky that I have a couple of 1943 dated soft shell P.38 holsters. 1944 dated P.38 soft shell holsters are more likely found.
I don't know what the serial number is on your Spreewerk but but this chart might give you an idea of the date of manufacture of your gun.
Choose a holster that is reasonably date compatible with your pistol.
This is an article regarding E/88 magazines.
E over 88 marked magazines.
It is my opinion that no magazine production ever took place at Spreewerk Grottau or Spreewerk Kratzau. Spreewerk was never set up for or intended to be in the business of manufacturing magazines. Unlike the experienced and self sufficient arms manufacturers such as Walther and Mauser, that manufactured all parts and components for their pistols, Spreewerk was a satellite facility for wartime pistol manufacture only. So other than the first few magazines brought by Walther, ENM was most likely the only manufacturer of magazines for the Spreewerk pistols.
It is also my opinion that the E/88 inspector served both factories until he was replaced at the ENM factory by the E/WaA706 inspector. The code jvd was assigned prior to that as evidenced by the mags marked both jvd and E/88.
Since some jvd marked mags are also marked E/88 we cannot assume the E/88 stamp indicates Spreewerk
manufacture. Just as we cannot assume anything from the shape of the welds since round, oval, rectangular, and elongated all appear on these magazines.
Therefore it is a bit of a misnomer to use the description "Spreewerk" magazine for these mags marked E/88 with no other markings as this implies these were manufactured by Spreewerk. This has never been proven. They were intended for and issued with Spreewerk pistols but I suggest that since these early E/88 mags do not carry a factory code that we stick with calling them "E/88" magazines as some collectors already do.
I would like to thank the following individuals that contributed information and photos for this research and
presentation:
Jan Balcar Leon DeSpain Marc Mandro
Dennis Johnson (DJ) Dennis de Vlieger Mark Castel
Malcolm Saxon Per Mathisen Dave Shike
This is not my stuff---it was put together by people far smarter than me. (I do have a Spreewerk P.38 with a few mags and holsters.)
----------------------------------
This 'cyq' code pistol was manufactured in 1943--serial number 5118f----I am lucky that I have a couple of 1943 dated soft shell P.38 holsters. 1944 dated P.38 soft shell holsters are more likely found.
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I don't know just why I never got around to shooting it. That was a real exception as I shoot everything else I own, one other glaring exception being a wartime Walther HP. I must get it out to the range this spring.
