P-38 info?

[deadman]

I've been wanting to get myself one of these for a loooong time, but I don't know anything about them. I've held a couple, fired one. It was a very nice shooter, it made me look like I knew what I was doing.

To the folks in the know, what should I be looking for? Is one type more desirable than another? Is one made better than others? Or all they all the same? Any help is appreciated.

 

[sail32]

Walther P-38 forum,

http://www.p38forum.com/

http://p-38.info/

 

[grelmar]

This would get a lot more traction in the MilSurp sub forum. There are some regular(ish) posters in there (Purple comes to mind), who've owned more P-38s, and forgotten more about them, than most people will ever know.

The P-38 is one of those firearms that has become an entire category unto itself for collectors. I have a late war Spreewerk, which is considered at the low end of desireability among collectors, but it's an all matching vet bringback, with all the stamps intact, so it satisfied my itch for a P-38 quite nicely. And I was able to pick it up for several hundred less than the Soviet Mixmaster Refurbs were going for at retail at the time.

The only advice I can give without "advising past my knowledge" would be to avoid the Russian mixmasters you can get retail and go straight to the secondary market. There are a surprising number of all matching examples floating around, and they'll appreciate in value far better in the long run.