Walther P38/P1 Accuracy?

Wallaback

Wallaback

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I was thinking about buying a used Walther P38/P1 (whichever I find), and was wondering about their accuracy and reliability?

If I chose to buy one, will I actually be able to accurately put rounds down the range?
 
Wallaback, the Walther P38/P1 are military/police pistols and they are designed for reliability rather than marksmanship. You should be able to hit consistently at 15 yards but it will be a chore to shoot tiny groups at 25 yards. Buy the pistol, shoot it, and enjoy it as it is a fine weapon.
 
You will also find that they are very light in the front compared to most modern pistols. That lack of weight up front makes them less "steady" when aiming. Also, most of them still have "military" weight/creep/gritty triggers.

Other than that, they are great to play with, clean it up and it is amazing what they can do with the right loads.
 
The P1 postwar version is aluminum frame and lighter than the P38. Reportedly the Bundeswehr (the original recipients of this weapon) were known to say it was good for 8 warning shots and one aimed throw.
 
My experience with my P1 is like ampegor's. The gun is not meant to be a target arm, but is certainly adequate for most purposes. Many years ago there were reports of the duraluminuim frame cracking under very heavy firing, so if you plan to do lots of shooting and/or using very heavy loads, you're probably better off with the steel-frame P38. The use of a transverse hexagonal reinforcing pin and the P4 were Walther's solution to the frame problem.
 
The gun itself can be quite accurate... but shooting it accurately can be somewhat of a challenge!

This been said, the P38 is one of those iconic handguns that every body should have at least one example in their safe... to go along with the PPK, Luger P08, 1911...
 
I bought a P1 recently as my first 9mm pistol. It is in good shape and for the $, good value. That being said, I shoot my friend's CZ 75 much better. Its a keeper though, as posted.
 
I have a CYQ P38 that has no problem putting 8 rds into a 6"x6" piece of paper at 25 yds using a standing 2 hand hold. I think that would be acceptable for a combat handgun.
 
I've been really happy with my P1 that I got about a year ago when they were on sale for $225, and would say that it's still a good deal up to about $300 or so. I did some research on them before purchasing mine, and decided on the P1 over the post war P38. Essentially, the P1 has beefier slide and a hex pin through the frame where the aluminum framed P38 was sometimes known to crack. The aluminum P38s were post war police issue, while the P1 was issued to the Bundeswehr (German Army). Most of these pistols were used before being arsenal refurbished and put into storage. Sadly, I have been told that due to one of the latest international treaties against small-arms proliferation, that the German government will not be releasing any more surplus pistols (if they still have any), so now's probably a good time to pick one up while dealers still have them.

My P1 is easily the most accurate of my pistols and gave me some surprisingly tight groups with the 124gr ammo that's recommended for them. After a lesson on using the two handed Weaver stance, my aim got even better and I was really impressed. To be fair though, I'm comparing it with a Norc M93 .22 Woodsman clone, a .45ACP Norc 1911A1, a Yugo M57 (Tok pistol in 9mm), a well used Chinese Contract Inglis High Power, and I'm hardly expecting my 1895 Nagant pistol to shoot better when I finally get it to range. So far the pistol has operated without any failures to feed or eject.

The P1 is light on account of the aluminum frame, so a steady hold/follow through is a good idea since it will definitely bounce back when fired!

At least two other friends bought a P1 and P38 on account of my telling them about these pistols, and I've met another club member who ordered one. So far they've all been satisfied with the condition or accuracy. I've only done a bit of competative shooting with .22 pistols years ago (UofT's Hart House Range) and mostly like to collect and play with milsurp pistols, so I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to all of the ins and outs of handguns, but I can certainly say that I'm happy with my P1!

Good Luck!

Frank
 
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