Ignorance is no excuse!
My first P.38 purchase was an absolute disaster.
In July 2003 I started to frequent a small gun shop in eastern Ontario during my summer holiday.
On my first visit I purchased a Walther ac-41 P.38 for $675.
It came with an eagle/88 Spreewerk magazine which is not correct for the pistol.
Before I realized that the gun was a bogus put together piece I bought two double spine marked eagle/359 magazines ($50 USD each)---eagle/359 marked grips ($150 USD)
Orv Reichert the old P.38 Guru on the P.38 Forum broke the bad news to me after I sent him some photos. (I did not take very good photos back in 2003)
The frame had been put together with the barrel and slide and the serial number was added to the left side of the frame and barrel group.
The red and white markings on the "F" and "S" were missing----and other negative issues.
When I found out what I had-- I gave the pistol back to the owner of the shop and asked him to sell it on consignment for me.
On January 8 2004 I received a cheque for $400.
I could not blame the owner of the shop for selling me a bogus pistol as he did not know squat about P.38s.
This is a prime example of jumping too quickly without doing your home work.
I still have the grips and magazines that I bought during that fiasco and purchased a few nice pieces from this gun shop in the years that followed. (Including a very decent ac-42 P.38 )
I bought Warren Buxton's Vol. one and Vol. two books on P.38s in 2005 for $47.54 USD.
These books sell for big bucks today.
Like the wise man once said---buy the books before you buy the gun.
Reject stamp.
Before I realized that I had bought a ‘Pig in a Poke’ I bought eagle/ 359 marked grips for an ac41 as well as two Walther ac 41 double-spine marked eagle/359 marked magazines.
Fortunately I kept these accessories when I asked the gun shop owner to sell the bogus ac 41.
It was an interesting learning experience----I have not had the misfortune of having another one ----SO FAR ?
My first P.38 purchase was an absolute disaster.
In July 2003 I started to frequent a small gun shop in eastern Ontario during my summer holiday.
On my first visit I purchased a Walther ac-41 P.38 for $675.
It came with an eagle/88 Spreewerk magazine which is not correct for the pistol.
Before I realized that the gun was a bogus put together piece I bought two double spine marked eagle/359 magazines ($50 USD each)---eagle/359 marked grips ($150 USD)
Orv Reichert the old P.38 Guru on the P.38 Forum broke the bad news to me after I sent him some photos. (I did not take very good photos back in 2003)
The frame had been put together with the barrel and slide and the serial number was added to the left side of the frame and barrel group.
The red and white markings on the "F" and "S" were missing----and other negative issues.
When I found out what I had-- I gave the pistol back to the owner of the shop and asked him to sell it on consignment for me.
On January 8 2004 I received a cheque for $400.
I could not blame the owner of the shop for selling me a bogus pistol as he did not know squat about P.38s.
This is a prime example of jumping too quickly without doing your home work.
I still have the grips and magazines that I bought during that fiasco and purchased a few nice pieces from this gun shop in the years that followed. (Including a very decent ac-42 P.38 )
I bought Warren Buxton's Vol. one and Vol. two books on P.38s in 2005 for $47.54 USD.
These books sell for big bucks today.
Like the wise man once said---buy the books before you buy the gun.
Reject stamp.
Before I realized that I had bought a ‘Pig in a Poke’ I bought eagle/ 359 marked grips for an ac41 as well as two Walther ac 41 double-spine marked eagle/359 marked magazines.
Fortunately I kept these accessories when I asked the gun shop owner to sell the bogus ac 41.
It was an interesting learning experience----I have not had the misfortune of having another one ----SO FAR ?
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