Description
Mint, all matching with original hardshell holster!
Most people think of the Luger P.08 when the subject of Nazi hand guns comes up but the P.38 was the official sidearm of the German armed forces during WW2.
The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II to replace the costly Luger P.08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942. The P.38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but production of actual pistols did not begin until late 1939 at Waffenfabrik Walther.
Since before the war the German army used secret codes on weapons to designate the manufacture & ‘byf’ was the code given to wartime Mauser production. The Germans were concerned that the Allied forces could easily locate the German weapon production sites & bomb them when they knew the manufacturer.
This example was manufactured in 1942, as seen by byf 42 on the slide & the serial number with no suffix indicates it was made in Feb – March of that year & it is unknown how many were produced in 1942 due to a loss of records but it is known that just 700 were accepted by the Wehrmacht in 1942, see attached production chart.
Along with being a collectable WW2 pistol due to its Nazi heritage, the P.38 is famous for being the first modern double action semi auto pistol which featured a manual de-cock, allowing the pistol to be loaded with a round in the chamber & then safely ‘de-cocked’ without the need to release the hammer while pulling the trigger. This allowed it to be safely carried with a round in the chamber & the hammer forward. Being double action, the user could draw & pull the trigger making it a good service pistol for soldiers wanting to be safe but ready for action. This set the standard for service pistols going forward.
Original wartime manufactured P.38’s are particularly desirable for collectors. This particular example is in excellent original condition & comes with the desirable black original wartime hardshell holster clearly stamped gxy 1941 along with WaA135 Waffenamt & the large P38 embossed on it. The Nazi secret squirrel code of gxy was allocated to Gebr. Klinge, of Lederwarenfabrik, Dresden-Loebtau.
This is in great condition & as can be seen in the photos, comes with a single original WW2 P.38 magazine although more are available if you look for them.
Any dark specs which may look like rust is just old, hard grease.
Original WW2 ‘Hardshell’ holsters in this condition fetch upto $1,000 & are a desirable accouchement.
It was purchased & brought into the country by a serious collector who is now liquidating his entire collection of mint WW2 handguns.
We are offering this pistol as a collectable piece of military history & acknowledge the grievous atrocities committed by the Nazi regime & some of its military, particularly toward the peoples of occupied territory & the Jewish population in Europe. In no way do we condone or glorify the Nazi regime which must be remembered for the vile stain on human history that it was.
Please view all of the photos carefully as they form the main description & override all others so feel free to ask for more if desired.
Sold on consignment on behalf of a collector.
