This is important, since there will be MANY P-38 pistols with the SAME serial number. What identifies individual guns, is the makers code, the year made, the serial number AND the block letter. So, if you have a P-38 'ac 44 1234 b' the serial number AND block code IS the actual serial number of the gun. Walther: The AP-serie. The ArmeePistole (army pistol) was the very first prototype/predecessor of the P38 and was already produced in 1935 by Walther in small quantities (highest serial number known is 55).
In order:
Reliability: The Walther P-38/P1 is a military and police gun and as such HAD to be reliable. When fired with the 124 grain, full metal jacket ammo they were designed to work with, they are very reliable.
Durability: Durability is a function of the ammo and how well you take care of it.
Shoot hot ammo or don't properly clean or maintain it and it won't last.
These guns were designed to use standard 9mm ammo, and when people shoot hotter ammo, the gun is subjected to stress it wasn't designed to take.
You CAN shoot modern defense ammo as long as it's standard power ammo, and you're willing to do some experimentation to find a brand/type of ammo your specific gun will work well with.
Of the Walther's you'll see with cracked or broken frames, almost all are either very old guns that were heavily used in German service, OR the new owner was shooting hot ammo or installed 'extra power' recoil springs.
'Extra power' springs are NOT needed or recommended in the Walther.
While they may reduce the pounding the frame takes in recoil, people don't think about the slide slamming SHUT with more force.
This causes cracks in the frame, often through the take-down lever area.
To make the gun last, shoot only standard ammo, and use only factory weight recoil springs.
Trigger Pull: The Walther was designed in the mid-1930's and was probably the first military pistol with a double action trigger mechanism.
The double action pull is long and heavy, but single action is usually pretty good.
Again, this is a military firearm, not a modern pistol designed with 50 years of experience with DA trigger designs.
The trigger pull isn't that bad, and you get used to it.
There isn't a lot that can be done to improve the trigger, and installing a spring kit usually causes reliability problems.
Simply shooting the gun will smooth up and improve the trigger.
Ease of field-stripping/cleaning. The Walther is one of the easiest pistols ever designed to field strip. It can be done in literally less than 10 seconds.
Cleaning is easy.
Here's a link to a Walther owner's manual that shows stripping:
http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm
Generally, the Walther P-38/P1 is probably todays 'best buy' in a handgun.
Walther is Europe's premier gun maker, and the P-38/P1 was their premium top-of-the-line pistol.
Before the current wave of imports, Walther pistols were selling for more than $500, with new, commercial P-38 models selling for over $800.
The only difference between the Post-war P-38 and the P1 is, the P-38 was made for German Police and for commercial sales all over the world.
The P1 is nothing more than the P-38 marked for use by the West German military who called it the P1.
Other than the stampings, they're the exact same gun.
These are excellent guns on all counts, are great plinkers, and still deliver as a defense gun.
They are very under-priced considering the quality.
I serious doubt you'll regret buying one.
Reliability: The Walther P-38/P1 is a military and police gun and as such HAD to be reliable. When fired with the 124 grain, full metal jacket ammo they were designed to work with, they are very reliable.
Durability: Durability is a function of the ammo and how well you take care of it.
Shoot hot ammo or don't properly clean or maintain it and it won't last.
These guns were designed to use standard 9mm ammo, and when people shoot hotter ammo, the gun is subjected to stress it wasn't designed to take.
You CAN shoot modern defense ammo as long as it's standard power ammo, and you're willing to do some experimentation to find a brand/type of ammo your specific gun will work well with.
Of the Walther's you'll see with cracked or broken frames, almost all are either very old guns that were heavily used in German service, OR the new owner was shooting hot ammo or installed 'extra power' recoil springs.
'Extra power' springs are NOT needed or recommended in the Walther.
While they may reduce the pounding the frame takes in recoil, people don't think about the slide slamming SHUT with more force.
This causes cracks in the frame, often through the take-down lever area.
To make the gun last, shoot only standard ammo, and use only factory weight recoil springs.
Trigger Pull: The Walther was designed in the mid-1930's and was probably the first military pistol with a double action trigger mechanism.
The double action pull is long and heavy, but single action is usually pretty good.
Again, this is a military firearm, not a modern pistol designed with 50 years of experience with DA trigger designs.
The trigger pull isn't that bad, and you get used to it.
There isn't a lot that can be done to improve the trigger, and installing a spring kit usually causes reliability problems.
Simply shooting the gun will smooth up and improve the trigger.
Ease of field-stripping/cleaning. The Walther is one of the easiest pistols ever designed to field strip. It can be done in literally less than 10 seconds.
Cleaning is easy.
Here's a link to a Walther owner's manual that shows stripping:
http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm
Generally, the Walther P-38/P1 is probably todays 'best buy' in a handgun.
Walther is Europe's premier gun maker, and the P-38/P1 was their premium top-of-the-line pistol.
Before the current wave of imports, Walther pistols were selling for more than $500, with new, commercial P-38 models selling for over $800.
The only difference between the Post-war P-38 and the P1 is, the P-38 was made for German Police and for commercial sales all over the world.
The P1 is nothing more than the P-38 marked for use by the West German military who called it the P1.
Other than the stampings, they're the exact same gun.
These are excellent guns on all counts, are great plinkers, and still deliver as a defense gun.
They are very under-priced considering the quality.
I serious doubt you'll regret buying one.
In order:
Reliability: The Walther P-38/P1 is a military and police gun and as such HAD to be reliable. When fired with the 124 grain, full metal jacket ammo they were designed to work with, they are very reliable.
Durability: Durability is a function of the ammo and how well you take care of it.
Shoot hot ammo or don't properly clean or maintain it and it won't last.
These guns were designed to use standard 9mm ammo, and when people shoot hotter ammo, the gun is subjected to stress it wasn't designed to take.
You CAN shoot modern defense ammo as long as it's standard power ammo, and you're willing to do some experimentation to find a brand/type of ammo your specific gun will work well with.
Of the Walther's you'll see with cracked or broken frames, almost all are either very old guns that were heavily used in German service, OR the new owner was shooting hot ammo or installed 'extra power' recoil springs.
'Extra power' springs are NOT needed or recommended in the Walther.
While they may reduce the pounding the frame takes in recoil, people don't think about the slide slamming SHUT with more force.
This causes cracks in the frame, often through the take-down lever area.
To make the gun last, shoot only standard ammo, and use only factory weight recoil springs.
Trigger Pull: The Walther was designed in the mid-1930's and was probably the first military pistol with a double action trigger mechanism.
The double action pull is long and heavy, but single action is usually pretty good.
Again, this is a military firearm, not a modern pistol designed with 50 years of experience with DA trigger designs.
The trigger pull isn't that bad, and you get used to it.
There isn't a lot that can be done to improve the trigger, and installing a spring kit usually causes reliability problems.
Simply shooting the gun will smooth up and improve the trigger.
Ease of field-stripping/cleaning. The Walther is one of the easiest pistols ever designed to field strip. It can be done in literally less than 10 seconds.
Cleaning is easy.
Here's a link to a Walther owner's manual that shows stripping:
http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm
Generally, the Walther P-38/P1 is probably todays 'best buy' in a handgun.
Walther is Europe's premier gun maker, and the P-38/P1 was their premium top-of-the-line pistol.
Before the current wave of imports, Walther pistols were selling for more than $500, with new, commercial P-38 models selling for over $800.
The only difference between the Post-war P-38 and the P1 is, the P-38 was made for German Police and for commercial sales all over the world.
The P1 is nothing more than the P-38 marked for use by the West German military who called it the P1.
Other than the stampings, they're the exact same gun.
These are excellent guns on all counts, are great plinkers, and still deliver as a defense gun.
They are very under-priced considering the quality.
I serious doubt you'll regret buying one.
Reliability: The Walther P-38/P1 is a military and police gun and as such HAD to be reliable. When fired with the 124 grain, full metal jacket ammo they were designed to work with, they are very reliable.
Durability: Durability is a function of the ammo and how well you take care of it.
Shoot hot ammo or don't properly clean or maintain it and it won't last.
These guns were designed to use standard 9mm ammo, and when people shoot hotter ammo, the gun is subjected to stress it wasn't designed to take.
You CAN shoot modern defense ammo as long as it's standard power ammo, and you're willing to do some experimentation to find a brand/type of ammo your specific gun will work well with.
Of the Walther's you'll see with cracked or broken frames, almost all are either very old guns that were heavily used in German service, OR the new owner was shooting hot ammo or installed 'extra power' recoil springs.
'Extra power' springs are NOT needed or recommended in the Walther.
While they may reduce the pounding the frame takes in recoil, people don't think about the slide slamming SHUT with more force.
This causes cracks in the frame, often through the take-down lever area.
To make the gun last, shoot only standard ammo, and use only factory weight recoil springs.
Trigger Pull: The Walther was designed in the mid-1930's and was probably the first military pistol with a double action trigger mechanism.
The double action pull is long and heavy, but single action is usually pretty good.
Again, this is a military firearm, not a modern pistol designed with 50 years of experience with DA trigger designs.
The trigger pull isn't that bad, and you get used to it.
There isn't a lot that can be done to improve the trigger, and installing a spring kit usually causes reliability problems.
Simply shooting the gun will smooth up and improve the trigger.
Ease of field-stripping/cleaning. The Walther is one of the easiest pistols ever designed to field strip. It can be done in literally less than 10 seconds.
Cleaning is easy.
Here's a link to a Walther owner's manual that shows stripping:
http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm
Generally, the Walther P-38/P1 is probably todays 'best buy' in a handgun.
Walther is Europe's premier gun maker, and the P-38/P1 was their premium top-of-the-line pistol.
Before the current wave of imports, Walther pistols were selling for more than $500, with new, commercial P-38 models selling for over $800.
The only difference between the Post-war P-38 and the P1 is, the P-38 was made for German Police and for commercial sales all over the world.
The P1 is nothing more than the P-38 marked for use by the West German military who called it the P1.
Other than the stampings, they're the exact same gun.
These are excellent guns on all counts, are great plinkers, and still deliver as a defense gun.
They are very under-priced considering the quality.
I serious doubt you'll regret buying one.