Walther P38
The Walther P38 is a 9 mm pistol that was developed by Walther as the
service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was
intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was
scheduled to end in 1942.
DEVELOPMENT:
The P38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but
production of actual prototype ("Test") pistols did not start until late
1939. Walther began manufacture at their plant in Zella-Mehlis and
produced three series of "Test" pistols, designated by a "0" prefix to
the serial number. The third series satisfied the previous problems and
production for the Heer (German Army) began in mid-1940, using Walther's
military production identification code "480". After a few thousand
pistols the Heer changed all codes from numbers to letters and Walther
was given the "ac" code. All production was performed at the Walther
plant until mid- to late 1942 when additional production began at the
Mauser plant in Oberndorf (code "byf" until early 1945, then "svw") and
at the Spreewerk plant in Hradek and Nisou, Czechoslovakia ("cyq").
Production continued until the end of the war and into the post war
period. The early Walthers, until late 1941, were made to almost
commercial standards of fit and polish. As the pressures of war required
increased production the exterior finish declined but the operating
components of the P38 remained remarkably well-made throughout the war,
especially at Mauser.
Three firms made components for P38 production:
Fabrique Nationale-- slides, frames and locking blocks (M or M1)
Ceska Zbrojovka, CZ (Böhmische Waffenfabrik)-- barrels (fnh)
Erste Nordböhmische Metallwarenfabrik -- magazines (jvd)
The French manufactured P38 pistols from captured parts at the Mauser
factory from May or June of 1945 until 1946. These are identifiable by
the presence of a five-pointed star stamped on the slide. Total German
production is estimated at more than 1,200,000 pistols. Production of
the P38 resumed at a new Walther factory in Ulm, West Germany under the
name Pistole 1 (P1) in 1958 for West German Police and the Bundeswehr.
It remained in Walther production, in several revised iterations, until
the early 1990s.
The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action
trigger. The shooter could load a round into the chamber, use the
de-cocking lever to safely lower the hammer without firing the round,
and carry the weapon loaded with the hammer down. A pull of the trigger,
with the hammer down, fired the first shot and the operation of the
pistol ejected the fired round and reloaded a fresh round into the
chamber, all features found in many modern day handguns.
The first designs submitted to the German Army featured a locked breech
and a hidden hammer, but the German Army requested that it be redesigned
with an external hammer. This led to the subsequent adoption of the P38
in 1940. Several experimental versions were later created in .45 ACP,
and .38 Super, but these were never mass-produced. In addition to the 9
mm Parabellum version, some 7.65x22mm Parabellum and some .22 Long Rifle
versions were also created and sold.
The barrel-locking mechanism operates by use of a wedge-shaped locking
block underneath the breech. When fired both the barrel and slide recoil
for a short distance, where the locking block drives down, disengaging
the sliding and arresting the movement of the barrel.
The P38 uses a double action trigger design similar to the earlier
Walther PPKs, and a loaded chamber indicator was also incorporated.
Back
service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was
intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was
scheduled to end in 1942.
DEVELOPMENT:
The P38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but
production of actual prototype ("Test") pistols did not start until late
1939. Walther began manufacture at their plant in Zella-Mehlis and
produced three series of "Test" pistols, designated by a "0" prefix to
the serial number. The third series satisfied the previous problems and
production for the Heer (German Army) began in mid-1940, using Walther's
military production identification code "480". After a few thousand
pistols the Heer changed all codes from numbers to letters and Walther
was given the "ac" code. All production was performed at the Walther
plant until mid- to late 1942 when additional production began at the
Mauser plant in Oberndorf (code "byf" until early 1945, then "svw") and
at the Spreewerk plant in Hradek and Nisou, Czechoslovakia ("cyq").
Production continued until the end of the war and into the post war
period. The early Walthers, until late 1941, were made to almost
commercial standards of fit and polish. As the pressures of war required
increased production the exterior finish declined but the operating
components of the P38 remained remarkably well-made throughout the war,
especially at Mauser.
Three firms made components for P38 production:
Fabrique Nationale-- slides, frames and locking blocks (M or M1)
Ceska Zbrojovka, CZ (Böhmische Waffenfabrik)-- barrels (fnh)
Erste Nordböhmische Metallwarenfabrik -- magazines (jvd)
The French manufactured P38 pistols from captured parts at the Mauser
factory from May or June of 1945 until 1946. These are identifiable by
the presence of a five-pointed star stamped on the slide. Total German
production is estimated at more than 1,200,000 pistols. Production of
the P38 resumed at a new Walther factory in Ulm, West Germany under the
name Pistole 1 (P1) in 1958 for West German Police and the Bundeswehr.
It remained in Walther production, in several revised iterations, until
the early 1990s.
The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action
trigger. The shooter could load a round into the chamber, use the
de-cocking lever to safely lower the hammer without firing the round,
and carry the weapon loaded with the hammer down. A pull of the trigger,
with the hammer down, fired the first shot and the operation of the
pistol ejected the fired round and reloaded a fresh round into the
chamber, all features found in many modern day handguns.
The first designs submitted to the German Army featured a locked breech
and a hidden hammer, but the German Army requested that it be redesigned
with an external hammer. This led to the subsequent adoption of the P38
in 1940. Several experimental versions were later created in .45 ACP,
and .38 Super, but these were never mass-produced. In addition to the 9
mm Parabellum version, some 7.65x22mm Parabellum and some .22 Long Rifle
versions were also created and sold.
The barrel-locking mechanism operates by use of a wedge-shaped locking
block underneath the breech. When fired both the barrel and slide recoil
for a short distance, where the locking block drives down, disengaging
the sliding and arresting the movement of the barrel.
The P38 uses a double action trigger design similar to the earlier
Walther PPKs, and a loaded chamber indicator was also incorporated.
Back