- Post War Walther P38 Serial Numbers Lookup
- Walther P38 For Sale Handguns
- Walther P38 Cyq Serial Number Lookup
- The 0 series of Walther made P.38's were used as troop trials in the field and modifications on the design were done in conjuction with performance reports. This experimental series was made to meet strict German military requirements. First variation guns are in the 01-035 serial number range and will have the pre-1940 'lazy' c/n proof.
- The following chart displays production information of Walther P.38 Pistols from 1939 through 1953. Note: This image and full size view are hosted on the P38 and PP-PPK Discussion Forums and Website. Click on the Image below for a full size view.
- P38 surplus, P1 surplus, P38 commercial, and P4 surplus guns. Consecutive serial number SVW-45s. Consecutive serial number SVW-46s. Post-war P38 in 7.65mm Parabellum. East German P.38s. Reworked wartime ac40, ac44, and an East German manufactured gun. Steel frame P38 from Earl's Repair Service. Ac45 matching 'c' block.
- Later this year the '480' code was changed. Extremely Rare Historic Serial Number 1019 Walther P38 Prototype Pistol Estimated Price: $20,000 - $40,000 Serial # Manufacturer Walther Model P 38 Type Pistol Gauge 9 Mm Luger Catalog Page 136 Barrel 4 7/8 Inch Round Finish Blue/white Grip Plastic Stock.
I just bought my first Walther. It is a PPK 9mm Kurz, blued. No box, 1 magazine. The pistol is, I believe, in 95-98% condition. Can you guys help me out with the age of this pistol? Serial number on the frame is 242892A.
P38 Presentation Grade P38 includes French-Fitted, Velvet Lined, Walnut Presentation Case serially numbered to match the P38, with serial numbered Knights Cross and Owner's Manual matching the P-38 serial number. 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). This pistol had a concealed hammer and extractor.
The serial number on the slide is the same without the A suffix. Is the letter at the end of the serial number significant This seems to be a really well made pistol and I am looking forward to shooting it this Saturday. What are your opinions of the PPK, since I am a Walther neophite.
Info and feed back on this site is usually very good. I am anxious to get all the info I can on this pistol. Regards, Gary. Programma dlya vzloma igr odnoklassnikov. Gary, can't help with the serial number, but if it was proof tested in Germany there might be a proof mark and date code on the pistol. On the SIGs and HKs the date code is two characters (A-K).
I have an Interarms US made PPK/S which I really like. I can get 3.5' groups at 25 yards with it, which is pretty impressive for such a small sight radius.
Remington - Navy Single Shot Pistols, Model 8, 81, 24, 241, RB Pistols (Types- not serial), RB Rifles- 1870, 71, RB Rifle Models- 1866-1933, Contract Lee Rifles, Pistols and Revolvers 1857-1918 (incomplete serial number for some), Rifles 1866-1933 (ditto), Shotguns 1874-1910 Serial numbers unknown.
I have a CZ 83 that is even more accurate, but a lot bigger. The.380 is a lot of fun to shoot.
It is cheap and the blowback guns recoil like a bigger caliber. Hi Guys, Thanks for the response. The markings on the left side of the pistol are as follows: Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do. Walther Banner Modell PPK Cal. 9mm Kurz Made In W. Germany Right side of pistol: Slide Serial Number 242982 Interarms Alexandria Virginia Some kind of bird with an N beneath it (please pardon my ignorance) Frame Bird with N again IA and something that looks like a toothed sword (?) Serial number 242982A Barrel has the bird with N also You folks are very kind to take your time with this subject. Hope this is helpful.
I have a pre-1968 ppk, post 1968 ppk (both 380) and a ppk/s in 22lr. They are an absolute joy to shoot. I admit I don't shoot the pre-68 at all. I have had no modifications to them and they function just fine.
If I could I would get a suppressor for the 22 lr. I saw one in Las Vegas and it was sweet. But I live in California so its a no go.
Anyway, enjoy the purchase. One of the USPSA clubs I shoot at had a pocket pistol side match.
It was a blast to shoot and try to reload quickly. Spare mags, parts, holsters are all over the place. There is a Walther forum somewhere you could join as well.
Walther and Luger were the handgun providers to the German Army in World War II. Designed by Fritz Walther, Walther pistols were well-designed, reliable 9-mm firearms that were cheaper to produce than the Luger P08. Although Walther designed and manufactured the P38, Mauser and Spreewerke also produced them to keep up with wartime demand. Production of the P38 ended with the war. However, in 1957, Walther manufactured a similar pistol, called the P1.
Although there are specifics to look for, depending on the manufacturer, the P38 is an easily identifiable firearm. • Examine the P-38. With the pistol pointing to your left, look at the main metal assembly holding the barrel, with the trigger directly underneath. On the extreme left, 'P38' is stamped into the metal. On the first issue, or '0' series, the trademark Walther banner is found at the extreme left, immediately followed by 'P38.' • Locate the manufacturer codes.
After the P38 designation, an alpha, or alpha-numeric stamped designation is found. All Walther-produced P38s are designated AC, followed by the final two digits of the year manufactured.
A 1943 Walther P38 is identified by AC43. Mauser-produced P38s were stamped BYF. Followed by the date, while Spreewerke models were stamped either CYQ or CVQ. Artistic anatomy by dr paul richer pdf.
• Measure and weigh the P-38. Using a machinist's ruler and a small scale, measure and weigh the P38. According to Wehrmacht-Awards, the P38 is 216 millimeters long, with a barrel length of 125 millimeters.
An unloaded P38 should weigh 800g, or 1.76 pounds. • Identify the serial numbers. After the manufacturer stamping, the serial numbers are stamped to the right of the pistol, above the handle. Each year and manufacturer had a different serial number system. The first-issue P38s in 1940 had serial numbers that ranged from 01 to 01000. However, 1943 models ranged from 1 to 9999n.
Welcome to ALPS
Information, photos, references, and trivia on the WW2 Walther P.38 and post-war P38 pistol. If you wish to link to this page, please link only to the main page, not sub-pages or documents. Please do not rip off my PDF files or pictures for your own site. Thanks.
Updated 20 Feb 2014 17:33 -0800
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Most Recent updates:
Two more 'BTH12' pistols have been reported. See 'BTH12' under 'Pistols'
Added 'When was my post-war pistol made?' to 'Information'
Added another late date AC frame pistol to 'Pistols'
Added some late war pistols to 'Pistols'
Post-war volume I Post-war parts gun, two guns in .30 Luger, and a high-polish gun. | Late date AC framevariation. Warren Buxton calls these the 'oddballs of oddballs.' Who made these - and when? | byf44 FN slide. | Post-war volume II P38 surplus, P1 surplus, P38 commercial, and P4 surplus guns. |
Consecutive serial number SVW-45s. | Consecutive serial number SVW-46s. | Post-warP38 in 7.65mm Parabellum. | East German P.38s. Reworked wartime ac40, ac44, and an East German manufactured gun. |
Steel frame P38from Earl's Repair Service. | Chinese parents game crack. ac45 matching 'c' block. | Post-warP.38 in 5.6mm (.22 LR). | A Zero series and 'a' prefix Spreewerkreworked for use in post-war East Germany. |
The Czechoslovakian Vz46. | byf44 police issue with British markings. | Commemorative '100 Jahre' P38marking the 100th year anniversary of Walther. | Unknown BTH12 marking on several P.38s. |
Norwegian military surplus P38. | Mixmaster P.38 with WW2 German, East German, Czech, and British markings. | The ultra-rare 'ac no-date' - and how to spot a fake. | Some things you can do to a P.38. Please don't! WARNING: disturbing! |
French Mausers 1945 to 1946. | Gotterdammerung - some pistols from the last months of the war. | Another version of the late date AC frame pistol. |
Pistol Information
An excellent article by Peter Kokalis on thewartime P.38 pistolcan be found here, and another article on thepost-war P38here.
My post-war pistol has no date or date code - about when was it manufactured? You can get a rough estimate based upon these observed pistols.
Need to replace a broken WW2 slide part with a post-war part, and don't know if the new part will fit? Read the slide part compatibility guide. Note: this information is intended as a guide only. I am not a gunsmith. If you do not have working knowledge of the P.38 pistol, consult a competent gunsmith before attempting to effect repairs to your P.38.
Over the long term, will oil cause bakelite grips to deteriorate? An attempt to find out startshere.And continuesafter one year.. and finally ends at three plus years.
Atarian's quick reference magazine guide.Helps to identify which magazine is correct for your pistol.
Atarian's post-war reproduction and aftermarket grip guide.Some of the currently available non-World War II grips for the P.38.
Dirt rally for mac. Can a 'dipped' pistol be 'un-dipped?' The answer is yes, and quite successfully. Take a look atzero series cyq serial number 030.
Drawings and Manuals
P38 Owner's Manual (multilingual - 4.8 MB). P38 Owner's Manual v2 (multilingual - 6.2 MB). P38 Operating Instructions (multilingual - 1.2 MB, source: Walther Germany). P38 Owner's Manual (1 MB, source: Interarms(?)). P38 Owner's Manual (edited for clarity - Thanks to Quentin for providing this).
German military drawings of the 9mm Patrone: page 1, page 2, page 3, and page 4.
P.38 manual from 1940 (German) - Thanks to Johan and Ron Clarin for providing this.
P.38 illustrated parts breakdown (German - 95KB, source: Walther Germany).
Explanation of the markings on a post-war P38/P1 (source: Federal Foreign Office – Division 241, Germany).
Time Wasters
Test your P.38 knowledge with the P.38 quiz!
one |
two |
three |
four (new!) |
Added some late war pistols to 'Pistols'
Post-war volume I Post-war parts gun, two guns in .30 Luger, and a high-polish gun. | Late date AC framevariation. Warren Buxton calls these the 'oddballs of oddballs.' Who made these - and when? | byf44 FN slide. | Post-war volume II P38 surplus, P1 surplus, P38 commercial, and P4 surplus guns. |
Consecutive serial number SVW-45s. | Consecutive serial number SVW-46s. | Post-warP38 in 7.65mm Parabellum. | East German P.38s. Reworked wartime ac40, ac44, and an East German manufactured gun. |
Steel frame P38from Earl's Repair Service. | Chinese parents game crack. ac45 matching 'c' block. | Post-warP.38 in 5.6mm (.22 LR). | A Zero series and 'a' prefix Spreewerkreworked for use in post-war East Germany. |
The Czechoslovakian Vz46. | byf44 police issue with British markings. | Commemorative '100 Jahre' P38marking the 100th year anniversary of Walther. | Unknown BTH12 marking on several P.38s. |
Norwegian military surplus P38. | Mixmaster P.38 with WW2 German, East German, Czech, and British markings. | The ultra-rare 'ac no-date' - and how to spot a fake. | Some things you can do to a P.38. Please don't! WARNING: disturbing! |
French Mausers 1945 to 1946. | Gotterdammerung - some pistols from the last months of the war. | Another version of the late date AC frame pistol. |
Pistol Information
An excellent article by Peter Kokalis on thewartime P.38 pistolcan be found here, and another article on thepost-war P38here.
My post-war pistol has no date or date code - about when was it manufactured? You can get a rough estimate based upon these observed pistols.
Need to replace a broken WW2 slide part with a post-war part, and don't know if the new part will fit? Read the slide part compatibility guide. Note: this information is intended as a guide only. I am not a gunsmith. If you do not have working knowledge of the P.38 pistol, consult a competent gunsmith before attempting to effect repairs to your P.38.
Over the long term, will oil cause bakelite grips to deteriorate? An attempt to find out startshere.And continuesafter one year.. and finally ends at three plus years.
Atarian's quick reference magazine guide.Helps to identify which magazine is correct for your pistol.
Atarian's post-war reproduction and aftermarket grip guide.Some of the currently available non-World War II grips for the P.38.
Dirt rally for mac. Can a 'dipped' pistol be 'un-dipped?' The answer is yes, and quite successfully. Take a look atzero series cyq serial number 030.
Drawings and Manuals
P38 Owner's Manual (multilingual - 4.8 MB). P38 Owner's Manual v2 (multilingual - 6.2 MB). P38 Operating Instructions (multilingual - 1.2 MB, source: Walther Germany). P38 Owner's Manual (1 MB, source: Interarms(?)). P38 Owner's Manual (edited for clarity - Thanks to Quentin for providing this).
German military drawings of the 9mm Patrone: page 1, page 2, page 3, and page 4.
P.38 manual from 1940 (German) - Thanks to Johan and Ron Clarin for providing this.
P.38 illustrated parts breakdown (German - 95KB, source: Walther Germany).
Explanation of the markings on a post-war P38/P1 (source: Federal Foreign Office – Division 241, Germany).
Time Wasters
Test your P.38 knowledge with the P.38 quiz!
one |
two |
three |
four (new!) |
Auction Antics - Fantastic stories and overpriced pistols:
Most expensive P.38 ever listed (this was a typo..) |
Second most expensive P.38 (..that this genius later referenced!) |
Best story/crappiest p.38 ever? |
Articles and Advertisements
Information on the P.38from the 2008 Walther catalog.
The Defense Intelligence Agency's Small Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide. German ammunition section (213kb) or the entire document (10.1Mb).
Small arms section of the Handbook on German Military Forces.
Pricing ofStoeger's Mod HPs and Lugers(1948).
Stoeger's guide to World War II pistols circa 1948 (page 1, page 2).
Miscellaneous
A baker's dozen of Walther post-war slide legend variations(this is far from all-inclusive).
Here's what a P.38 frame looks like before the machining process begins.
Information Exchange Pursuant to the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons 2003, 2008, 2010. Note in 2002 the United States was by far the largest importer of German 'Revolvers and Self-Loading Pistols' with 1,040,985 imported (of 1,082,797 - the balance of 41,812 or about 4% going to 20 other countries), while the Germans destroyed only 5,666 'surplus' pistols. In 2009 the US imported none and 17,520 surplus pistols were destroyed (none were exported to any country). See Annexes 2 and 3.
Patent Information
Post War Walther P38 Serial Numbers Lookup
Fritz Walther's 'automatic pistol,' patent number 2135992 dated November 8, 1938 (English).
Fritz Walther's 'automatic firearm,' patent number 2145328 dated January 31, 1939 (English).
Walther pistol patents 1926 to 1942 (German).
Patent | Date | Page Number | ||||
433937 | Sept. 1926 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
664926 | Sept. 1938 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
677094 | June 1939 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
678067 | July 1939 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
706038 | May 1941 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
715176 | Dec. 1941 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
721702 | June 1942 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
722332 | July 1942 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
726501 | Oct. 1942 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Walther P38 For Sale Handguns
Interarms was a long-time importer of products from Walther and many other manufacturers. Browse some of their catalogs here.
Walther P38 Cyq Serial Number Lookup
1989 Interarms catalog.Walther pistols and target rifles, Rossi, Astra, bolt action rifles and barreled receivers, and more. 5' by 7' catalog. | 1976 Interarms catalog. Walther & Mauser pistols, revolvers, bolt-action rifles, ammunition, optics and accessories. 8.5' by 11' catalog. |
The 1979 Interarms catalog features one of the last Mauser offerings, the HSc American Eagle, and the Parabellum. Complete line of Walther pistols plus revolvers, long guns from Walther and others, revolvers, and more. 8.5' by 11' catalog. | The 1983 Interarms catalog features the Mauser cartridge counter Luger, Walther pistols and target rifles, SIG, Star, and Astra pistols, rifles, dragoons, and SVW45 & SVW46 P.38s. 8.5' by 11' catalog. |
1985 Interarms catalog featuring Walther presentation pistols, Walther target rifles and pistols, Astra, Star and SIG-Sauer pistols, the Steyr AUG rifle, etc. 8.5' by 11' catalog. | 1995 Interarms catalog. Walther PP series, P38, TPH, and P5. Also Star, Rossi, No. 3 Enfields, and Norinco. 8.5' x 11' catalog. Download the PDF. |