Make: Mauser (byf)
Model: P.38
Serial Number: 1278
Year of Manufacture: Late 1942-Early 1943 (see Our Assessment)
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Single/Double-Action Semi-Automatic Pistol fed by Detachable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5"
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a banded base integral to the muzzle. The rear sight is a "U"-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two-piece Julius Posselt serrated synthetic panels. The grips show minor handling wear with a few light scuffs and handling marks. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished. Numbered parts match. The unserrated slide-stop has been replaced, some other small parts may have been replaced.
Bore Condition: The bore is light gray. The rifling is sharp. There is scattered light erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 6/10.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 97% of its current metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There is faint handling wear in the grip strap. There are a few scattered minor marks. There are some nicks and spots of minor erosion under the finish. The action shows minor operational wear. The markings are generally clear, the acceptance mark on the right of the slide between the e/135 waffenamts is incomplete. The screwhead is lightly tool marked with a strong slot. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good-Fine condition as refinished and not all-parts-original.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: The gun comes with a single 8-round magazine with e/135 waffenamt on the spine (Mauser).
Our Assessment: The Parabellum Pistole Modell 1908 (the Luger) was showing its age by the early 1930s and the German Army began to seek out a new handgun. The design which most impressed the German Army was the AP (Armee Pistole) designed by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, but the gun's concealed hammer design was considered inefficient and the gun was reworked to accommodate an external hammer. The resulting handgun was named the HP (Heerespistole) and it featured an external hammer that allowed the gun to function as both a single or double-action. This improved design impressed the German Army which opted to adopt the handgun as its new standard issue sidearm in 1938. There are only a few minor dimensional changes between the P.38 and HP, they were done to facilitate mass production. Mauser had taken over the production of Luger P.08 semi-automatic handguns in the 1930s and produced the gun until mid-1941, the firm then took up production of the P.38 with mass production of the more modern handgun beginning in 1942 and continuing until the end of WWII. The gun would remain the standard issue sidearm of the Heer until its ultimate defeat at the end of WWII. The stalwart design remains in service with a number of military and police formations to this day.
This particular specimen is a WWII-era P.38 that was made by Mauser in 1942. Mauser experienced significant troubles setting up manufacture, experiencing a rejection rate of up to 95 percent in December 1942, resulting in approximately 700 pistols actually being accepted by the Army in 1942. There were a large number of 1942 production parts produced which were assembled into accepted pistols in early 1943, and it is essentially impossible to determined which byf42 pistols may have been accepted in each year, but they are scarce in any case. This specimen has been refinished and had at least one part replaced, the smooth slide stop, but retains serial matching parts and strong mechanics. This would be a neat piece for a Mauser or German small arms collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
