Make: Mauser (byf)

Model: P.38

Serial#: 4680k

Year of Manufacture: 1943

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Action Type: Single/Double-Action Semi-Automatic Pistol fed by Detachable Magazine

Barrel Length: 125mm (approximately 5”)

Sights/ Optics: There is a blade dovetailed to a banded base by the muzzle and a “U”-notch dovetailed to the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two-piece serrated AEG brown synthetic panels. The grips have light handling wear with scattered light scuffing, some small nicks and light scratches. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 5 out of 10.

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 75% of its metal finish. The balance is mostly in handling wear in the grip areas and operational wear. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is infrequent surface oxidation. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches. The markings are clear. The screwhead is sharp. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good condition.

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 black leather flap holster and a single 8-round Mauser magazine (eagle/135 waffenamt marked).

Our Assessment: The Parabellum Pistole Modell 1908 (the Luger in lay terms) 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 or Military Pistol) designed by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, but the gun’s concealed hammer design was considered inefficient and the gun was reworked. The resulting handgun was named the Heerespistole (translates to Army Pistol) 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 adopted 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. 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 1943. 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. This specimen retains serial matching parts, strong mechanics, and the majority of its metal finish. Given its age and service, it's a neat piece for any collection. Good luck on your bid!