Walther P38

Last updated

Walther P38
Walther P38 (6971798779).jpg
Spreewerk manufactured Walther P38
Type Semi-automatic pistol
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1939–1945 (Nazi Germany)
1949–present (other countries)
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
Designed1938
Manufacturer Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, Mauser Werke, Spreewerk
Unit cost30  (1943)
equivalent to €120in 2021
ProducedWalther P38 1939–1945
Pistole P1 1957–2000
No. builtc. 1,000,000 [1]
Variants HP, P1, P38K, P38 SD, P4
Specifications
Mass960 g (34 oz) (empty) [5]
Length216 mm (8.5 in)
Barrel  length125 mm (4.9 in)
Height140 mm (5.5 in)

Cartridge 9×19mm Parabellum
Action Short recoil, hinged locking piece assisted breechblock
Rate of fire 116 rpm (semi-automatic)
Muzzle velocity 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s) [6] [ full citation needed ]
Effective firing rangeSights set for 50 metres (55 yd) [6]
Feed system8-round magazine
Sights Rear notch and front blade post

The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the comparatively complex and expensive to produce Luger P08. Moving the production lines to the more easily mass producible P38 once World War II started took longer than expected, leading to the P08 remaining in production until September 1942 and copies remained in service until the end of the war. [7]

Contents

Development

As the previous service pistol, the Luger P08, was expensive to produce, Germany started to look for a replacement as early as 1927, settling on the Walther P38 in 1938, which offered similar performance to the Luger P08 but took almost half the time to produce. [8] The first design was submitted to the German Army and featured a locked breech and a hidden hammer but the Army requested that it should be redesigned with an external hammer.

The P38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but production of prototype ("Test") pistols did not begin 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 pistols solved the problems for the German Army and mass production began in mid-1940, using Walther's military production identification code "480".[ citation needed ]

Several experimental versions were later created in .45 ACP, and .38 Super but these were never mass-produced. In addition to the 9×19mm Parabellum version, some 7.65×21mm Parabellum and some .22 Long Rifle versions were also manufactured and sold.

Design details

P38 cut-away model Walther P38 cutaway.jpg
P38 cut-away model

The P.38 is a semi-automatic pistol design, which introduced technical features used today in commercial and military semi-automatic pistols, including the Beretta 92FS and its M9 sub-variant.

The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) trigger (the earlier double-action PPK was an unlocked blowback design, but the more powerful 9×19mm Parabellum round used in the P38 needed a locked breech design). The shooter could chamber a round, use the safety-decocking lever to lower the hammer without firing the round, and carry the weapon with a round chambered. The lever can stay on "safe", or if returned to "fire", the weapon remains safely "ready" with a long, double-action trigger pull for the first shot. Pulling the trigger cocks the hammer before firing the first shot with double-action operation. The firing mechanism extracts and ejects the first spent round, cocks the hammer, and chambers a fresh round for single-action operation with each subsequent shot; all features found in many modern handguns. Besides a DA/SA trigger design similar to that of the earlier Walther PPKs the P38 features a visible and tactile loaded chamber indicator in the form of a metal rod that protrudes from the rear of the slide when a round is chambered. [9]

1943 Mauser P.38 barrel showing locking block design 1943 Mauser P.38 Locking Block.jpg
1943 Mauser P.38 barrel showing locking block design
P38 made by Mauser, coded "byf 44" with matching presstoff and leather holster P38 montage.jpg
P38 made by Mauser, coded "byf 44" with matching presstoff and leather holster

The moving-barrel mechanism is actuated by a wedge-shaped hinged locking piece underneath the breech. When the pistol is fired, the barrel and slide recoil together, until the hinged locking piece drives down, disengaging the slide and arresting further rearward movement of the barrel. The slide continues its rearward movement on the frame, ejecting the spent case and cocking the hammer before reaching the end of travel. Unlike most autopistols which eject empty cases to the right, the Walther P38 ejects empty cases to the left. Two recoil springs on either side of the frame and below the slide, having been compressed by the slide's rearward movement, drive the slide forward, stripping a new round from the magazine, driving it into the breech and re-engaging the barrel; ending its return travel with a fresh round chambered, hammer cocked and ready to repeat the process. The hinged locking piece assisted breechblock design provides good accuracy due to the in-line travel of the barrel and slide.

Initial production P38 pistols were fitted with walnut grips, but these were later supplanted by Bakelite grips. [10] Sheet metal grips were used for a time on pistols produced in France after the war, being called "Gray Ghosts" by collectors on the account of their distinctive parkerizing and sheet metal grips. Post war P1 grips were made of black colored plastic.

Variants

The Walther P.38 was in production from 1939 to 1945. [11] Initial development of the pistol took place 1937–1939, culminating in the first Model HP or Heerespistole ("army pistol"), which had several variants as engineering changes were made. Early production included a Swedish contract. The designation P.38 indicates Wehrmacht adoption in 1938, although the exact date is unknown. The transition from HP to the mechanically-identical P.38-marked pistols took place 1939–1940. [12] Sweden bought the Walther HP in 1939. [13]

During WWII, the P.38 was produced by Walther, Mauser, and Spreewerk. To conceal manufacturer identities, each wartime manufacturer used a letter code: ac (Walther); byf (Mauser), and cyq (Spreewerk), followed by the date (e.g.: ac44: Walther 1944 production). Spreewerk did not mark production dates. Pistols were produced in blocks of 10,000 consecutively numbered pistols, with each block having a consecutive letter suffix, to conceal production volume. 1,277,680 P.38s were produced during WWII: 617,585 by Walther in Zella-Mehlis; 372,875 by Mauser in Oberndorf; 287,220 by Spreewerk Grottau. [14] Late in the war,[ ambiguous ] the Spreewerk (cyq) die broke. Subsequent pistols appear to be marked "cvq" due to the broken die. About 31,400 pistols are so marked. Spreewerk production ended April 1945. [15]

From 1945 to 1946, several thousands of pistols were assembled for the French armed forces [2] (frequently dubbed "grey ghosts" because of parkerized finish and grey sheet metal grips). Only after 1957 was the P38 again produced for the German military. West Germany desired to rebuild its military so that it could shoulder some of the burden for its own defense. Walther retooled for new P38 production since no military firearms production had occurred in West Germany since the end of the war, knowing that the military would again seek Walther firearms. When the Bundeswehr announced it wanted the P38 for its official service pistol, Walther readily resumed P38 production within just two years, using wartime pistols as models and new engineering drawings and machine tools. The first of the new P38s were delivered to the West German military in June 1957, some 17 years and two months after the pistol had initially seen action in World War II, and from 1957 to 1963 the P38 was again the standard sidearm.

P1

The P1 used by the Bundeswehr Pistole P1 noBG.jpg
The P1 used by the Bundeswehr

In late 1963 the postwar military model P1 was adopted for use by the West German military, identifiable by the P1 stamping on the slide. The postwar pistols, whether marked as P38 or P1, have an aluminium frame rather than the steel frame of the original design. Starting in June 1975, the aluminum frame was reinforced with a hex bolt above the trigger guard, and a slightly modified, stronger slide design was introduced. During the 1990s the German military started replacing the P1 with the P8 pistol and finally phased out the P1 in 2004.

Walther P1 (1980) frame was reinforced with a hex bolt, and stronger "fat" slide. Walther-P1.jpg
Walther P1 (1980) frame was reinforced with a hex bolt, and stronger "fat" slide.
Walther P1 rollmarks Walther P1 rollmarks.jpg
Walther P1 rollmarks

P4

An improved version of the P38, the Walther P4, was developed in the late 1970s and was adopted by the police forces of South Africa, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.

P5

Improved version with a closed slide.

Users

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luger pistol</span> German semi-automatic pistol

The Pistole Parabellum or Parabellum-Pistole, commonly known as just the Luger or Luger P08, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Browning Hi-Power</span> American-Belgian semi-automatic pistol

The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. FN Herstal named it the "High Power" in allusion to the 13-round magazine capacity, almost twice that of other designs at the time, such as the Walther P38 or Colt M1911.

Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen, or simply known as Walther, is a German firearm manufacturer, and a subsidiary of the PW Group. Founded by Carl Walther in 1886, the company has manufactured firearms and air guns at its facility in Germany for more than 100 years. Walther Arms, Inc. is the United States Walther business unit and is based in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-automatic pistol</span> Type of pistol

A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridges in its chamber after every shot fired. Only one round of ammunition is fired each time the trigger is pulled, as the pistol's fire control group disconnects the trigger mechanism from the firing pin/striker until the trigger has been released and reset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makarov pistol</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Makarov pistol or PM is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military and Militsiya side arm in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FB Vis</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Vis or Vis 35 is a Polish 9×19mm caliber, single-action, semi-automatic pistol. Its design was inspired by the Colt 1911 pistol designed by American John Moses Browning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walther PP</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Walther PP series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG Sauer P220</span> Swiss-German semi-automatic pistol

The SIG Sauer P220 is a semi-automatic pistol designed in 1975 by the SIG Arms AG division of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, and produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, in Eckernförde. It is currently manufactured by both SIG Sauer companies: SIG Sauer GMBH, of Eckernförde, Germany; and SIG Sauer, Inc., of New Hampshire, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beretta M1951</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Beretta M1951 is a 9×19mm semi-automatic pistol developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Pietro Beretta S.p.A. of Italy. The pistol was produced strictly for military use and was introduced into service with the Italian Armed Forces and other Italian security forces as the Modello 1951 (M1951), replacing the Modello 1934 pistol chambered for the 9×17mm Short cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walther P5</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced safety features and chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. A subsequent bid resulted in the Walther P5 being introduced into service alongside the SIG Sauer P225 and Heckler & Koch P7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket pistol</span> Term for a small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol

In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol, and is suitable for concealed carry in a pocket or a similar small space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walther P88</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Walther P88 is a semiautomatic pistol developed by German company Walther. Its main feature is a double-stacked magazine designed for military and law enforcement use. The P88 was succeeded by the Walther P99 in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FN Model 1910</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The FN Model 1910 is a blowback-operated, semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahti L-35</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Lahti L-35 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Aimo Lahti that was produced between 1935 and 1952. Designed to be manufactured autonomously in Finland, the pistol was used by Finland throughout the Winter War and Continuation War. Considered to be of high quality, the Lahti was well manufactured and worked reliably in cold conditions or when fouled. The use of a bolt accelerator, an uncommon feature in a pistol, helped make the Lahti reliable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 39</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Smith & Wesson Model 39 is a semiautomatic pistol developed for the United States Army service pistol trials of 1954. After the Army abandoned its search for a new pistol, the Model 39 went on the civilian market in 1955 and was the first of Smith & Wesson's first generation semi-automatic pistols.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handgun</span> Short-barreled firearm designed to be held and used with one hand

A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astra 400</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Astra modelo 400 was a Spanish service pistol produced by weapons manufacturer Astra-Unceta y Cia SA as a replacement for the Campo-Giro 1913/1916, which had also been chambered in 9mm Largo. It was the standard issue sidearm in the Spanish Army during the Spanish Civil War and also saw service in Germany during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manurhin</span>

Manurhin is a trademark used by Chapuis Armes since 1998. It is used to designate the Manurhin MR 73 revolver family, manufactured at Saint-Bonnet-le-Château, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walther Model 8</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Walther Model 8 was a 6.35mm single-action pocket pistol manufactured by Carl Walther CmbH between 1920 and 1940. It was fed by an 8-round magazine and chambered in .25 ACP. The Model 8 is a blowback pistol with a concealed hammer and has several design features that were innovative for Walther, including fewer parts and an easier disassembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star Model B</span> Semi-Automatic Pistol

The Star Model B is a single-action semi-automatic pistol that fires the 9 mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. It was produced by Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. in Spain as a derivative of the Star Model A in 9x23mm Largo. It is visually similar to and inspired by the M1911 series of pistols, however it is mechanically different in several ways. The Model B was chambered in 9mm Luger and was intended for export outside of Spain, being produced for 52 years from 1931 to 1983 when replaced by the similar "Super" series.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Donald, David (1998). Bishop, Chris (ed.). Guns in Combat. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books. ISBN   0-7858-0844-2.
  2. 1 2 3 "L'armement français en A.F.N." Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 220. March 1992. pp. 12–16.
  3. 1 2 "WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War". WWII After WWII. 10 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Walter, John (2022). Walther Pistols – PP, PPK and P 38. Osprey Publishing. p. 71. ISBN   9781472850843.
  5. Scarlata, Paul (25 October 2010). "The Walther P-38". Shooting Times .
  6. 1 2 Ludeke, Alexander (2007). Weapons of World War II. New York City: Parragon Books. ISBN   978-1-40549-489-2.
  7. Grant, Neil (20 September 2018). The Luger. Weapon 64. Osprey Publishing. p. 51. ISBN   9781472819734.
  8. Grant 2018, p. 50.
  9. Hogg, Ian V. & Weeks, John S. (1972). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. ISBN   978-0-87341-824-9.
  10. "P38 - 9mm semi-automatic pistol - history & development of the weapon". Hellcat Patriots' Rifle Club. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  11. "Walther Military P.38 Production Chart" (PDF). P38forum.com.
  12. Buxton, Warren H. (1978). The P.38 Pistol, Vol. 1. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 73. ISBN   0-87833-303-7.
  13. 1 2 Janson, O. "Swedish military pistols and revolvers from 1863-1988: an overview". Göta Vapenhistoriska Sällskap. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  14. Krutzek, Alexander (2017). The P.38 Pistol, Germany's Famous Service Pistol in Detail. Eltville, Germany: RWM-Verlag. pp. 54–55. ISBN   978-0-9727815-9-6.
  15. Balcar, Jan (2009). The P.38 Pistol: Spreewerk Production. Collierville, TN: Ron Clarin. pp. 115–116. ISBN   978-1-60458-364-9.
  16. Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (2008). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN   978-0-415-45308-0.
  17. "Algeria". World Infantry Weapons. 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds. (2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0-7106-2869-5.
  19. "BULGARIAN SMALL ARMS OF WORLD WAR II, PART I: SOME OLD AND SOME NEW. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Diez, Octavio (2000). Hand Guns. Encyclopaedia of Armament and Technology. Barcelona: Lema Publications. ISBN   84-8463-013-7. Translated from the Spanish.
  21. 1 2 3 Scarlata, Paul (10 March 2013). "Evolution of the Modern Military Pistol". Firearms News.
  22. "Post World War II P.38s of East Germany". P-38.info.
  23. Hyytinen, Timo (2002). Arma Fennica 2, Sotilasaseet[Finnish firearms 2, Military weapons] (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: Gummerus Oy, Inc. ISBN   951-99887-0-X.
  24. Small Arms Survey (2015). "Trade Update: After the 'Arab Spring'" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015.
  25. "Постановление Правительства Республики Казахстан № 1305 от 28 декабря 2006 года "Об утверждении Государственного кадастра гражданского и служебного оружия и патронов к нему на 2007 год"" [Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 1305 dated December 28, 2006 "On approval of the State Cadastre of civilian and service weapons and cartridges for them for 2007"]. Континент (in Russian).
  26. Marchington, James (2004). The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons. Miami, FL: Lewis International. ISBN   1-930983-14-X.
  27. "P80 – halvautomatisk pistol". Forsvaret (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  28. Ferreira, Bryan (31 March 2022). "Portuguese Army Adopts Glock 17 Gen5 Coyote". Spec Ops Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  29. Locke & Cooke (1995). Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia, 1965-80. pp. 108–109.
  30. Helmoed-Romer, Heitman (1991). Modern African Wars (3): South-West Africa. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   185532122X.
  31. Reichert, Orv. "P.38 variations". Pistole38.nl. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  32. "ปืนพก แบบ 96 ขนาด 9 มม" [Model 96 9mm pistol] (in Thai). Archived from the original on 5 July 2022.
  33. Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V., eds. (1995). Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996 (21st ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0-7106-1241-0.
  34. Stejskal, James (December 2017). "Cold War Warriors—The Men and Guns of Special Forces Berlin". American Rifleman .
  35. 1 2 3 Nonte, George (1980). Combat Handguns. Stackpole Books. p. 91-92. ISBN   0811704092.
  36. Scarlata, Paul (1 October 2017). "Yugoslav Part II: World War II small arms: an assortment of small arms from friends and foe alike". Firearms News via TheFreeLibrary.