Walther P38 Pistol, Original German WWII Model 1940-1945 - 9mm

Customer Reviews

P38 out of the box - looks great!!
Review by Paul on 2/18/2013

I am very pleased with my new P38. I am new to surplus guns and I was slightly overwhelmed with the factory and year range select options for this pistol and decided to get the luck of the draw with just the standard $10 hand select fee. I think it was well worth it and have been very pleased in doing business with Classic Firearms.

This pistol was beyond my expectations. It was beautiful to handle, load, and fire. I appreciate the fine weapon that Classic sent to me. Thank you.
Review by Dr. Z on 5/16/2013

Classic performed admirably. I am an amateur and new to guns. I wanted a historical weapon and they delivered a superb classic to me. They made me look like I knew what I was doing.

P38 pistol
Review by Joel on 4/24/2013

I received mine a month or so ago.
I was not expecting it to be in such good condition and have this good of a finish.
Nice pistol. Thanks, Classic Firearms!

Buy this pistol while you can.
Review by Vepr Fan on 4/16/2013

Classic firearms calls their P38s VG to Excellent... this is a bit of an understatement. The one they sent me looks factory fresh. Literally. It looked mint before I cleaned up the cosmoline, and as good after. I could not be happier. Hecj, I'm tempted to buy another while they still have these.

I have been eyeing the P38 for far too long now. I'm normally a pretty cheap gun buyer-- heck, that's why i got a C&R in the first place. I like old, heavy sidearms, and I like buying them cheap, because my 'accountant' only lets me spend so much, and buying cheap means I get to try out more of them. I fought myself over the P38. its twice the price of a CZ82 or an M57 right? Both excellent guns. So... I've seen a pile of P38s, and P1s now, having debated for far too long. CF has by far the best I have ever seen, and by no small measure. If they all look as good as mine, I suspect these will be four figure guns after their supply has dried up.

The P38 is magnificent to hold, sits very nice on the hip, and shoots like no other surplus gun I own. It really is the best deal out there in surplus handguns. If you are debating, don't. My hesitation cost me a Walther made example, and I had to buy a later model.

The only downside was that i paid an extra $20 to get a 1944 CYF, but they only had 44s and 45s left, and no 44s from CYF, so it was $20 I didn't really have to spend. That said, I'd have paid an extra $40, even $60 to get one this pristine (even on my tight budget), so maybe they picked me an extra good one. I'm seriously considering stretching a bit to pick up one more of these before they are gone, and I'd definitely spend for the hand select again.

You know... I take it back. You don't want one of these beautiful pistols. Or not until after I manage to pick up another one and get the best of what's left. :) kidding aside, a great firearm from my favorite C&R dealer. Well worth every penny for these folks.

First impression
Review by captron on 4/8/2013

Just picked up my P38 from my ffl. After a quick wipedown....very nice!! At first glance it doesn't appear to have ever been fired. I paid the extra $10.00 for hand select and i think that was a good move. Thanks, Classic.

Two nice P38 shooters
Review by James on 4/6/2013

Received two very nice P38's from Classic that I plan to use as shooters. One was a 'ac41' and the other an 'ac45'. Both had factory matching frames and slide, but both had replacement Mauser built barrels that were restamped with the frame/slide #. Very good bores on both, only a small amount of light corrosion. Both pistols had the Russian blue dipped appearance to them. I especially liked the way the importer's marking was placed on the front strap. It doesn't show there and the import imprint actually adds to the 'grip' of the pistol. The pistol grips are original and in nice shape. Very nice P38's, I would buy from them again!!!

1943 P-38
Review by Michael on 3/20/2013

Wow!! When I ordered I requested a 1943 Mauser produced one that has the BYF markings. When it arrived I was a little kid at Christmas opening up the best gift of the year as this pistol was a sight to behold. It was heavily coated in cosmoline, but even with that on it I could tell I had a beauty. I tore it completely apart and cleaned it thoroughly and found it to be in superb shape. The barrel is bright and shiny, and the inner workings of it are all in fantastic shape. Once again Classic has outdone themselves with this beauty. Every purchase I've made from Classic has been well worth it, and this is no exception. Having a piece of history like this is really a bit overwhelming. Thanks again Classic, you rock!!!!

p-38
Review by red on 3/14/2013

i received my p-38 i love the look of the gun-i cleaned and oiled the weapon the trigger doesnt seem to be connected in single action--you can double action gun will fire -- my brothers p-38 purchased at the sane time functions perfectly

Good shooter
Review by Rick on 3/9/2013

Good functional and accurate shooter. Gets 1.5 inch groups at 15 yards. When I looked in the bore I was not expecting much as far as accuracy but was pleasantly surprised. I wanted something reliable that I could use without constantly worrying about scratching it or something (normal wear). Can't beat these, 43 byf was the oldest still available, very well made, looks it too. Wish I hadn't waited so long. Thank You Classic Arms!

P38- Keep the Safe Queen In the safe
Review by Spaxspore on 3/5/2013

These are exactly what Classic Advertises them as. Russia Captured p38s refurb-ed by the Russians following the second world war.

They have been reblued and some have been forced matched.

The two i received, one AC and on BYF were in great shape.

The AC was all matching minus the magzine, the bore was frosted.

The BYF was forced matched but had a like new bore.

Having an Authentic WW2 german P38 that one can shoot on a somewhat regular basis is a blast. That reason alone should be the reason one should pick one of these up.

I have a vet bring back safe queen all matching AC rare code 1941 that i cannot shot. Now with these from classics I can have a little fun.

I Hope this review helps people who are on the fence on whether to pick one of these up...

Do it.. its worth it cause you can enjoy it.

Keep the safe queen in the safe and take these out and have some fun.

PS- Don't shot hot rounds through these... 115g standard only.

Living, breathing piece of history
Review by J on 3/3/2013

First: Classic arms did a great job getting the pistol to me in a timely manner. The pistol was also well packed (and covered with cosmoline). The pistol is fantastic. I am not a picky guy when it comes to surplus firearms. There are those that feel certain things detract from the value, but if you never plan on selling it then who cares? As for the p38 I revieved, it is definitely a used gun. I like that because I know it has a story to tell. The barrel, slide and locking block are all matching made in Aug/Sep 1943 while the frame is a force match likely made in Jan 1944. The grips have no identifiers on them so I cannot tell where or when they were made. They are black and of the wartime style. The magazine is also a late-war production and seems to function good, although the slide does not like to lock back when it is inserted and empty, but it is a 70 year old gun so whatever. The barrel has a good amount of pitting, probably the worst of any of my surplus guns, but to me that just means it was used and abused, not sitting in a warehouse or something. Like my title says, this is a living, breathing piece of history. I wish it could talk. Now that is is cosmoline-free it looks fantastic. It is definitely a rough, wartime production but that is what I get by waiting so long to pick one up. I have not had the time to shoot it yet, but as long as it will put 25-50 rounds down range for me every few months I will be a happy camper. If you are on the fence and have the cash go ahead and get one, especially if you are interested in weapons from ww2. I wish I could afford one from all three manufacturers.

Great Item!
Review by Todd on 2/8/2013

What a GREAT item! This 70 year old pistol has a finish better than any C&R item I've ever bought before. Bluing is beautiful and comparable to a factory new modern firearm. Paid extra for the hand select option so I don't have anything to compare it to, but in my opinion, it was well worth the extra money. Excellent clear stamped Waffen’s and a clear clean bore. A great price on a rapidly disappearing piece of history.

Very Nice!
Review by L S on 2/3/2013

Inspite of cautions of slow order processing, my pistol was picked, packed and shipped fairly quickly. I requested a hand selected, BYF pistol and was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. Out came a 1944 BYF, matching (except for a force matched CYQ barrel in very good condition), and the finish and fit are excellent! Even the correctly unnumbered magazine has the proper Waffenamt for this series. It took a while to clean off the liberal coating of oil and cosmoline, but underneath the pistol really looks good with it's black grips, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Can't wait to get it to the range!
Thanks, Classic!

Amazing!
Review by Redbaronx on 1/12/2013

I went with hand-pick, BYF, 1944 options and got a pistol that looks like it was never even issued (possible, of course). Visible numbers match. Haven't cleaned off the cosmoline yet, but for how sharp the exterior of the pistol is, it HAS to have a clean barrel. I've waited years to buy one of these, and this offering from Classic Arms was worth the wait..

Quality
Review by Ken on 11/15/2012

Great deal for a 71 year old pistol. Ordered a 1941 model. After cleaning with Gun Scrubber (synthetic safe) pistol was in great shape. Forced match numbers but works flawlessly. Magazine was defective but replaced by Classic right away so Kudos for oustanding customer service.

WOW
Review by Flash on 9/20/2012

Just received...went hand select for condition and byf manufacturer. What an awesome pistol I received. There is no evidence anywhere that this has been shot. Even the magazine is pristine. Russian capture, but they probably did not use it either. An absolutely wonderful addition to my collection. Thanks, Classic.

Like Opening a Time Capsule
Review by Joseph on 9/16/2012

When I ordered, I decided to pay for the hand select and 1940 year. I wanted an earlier war version as quality tends to dip later in the war with almost all weapons. I received a 1940 Walther manufacture that looked brand new-- like it sat in a time capsule for the past 70 yeas. The numbers are all matching (not forced), the barrel looks like new, and I didn't even get the black patches when I cleaned the barrel that I am so used to with these surplus weapons. I took this to the range earlier today and my first shot was a bulls eye. Groupings were tight with Winchester white box. I can't say enough how happy I am with this pistol--I'd buy another if I didn't need to eat.

I will say, I'm not a fan of the USPS priority shipping as the gun arrived before any updates were posted online, and I think charging $20 on top of hand select for year AND manufacturer is a bit extreme, but that doesn't reflect upon the gun, and I still think Classic is fantastic.

If you're on the fence, buy this pistol before it's too late!

Good and not so Good
Review by david on 8/28/2012

Received the first P-38 and it was perfect condition except for a small crack in the slide that couldn’t be seen until you field striped it. It was an AC 43 with all numbers matching and without any forced matching, no marks, no pitting, no nothing, perfect. I was just afraid to shoot it with the crack. Received good customer service and returned it for exchange. Received the 2nd P-38 and feel that they may have forgotten I paid for the hand select because this one was a little rougher. It is a CYQ made in 43 (I think but not sure) no numbers matched without force matching, left side of slide had grind marks where it looks like they took off the original serial numbers off the slide, small pits in the frame above the trigger guard and some of the proof marks are not readable . Overall it’s a nice 70 year old piece of WW2 history, but I’m a little disappointed because the first gun was in such great shape cosmetics wise. I just can’t see how this one was the best out of ten unless there were only ten left when it was selected. I’m going to take it to the range tomorrow and see how it fires, we’ll see…. All my other guns I reviewed as 5’s, AK, CZ82, and P64, rated this one a 3 for condition only because I’m comparing it to the first one.

Great Pistol!
Review by Alex C. on 8/25/2012

initially i received a CYQ with grips that didnt fit perfect, i contacted classic arms and exchanged it. A+ customer service!!!! got another CYQ in great condition,fast shipping, bore has moderate pitting in the grooves and less stellar than the first but should still make a good shooter!

couldn't be happier
Review by JD on 8/23/2012

Ordered 2 of these...both arrived very quickly and are in excellent condition. I did have to spend some time cleaning the cosmoline off. I see another review mentioning not matching, Russian capture "X", etc. I've found that P38s w/ all matching #s and not Russian captures sell for over $800.00 if you are lucky enough to find any. To me, the Russian capture adds to the history of the pistol. I've never really understood why some folks don't like that "X" being on the weapon. Anyway, good bores also on mine....bought 2 extra mags with the pistols and they are great too. I'd like to have another P1 if you guys happen to get any.

all smiles :)))
Review by herb63 on 8/22/2012

Gotta love Classic Firearms! Order the P-38 Friday, received it Tuesday. Exterior condition is amazing, bore slightly frosted but better than expected. Immediately went shooting and was extremely impressed as it performed quite well. Guess I was lucky as all #s do match on mine, another surprise. However, I do wish it came with a holster. I see extra mags are now available on the your site, so I'll need to place another order for a couple of those.

I thought I'd mention I LOVE your new website - so much better than the old one. It was wonderful to get all the automated status updates on my order!

Outstanding!
Review by Brad on 8/21/2012

Received mine today and all I can say is...wow! This thing looks fantastic! Fired about 20 rounds through it and it shoots great also. I'm guessing they were arsenal refinished as the frame is force-matched. I've been collecting for many years and this P38 ranks as one of my favorites. I didn't even pay for hand select...

Quick shipping too...thanks Classic!

Force Matched Russian Capture P-38
Review by Okie on 8/17/2012

My first impression is that I'm a little disappointed. The hand pick for condition gun I received has a large Russian Capture "X" on the slide and the frame has been force matched to the barrel & slide with the original serial # "XXXX" out on the left side and the force match # stamped on the right. The description should have included that guns may have capture marks and forced matched numbers (both of which decrease collector value). If it turns out to be a good shooter, I'll still be satisfied with my purchase.

P-38 is Rock'in
Review by Palidog357 on 8/13/2012

I put 150 shots down range and I love it. Looks awesome, feel awesome, shoots awesome. Did spend more than hour cleaning cosmoline off the well preserved pistol. Got a 43 byf(all black)handpicked, did not have year and model option when I ordered it. But, actually got what I wanted. Only small problems I have is mag is real tight, even oil and slicked up, just not a good fit. First 50 rounds were not what I was hoping for, used Win 124 Nato, had some slide and accuracy issues. Switched to the S&B115(ordered here)and the P-38 just performed perfectly, cant believe its 70 years old. Shipped faster than I could pick it up, 1 day here in NC. Just overwhelmed that this P38 is mine, hardly a scratch on it and shoots great!