Walther P38 (Pistole 38) Semi-Automatic Pistol (1938)
Designed for ease of production, the Walther P38 was accepted for service to replace the fabled Luger P08 series semi-automatic pistol.
With Germany's military expansion under review and consolidated for maximum efficiency, it was deemed in 1933 that a new, equally effective yet easier to produce alternative to the P 08 be developed. With Walther Waffenfabrik earning the contract for the new handgun, based on their work on the 1908 automatic model, the P38 was born. After many years of trials, the P38 was finally accepted in 1940.
The Walther P38 series was fielded to a large part of the German armed forces, so much so that weapon production had to be expanded beyond Walther's production facilities. Just as robust and reliable as the weapon that preceded it, the P38 was another of the prized "souvenirs" to Allied soldiers lucky enough to confiscate one. The weapon held almost as much respect as the original German P 08 (commonly referred to as simply the "Luger").
Easy to use and equally easy to break down for field stripping, the P38 proved to be a follow-up success. With the end of the war, production of the P38 stopped only to be resumed once again in 1957 by Walther, fielded once again by the Bundeswehr as the official standardized sidearm. As of this writing, the P38 is still in production.
Among Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, others have been pressed into service producing the Walther P38 pistol - some factories due to Nazi occupation of their lands.
These Walther P38 pistol producers included:
Waffenfabrik Mauser AG (Oberndorf, Germany)
Spreewerke GmbH (Berlin, Germany)
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guere (Belgium)
Waffenwerke Brunn (Czechoslovakia)
Ceska Zbrojovka (Czechoslovakia) Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Walther P38 (Pistole 38)
Semi-Automatic Pistol
Country of Origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: Walther Waffenfabrik - Germany (among others)
Initial Year of Service: 1938
Overall Length: 219mm (8.62in)
Barrel Length: 125.00mm (4.92in)
Weight (Empty): 2.12lbs (0.96kg)
Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum
Action: Breech Lock; Double-Action; Short Recoil
Feed: 8-round detachable box magazine
Muzzle Velocity: 1,200ft/sec (366m/sec)
Range: 82ft (25m; 27yds)
Sights: Rear Notch; Front Blade Post
Variants:
P38 - Base Production Series Designation
P1 - "Lightened P38"; constructed with aluminum allow receiver as opposed to steel; appearing in 1957; no longer in service.
P4 - Short-barreled version based on the P1
P5 - "Improved P38" variant developed in late 1970s; utilized by some German police forces.
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