Walther p38

**douglas2496** · 01-06-2016, 05:42 PM

Hi everyone, bought this Mauser made P38 today dated 43. Can anyone tell me if it has its original finish or if its been re-blued? (I assume it has) and is the magazine wartime (I expect it isnt). Any help or other comments appreciated.

Being as I am in Britain this gun is deactivated as handguns are illegal (apart from a few specialist exceptions).

Doug

**Martin Bull** · 01-06-2016, 06:37 PM

it may have been re-blued ( or the original colour may have gone 'off' ) and the magazine looks like a commercially-bought item. I have a byf43 and would only comment that it's unusual not to be able to see a group of Waffenamts on the r/h side of the receiver.

Nice-looking gun, though......

**lew07** · 01-06-2016, 06:56 PM

I would guess the slide is reblued.

**harryamb2** · 01-06-2016, 07:48 PM

very nice.

**Larboard** · 01-06-2016, 10:00 PM

As you probably know, byf is code for the Mauser factory, so this started life as a 1943 Mauser made P38.

Right off the bat, from the first pic, the pistol is way too dark, so at first glance a refin. Where is the grip wear, and regular edge wear? There is none so that doesn't bode well for original finish.

I can also see some pitting that is equally dark, so another indication of a refin.

In the second pic, you can see that the slide has been buffed, the first numeral of the serial number is nearly gone, these are all instant telltale signs of an unfortunate refin job.

The frame number and the "D block" letter is nearly gone, so the frame is definitelty just as refin'ed as the rest of the pistol.

What are those other stamps just ahead of the slide numbers, and after the WaA135 on that same side of the frame? Are those the British Demil proofs? That Stlf. 2 is added later as well, I think, it doesn't look like anything I remember from the originals.

The other side of the frame and slide tells the same story, soft rounded edges from the buffing and there is so much metal removed that all three original stamps are gone.

The first one would be a Waffenampt, followed by a firing proof and another waffenampt.

Odd, in this country, a refin'ed P38 has no real value ($375 vs $750-1000) other than as a "shooter", and in your country they disable the shooting function...