From the article: Walther P38 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol
There have been a bunch of Walther P38s manufactured over the years, and many folks have owned and/or used this pistol. If you're one of them, what did you think of it? Tell us about reliability, accuracy, ease of use, trigger pull, pointability, ease of carry, and things like that. Do not ask a question or expect a reply! I cannot reply to you here. Please post in the forum if you have a question. Talk About it!
Walther P-38
- I purchased a new 9mm Walther P-38 for $128 at a shop in Sevastopol, California in 1968. My father had spoken of using them in WWII and about how well they shot and performed. From the first day at the range on our farm I was impressed with it. Its balance was flawless and it slid into my hand like a glove. Unlike our Colt 1905 38 Special Police Model, the Walther is a natural pointer once you get used to the handling and aiming difference. The barrel literally became an extension of the index finger. What that "finger" pointed at, the Walther hit, without fail. I have fired only one other gun with similar pointability, and that was the Luger P-08. The Walther disassembles easily and quickly for cleaning. While I'm sure that somewhere out there is a newer pistol that has the out-of-the-box accuracy and pointability of the Walther, I haven't found it yet. The weight of the P-38 in mainly in the palm and wrist of the hand. The 1911A1's weight is in the barrel, requiring more force to aim.
- —GP_Holk
My first handgun 35 years ago
- Before I discovered the 1911 I thought the P38 was the best thing going. I learned how to shoot and realized that even the postwar P-38 is not a particularly accurate or reliable pistol, as others have said. I'm about to buy a 1968 not recent import model, in 99% condition, and it lacks the locking block reinforcing screw but does have a firing pin lock, probably its first appearance on any pistol. I will keep it well lubed because the soft anodizing on the alloy frame is not wear resistant, and shoot it only to remind my friends and myself of the impetuousness of youth.
- —Guest Dave T
LOVE the P.38!
- First handgun was a P-1. I now own an 1944 Walther and a P-1 with a 1944 Mauser P.38 in layaway at a local pawn shop. I've found that if you replace the springs in the gun with new ones it is one of the most reliable guns around. I currently use my P-1 as a home defense and carry pistol (whenever the weather allows). When it is too hot to conceal I carry it in a backpack. I would say the P.38 is in my top three favorite handguns.
- —Guest James
P38 / P1
- Ok, both guns are very good! P38 for when it was produced. I have both and since the P38 design is one of my favorites have shot thousands of rounds. I have never used hollow points, and I have had only one jam. It's not a concealed-carry gun, but it's damn good trust me. Look for a P1... only problem is its single-stack mag.
- —Guest Ekatiss
Walther P38
- Bought it used for ethnic reasons ( German Heritige). Dont know about the experts but this pistol definitely has an alloy frame. The left side of the steel slide is stamped " P38 Cal 9mm" , right side of slide stamped " 6/60 ". My impression is police service pistol. It points well and is balanced. Accurate enough for police work where there's only time to point anyway. This is not a competition target pistol. I like it, a keeper!
- —Guest Jim S
bigjohn
- I own a P38 circa 1945. I am a poor shot, but a friend fired it and was hitting the bullseye every shot. I once tried it for speed. With one round in the chamber and eight in the magazine, I emptied it in about three seconds. It has never failed to fire, and I think it points very accurately.
- —Guest John Gaertner
Grey Ghost
- I was introduced to the Walther P1 by the German Army. Since that time, I purchased a Walther P38 of the same design; a Grey ghost because of the year of manufacture and it's finish. I've shot plenty of guns. I like Colt's Goldcup, and Ruger's Blackhawk, but by far my most favorite is the Walther P38. It is a natural pointer - I tend to hit what I aim at. Addendum: The P38 is not a concealed carry weapon, the barrel is too long; the PPK would be better suited. I always load my magazines with one less round - over time, I have had no trouble feeding a pistol. Don't know if that is really necessary though. For a long time I did not try to use hollow points in this pistol, but recently discovered, there is no problem feeding them. Quick draw holsters are hard to come by for this pistol. Untuned, trigger pull is better than normal for the age and design of this pistol - there is a moderate amount of slack then squeeze. The question that is always in my mind, is the round large enough to stop a determined aggressor? Hope this helps.
- —DHPatrick
P-38
- Not good for CCW; the heel magazine release takes care of that. Accuracy and reliability same as other better choices. If the heel magazine release is not a problem a CZ 52 is a much better and cheaper choice. [Note: The P38 is a bulky gun, and as I said in the article, "Its large size makes it a poor choice for concealed carry." RC]
- —lucky48
P38's and P1's
- My first P38 was wartime Czech production and was a piece of junk. I now have two post-war alloy frame P38s made in the 1960s and two P1s. Besides the P38s being marked P38, and the P1s being marked P1, the difference are obvious. The P1 corrected the deficiencies of the P38 in that it has a steel reinforcement pin through the receiver where the locking block makes contact, an enlarged slide(only slightly, but wider and deeper), and an improved barrel sleeve with a slightly extended muzzle. In addition, the P1 has white-dot sights ala Sig Sauer. In the 1980s, the US military adopted the P38 in a double-stack version known as the Beretta 92 and called it the M9. The biggest difference between the two other than the magazine is that the Beretta version has a single recoil spring mounted below the barrel vs the dual rear-mounted in the original Walther. Recoil locking block an trigger mechanisms are lifted from the Walther.
- —Guest Gene Ewing
Walther P38
- I have a WW-II era P38 (all matching numbers) and it gets excellent accuracy and reliability with 124 or 147 gr. ball ammo. FYI a Walther P38 style pistol with an aluminum alloy frame is called a P1, and NOT a P38. [From the editor: I understand that some sources say that any alloy-frame post-war P38 should be called a P1, but this alloy-frame gun is marked P38 and not P1, therefore I'll continue to call it a P38.]
- —Jim.Hewitt
Remembrance
- I just bought a P38. I also bought a beautiful wooden box with the Walther insignia on it. I had a gunsmith reblue (matte) the pistol, and bought an extra magazine to fill the spot inside the box. This gun appears to have never been fired, and the combination of the presentation box, and custom made wooden grips (this gentleman handcrafts about 250 of these grips a year), I doubt I'll shoot the pistol. Instead, I'll give it to my grandson, and perhaps he'll pass it on to his son or daughter. I have a Walther PP in 7.65mm and I shoot it often. It is one of the most reliable semi-autos that I own. I will keep it forever and let the kids fight after I'm gone. I bought the P38 because of its history, not its accuracy. It's a beauty to look at, and fits my big hand perfectly. Semper Fi.
- —Guest gary albert
P 38 Lightning
- Bought a commercial P38 in the late seventies to use as a target pistol. Due to range restrictions we weren't allowed to use jacketed ammunition. The lead alloy projectiles I used often stripped giving some interesting shaped holes in the target. Reducing the charge alleviated this but made feeding unreliable. I liked the DA feature and for me the gun pointed well, was light and fun to play with. The down side was the noise, inaccuracy at 25 meters, my associates called it lightning because it never hit twice in the same place. I thought it would be ideal for security work or self defense at sensible distances, from my viewpoint five to ten yards. I live in Western Australia and because of the warm weather and casual dress standards very few handguns would be suitable for concealed carry.
- —Guest Bill Ballington
I Like Revolvers Better
- I once owned a post World War II Walther P-38 9mm pistol. Though a good handgun it jammed with hollowpoint 9mm Luger factory ammo. Too, it didn't seem to be as accurate as my Smith and Wesson (K-Frame) Model 15 38 Special Combat Masterpiece revolver. Therefore I traded it off for a 12 gauge Remington 870 Wingmaster pump shotgun. I'll take a revolver in preference to a semi-automatic pistol any day. For general purpose use: homeland security, self defense, outdoor use, foraging, etc. a 38 Special/357 Magnum revolver is actually more practical, useful, and versatile compared to a military semi-auto pistol. However, to each their own.
- —Guest Jim Farmer
P38
- The angle of the handle is too acute - close to 90 deg. This causes the gun to shoot low. Both of the P38's that I have are inaccurate. They won't hold a tight group. One has a shot-out barrel but the other's barrel is in good shape. Overall, I would rate the P38 a "C" for usability and a "B" as a reminder of WWII.
- —Guest Patocazador
