• Walther Serial Numbers By Year

TheWalther P38 was apistolthat was developed byastheof theat the beginning of.It was intended to replace the costly,the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942. Thisis a 9mm Parabellum (9mmx19mm;same as Luger) with a magazine capacity of 8rounds. The overall length is 216mm and the barrel length is125mm.

The gun weighs 800 grams empty. (1971)Photographs arecopyrighted, all rights reserved, any extraction, reproduction ordisplay of gun pictures without the express consent of the PhoenixInvestment Arms is strictly prohibited. Fire emblem souen no kiseki iso burner free. Thank you for your cooperation. The0-Series was the first official P.38 variation issuedto the German army. This variation is produced between June 1939and May 1940. Serial numbers of this variation always start witha 0, hence the name 0-Series.Determination of a 0-Series pistol is easy.

The 0 series of Walther made P.38's were used as troop trials in the field and modifications on the design were done in conjuction with performance reports. This experimental series was made to meet strict German military requirements. The 0 series of Walther made P.38's were used as troop trials in the field and modifications on the design were done in conjuction with performance reports. This experimental series was made to meet strict German military requirements. First variation guns are in the 01-035 serial number range and will have the.

TheWalther banner and P.38 model indication are stamped on the leftside of the slide with the serial number next to it. All partsof the 0-Series pistols are stamped with theWalther acceptance stamp E/359 TheBakelite grips are black checkered and have a round loophole forthe lanyard. Most of the P.38 pistols produced after thisvariation have rectangular loopholes. Magazines are stamped onthe housing with the respective serial number and spare magshave an additional + in front of the serialnumber. The P38 concept was accepted by the military in 1938 butproduction of the actual prototype ('Test') pistols did not startuntil late 1939.

Walther began manufacturing at their plant in Zella-Mehlis and produced three series of 'Test' pistols,designated by a '0' prefix to the serial number.The second series this example has the external extractor, square firing pin and is found in the 02,001-03,445 serial range. The third seriessatisfied the previous problems and production for the Heer( ) began in mid-1940, using Walther's military productionidentification code '480'. After a few thousand pistols theHeer changed all codes from numbers to letters and Waltherwas given the 'ac' code. The P38 is a recoil-operated, lockedbreech design with a vertically tilting blocking bar that connects the 4.9inch moving barrel and the slide. The P38 has a short, open top slide.A locking wedge under the barrel holds the slide and barrel togetherduring recoil. When the wedge reaches the limiting point against theframe, it drops down, releasing the slide to return to its forward, lockedposition for the next round.The trigger is double-action, with anexposed hammer and trigger bar (the link between the trigger and sear)unusually located outside of the frame at the right side. This was thefirst DA military handgun, a design pioneered by Walther with the PP andPPK.

Walther Serial Numbers By Year

The slide catch is on the left side of the frame. The catch for the8-round magazine is located at the bottom of the grip. There is a postfront sight and notch rear sight.

The standard safety also acted as ade-cocker, and was located at the left side of the slide. The frame andslide are all-steel while the grip plates are plastic. The thumb safey shows us 'S' Safe (German language had adopted this term instead of Gesichert which mean 'secured') and 'F' Fuer (Fire) for the thumb safety. Above Right: The indicated pin is exposed to tell the shooter the gun is loaded and with the 'F' showing is ready to fire.RIGHT:The early (up to mid-1942) weremarked with the serial number of the gun and these add to the rarity ofthese Walther Banner P-38's.After the war, most of the ex-Walthermachinery ended up in France as war reparations, and many of the post-warP38 pistols were actually built in France, by the Manurhin factory.The French manufactured P38 pistols from captured parts at theMauser factory from May or June of 1945 until 1946. These areidentifiable by the presence of a five-pointed star stamped on theslide.

Total German production is estimated at more than 1,200,000pistols.Production of the P38 resumed at a new Walther factory in,West Germany under the name Pistole 1 (P1) in 1958 for WestGerman Police and the. It remained in Walther production, in severalrevised iterations, until the early 1990s. Theearly Walthers, untillate 1941, were made to almost commercial standards of fit andpolish. As the pressures of war required increased production theexterior finish declined but the operating components of the P38remained remarkably well made throughout the war, especially atMauser. We strive to provide picturesso you can judge for yourself if the gun meets your criteria. If you are anearnest buyer and want some additional pictures from a different angleplease email us and we will attempt to achieve what you want to see.This is a excellent exampleof the 1940 2nd Issue '0' series of the Walther Banner P38 testseries produced in the Walther plant in Zella-Mehlis in 1940.A very minty collector's gun and early model for the advanced P38collector.Any questions to We reserve the right to sell any internetoffering to a direct sale and do not warrant the availability of anyfirearm that does not have a physical deposit.

This gun may be withdrawn without notice for in-store sale. LAYAWAYS: Sometimes our'significant other' doesn't understand the beauty, craftsmanship andinvestment potential of one of these investor grade weapons.

Inthese circumstances where discretion becomes the better part of valor wewill accept layaways of up to one year with at least 20% down and someactivity occurring monthly to insure that after one year the sale iscompleted. Cancellations of layaways forfeit 33% if done within twomonths, otherwise 100%. You can transfer a layaway to a consignment sale atany time. See 'Legal' for exact terms.

3 Day ReturnPolicyWehonor a three day return policy. We will answer any questions, send you anypictures, as detailed as you want, to insure that what we are showing you iswhat you want to see, before you buy it.FIRING ANY WEAPON NEGATES ANYCHANCE OF RETURN!WARNING: We do not represent these guns as safe tofire. They are not test fired before sale; they are sold ascollectibles only. Prior to firing you should have it inspected by aqualified individual and abide by all safety requirements.© Copyright 2001-2017 Phoenix Investment Arms Inc.

While you can find out about a weapon's origins is through law enforcement channels (i.e. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or the ATF), it is possible to find out about a Walther gun by doing some savvy online searches yourself. Bear in mind that because you are choosing an alternate route, there is a margin of error in the results that you receive. Fortunately, given the historical background of Walther pistols, there are books available that list many of the serial numbers of the guns that were produced by Walther.