Walther P38: Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.ww2museum.eu (Includes WaltherP38 website, history,manuals,diagrams and more) |
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*[http://www.carl-walther.info/dev2/files/pdf/P38%20Bedienungsanleitung.pdf Walther P38 instruction manual] |
*[http://www.carl-walther.info/dev2/files/pdf/P38%20Bedienungsanleitung.pdf Walther P38 instruction manual] |
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*[http://www.carl-walther.info/dev2/files/pdf/P38%202224071.pdf Walther P38 spare parts drawing] |
*[http://www.carl-walther.info/dev2/files/pdf/P38%202224071.pdf Walther P38 spare parts drawing] |
Revision as of 11:36, 11 September 2008
P38 | |
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File:Walter HP Speerwerke 1428.jpg | |
Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
Place of origin | Walther P38 Nazi Germany Pistole P1 Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1939-1995 |
Used by | See Users |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designed | 1938 |
Manufacturer | Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, Mauser Werke, Spreewerke |
Produced | Walther P38 1939-1945 Pistole P1 1957-2000 |
Variants | P1, P38K, P38 SD, P4 |
Specifications | |
Mass | Template:G to oz |
Length | 216 mm (8.5 in) |
Barrel length | 125 mm (4.9 in) |
Cartridge | 9x19mm Parabellum |
Action | Short recoil, locked breech |
Muzzle velocity | 365 m/s (1,198 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | Sights set for 25 m |
Maximum firing range | 50 m effective range |
Feed system | 8-round detachable single-stack magazine |
Sights | Rear notch and front blade post |
The Walther P38 is a 9 mm pistol that was developed by Walther as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942.
Development
The P38 concept was accepted by the German military in 1938 but production of actual prototype ("Test") pistols did not start until late 1939. Walther began manufacture at their plant in Zella-Mehlis and produced three series of "Test" pistols, designated by a "0" prefix to the serial number. The third series satisfied the previous problems and production for the Heer (German Army) began in mid-1940, using Walther's military production identification code "480". After a few thousand pistols the Heer changed all codes from numbers to letters and Walther was given the "ac" code. All production was performed at the Walther plant until mid- to late 1942 when additional production began at the Mauser plant in Oberndorf (code "byf" until early 1945, then "svw") and at the Spreewerk plant in Hradek and Nisou, Czechoslovakia ("cyq"). Production continued until the end of the war and into the post war period. The early Walthers, until late 1941, were made to almost commercial standards of fit and polish. As the pressures of war required increased production the exterior finish declined but the operating components of the P38 remained remarkably well-made throughout the war, especially at Mauser.
Three firms made components for P38 production:
- Fabrique Nationale-- slides, frames and locking blocks (M or M1)
- Ceska Zbrojovka, CZ (Böhmische Waffenfabrik)-- barrels (fnh)
- Erste Nordböhmische Metallwarenfabrik -- magazines (jvd)
The French manufactured P38 pistols from captured parts at the Mauser factory from May or June of 1945 until 1946. These are identifiable by the presence of a five-pointed star stamped on the slide. Total German production is estimated at more than 1,200,000 pistols. Production of the P38 resumed at a new Walther factory in Ulm, West Germany under the name Pistole 1 (P1) in 1958 for West German Police and the Bundeswehr. It remained in Walther production, in several revised iterations, until the early 1990s.
Design
The P38 was the first locked-breech pistol to use a double-action trigger. The shooter could load a round into the chamber, use the de-cocking lever to safely lower the hammer without firing the round, and carry the weapon loaded with the hammer down. A pull of the trigger, with the hammer down, fired the first shot and the operation of the pistol ejected the fired round and reloaded a fresh round into the chamber, all features found in many modern day handguns.
The first designs submitted to the German Army featured a locked breech and a hidden hammer, but the German Army requested that it be redesigned with an external hammer. This led to the subsequent adoption of the P38 in 1940. Several experimental versions were later created in .45 ACP, and .38 Super, but these were never mass-produced. In addition to the 9 mm Parabellum version, some 7.65x22mm Parabellum and some .22 Long Rifle versions were also created and sold.
The barrel-locking mechanism operates by use of a wedge-shaped locking block underneath the breech. When fired both the barrel and slide recoil for a short distance, where the locking block drives down, disengaging the sliding and arresting the movement of the barrel.
The P38 uses a double action trigger design similar to the earlier Walther PPKs, and a loaded chamber indicator is also incorporated.[1]
Variants
A slightly modified version of the P38 called the P1 was adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1957 and remained in service until the early 1990s. The P1 had a receiver made of aluminum alloy, instead of steel to reduce weight. There was also a short-barreled version of the P1 called the P4.
An improved version of the P38, the Walther P5, was developed in the late 1970s and was adopted by the police forces of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.
Bibliography
This section includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. |
- The Walther P38 Explained by Gerard HENROTIN (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com 2005)
Users
References
- ^ Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, Ian Hogg, John Weeks
External links
- [http://www.ww2museum.eu (Includes WaltherP38 website, history,manuals,diagrams and more)
- Walther P38 instruction manual
- Walther P38 spare parts drawing
- Walther Handgun Owners Group
- P38 history, owners manual, diagrams & stripping guide
- Modern Firearms
- Walther P1 article (translated from German)