March 15-17, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/17/2022
1 of only 1,000 of these first variation P.38 zero series pistols were manufactured by Walther to be utilized in the 1939 Wehrmacht troop test trials, resulting in the acceptance of the P.38 for military issue. While technically still being a pre-production variation, some of these 1,000 P.38s were issued and taken into some of the first battles of World War II. This variation is further explained on page 26 of "The P.38 Pistol" by Alexander Krutzek. This example bears the Walther banner logo followed by "P.38" and the serial number "0778" on the left side of the slide, with the right bearing 2 Walther "(Eagle)/359" Waffenamts surrounding a German Eagle firing proof. Early features include an internal extractor, dished slide, angled takedown lever, lightening cuts on the barrel rails, center-cut locking block, as well as wire-type locking block retainer. Matching numbers are present on the frame, slide, barrel, locking block, and interior of the grip panels, as well as on the magazine. Pistol is accompanied by a period leather holster marked "cxb/1940" above an "(Eagle)/727" Waffenamt, indicating manufacture by Moll, Goch. CONDITION: Very good overall, with metal components retaining bountiful amounts of their original factory high polish blue finish, exhibiting some scattered areas of wear as well as some scattered marks from handling and storage that show through to silvering overall. Exceptionally bright bore, exhibiting some light oxidation on the lands and within the grooves and retaining well-defined rifling throughout. Black checkered bakelite grips show some scattered handling marks, as well as some minor smoothing to the diamonds, but are otherwise fine. Holster shows age-related cracking, some areas of light crazing, as well as a cut along the left side of the flap, but is otherwise sturdy and serviceable. An exceptionally rare and high condition example of a Walther 1st Variation Zero Series P.38 semi-automatic pistol, utilized in the 1939 Wehrmacht troop test trials. MLW
CORRECTION: Magazine does not match but is a spare magazine of early zero series production, bring numbered "0470+" on the left-hand side.