Walther P38

Description

Originally designed as a replacement for the aging and expensive Luger P08, Walter produced their initial design just prior to World War 2.

At the request of the German Army (Heer), their new semi-automatic service pistol must have an external hammer (unlike the P08), so after some modification, the P38 was born and entered general service in 1939. Although full scale production/issue would not take place until mid-late war.

Like the P08, the Walther magazine holds 8 rounds of 9×19mm Parabellum, which is also housed within the pistol grip. However unlike the Luger, it also features a double action trigger (revolutionary for its time), which allows the weapon to be fired with the hammer either in the cocked or de-cocked position. This invention allows the pistol to be made ready (with a cartridge loaded into the chamber) then the hammer can be safely returned to the forward position, thus preventing accidental discharge if dropped or caught on something. The weapon can then swiftly be brought into action by simply pulling hander on the trigger or manually pulling back on the hammer.

Aside from widespread use within the German military (and those of its allies) during the war, post war P38 production was restarted in 1957, when it once again would become the standard issue firearm of the then known as ‘West German’ armed forces/Bundeswehr.

Having been produced in such high numbers and having seen service in so many theaters of operations during WW2, post war, amongst the chaos of the repatriations and clean-ups, weapons such as these readily found themselves in the hands of the criminal underworld and paramilitaries. Their presence in these organizations would last for decades and even today the odd example still appears in an obscure civil war or police seizure.