P.38 Pistols

[Big Coulee]

I have a small accumulation of WWII P.38 pistols. I would like to communicate with other members who have an interest in P.38s and / or luger pistols. Thank you.

[RazorBurn]

I only have one. My Grandpa brought one back from WW2, but we were robbed in the late 80's and it was stolen. I picked one up just because he had one. No idea what his was as at the time. I was a teenager with other things on my mind. Mine's a Spreewerk from 1944.

IMG_1831.JPG

[tjtM38]

I don't have a P-38 but they sure are nice guns; maybe the best handgun of WWII. I have one Russian capture Luger that has been refinished by the Soviets and all Nazi markings removed. It's probably a Mauser manufacture because of the S42 on the toggle, but the year of manufacture has been removed. All the numbers match except the magazine. The grips have been replaced. It's a decent piece that I shoot on rare occasion.

[Big Coulee]

tjiM38, razor burn ----- Thanks for your replies. Yes, I too think the P.38 was one of the best pistols produced during WWII and still is one of the best in use today. I've tried to pick up a copy of each "coded" P.38 that was produced (ac, byf, cyq, svw). That last one I've gotten is a svw pistol. It was chrome plated when I got it so not a collector piece. I had the chrome removed and had it refinished in parkerized and blue. It is a shooter pistol and a good one at that. The S/42 lugers are also nice pieces and are good shooting guns. My mismatched shooter luger is a S/42 and I take it out to burn a few rounds several times a year. Thanks again for your replies.

[BuckeyeSgt]

I have three different years of AC’s. Got to chat a bit once with the guy that wrote the book.

[RazorBurn]

Totally off topic but I picked up this svw45 K98k Mauser with the original sling on it at a local pawn shop a few years ago. They had it marked as a Yugoslavian Mauser for $350.00. I immediately offered $350 out the door and they took it. One of my luckiest finds ever.

20200522_194237.jpg

[Big Coulee]

You did a wonderful job on that one. I'm sure that rifle could go for $800 to $1k in today's market.

[RazorBurn]

You did a wonderful job on that one. I'm sure that rifle could go for $800 to $1k in today's market.

Thanks! It was a lucky find for that price. Russian captures are bringing 700 to 800 bucks now. I'd dare say that one would bring close to 2 grand now.

I'm amazed at how much Milsurps have appreciated in the past 10 years. Wish I had started collecting back in the early 90's when Rose's was selling Milsurps a dime a dozen out of barrels. I pisses away a lot of money on booze and whores in college when I could have had one helluva bitchin' gun collection. Hindsight's 20/20...

[Big Coulee]

It's hard to believe that Milsurp. guns are going for prices we are seeing today and people are laying out those $$$ for them. I started picking up Milsurp. pieces as early as 1962 right after I got out of college when good lugers were going for $29.95, P.38s were going for $20.00 and GI .45's were going for $39.95 in any hock shop in the shady part of town. My wife (bless her heart) of two years wasn't afraid to go along hock shop row looking for good stuff she thought I'd like. I still have a couple lugers and a P.38 she found for me back then.

[Junk Yard Dog]

$29.95 in 1962 dollars is 309.75 in 2024 dollars, still I bet plenty of people here would pay that for a Luger today.

[Big Coulee]

Junk Yard Dog ------ You are right. The lugers I bought in 1962 for about $30 would sell for close to $1200 to $1500 in today's market. Even the ones I paid $125 in 1975 might go for nearly $3k (Black Widows) in today's market. It is crazy isn't it?