However, 1943 models ranged from 1 to 9999n. Mauser and Spreewerke P38s changed their system from year to year, with each year being unique. To identify P38 serial numbers, reference a P38 serial number listing, such as the one found on the Ole' Army Joel site. Zero models run from 01-013000, with the Walther banner. We sell P.38 pistols made by Walther, Mauser and Spreewerk from WW2. We sell these pistols both in full rigs & as just the gun alone. We also sell PPKs! View as Grid List. You're currently reading page 1; Page 2; Page Next; Show per page. ON HOLD - 1943 Nazi Walther P.38. While you won’t find the word “Walther” anywhere on the pistol, this “ac 42” marked P38 was produced at the company’s Zella-Mehlis factory while several E/359 acceptance codes show it was taken.

SPREEWERK

CYQ very early gun serial number 21

CYQ 2nd variation with e/359 small parts serial number range 50-500 - 208

CYQ 3rd variation with rare e/18 accepted locking block- (Eight known examples 2514, 2596, 2630, 2678, 2852, 2853, 2894, 2933)

CYQ 3rd variation with matched numbered holster serial number range 500-1565d. 41,000 produced - 3842c

CYQ 3rd variaton with backward 'c' on slide and carry permit dated 1946, full rig - 7476c

CYQ 4th variation 'rig' serial number range 1584d-9804z. 120,000 produced with capture papers and holster - 6073f

CYQ Serial number 1 - 1h

CYQ Serial number 10000h - 10000h

Walther P38 Serial Number Chart

CYQ 4th variation 'rig' - 3412i

CYQ 'rig' - 9976l

CYQ 4th variation 'rig' with capure papers and info on the vet who brought it back - 3404m

CYQ 4th variation with asterisk - 4497r

CYQ 5th variation FN frame serial number range 334x-1567x. 1,200 produced - 1450x

CYQ 6th variation A prefix serial number range A1-B4835. 15,000 produced - a9829

Three CYQ b prefix 6th variation with consecutive serial numbers b10, b12, b13

CYQ b Prefix with three stamps - b127 (Consecutive numbered)

CYQ b Prefix with three stamps - b128 (Consecutive numbered)

CYQ b Prefix with two stamps - b568

CYQ b prefix with one e/88 stamp - b3624

CYQ 0 series 'Volkssturm' gun with capture papers, serial number range 01-07971. 8,000 produced with vet bring back items and a note from the vet - 01461

CYQ 0 series - 01504

Two 0 series with FN slides AC 43 and 44 stacked codes. 1,500 produced

8th variation double 00 series serial number range 001-00100 - 0047

Walther P38 Serial Numbers Post World War 2

Four CVQ 8th variation double 0 series most likely made during Russian occupation .. Very Rare!

Welcome to ALPS

Information, photos, references, and trivia on the WW2 Walther P.38 and post-war P38 pistol. If you wish to link to this page, please link only to the main page, not sub-pages or documents. Please do not rip off my PDF files or pictures for your own site. Thanks.

Updated 20 Feb 2014 17:33 -0800

Quick Launch: [Jump to Pistols] [Jump to Information] [Jump to Catalogs]

Most Recent updates:

Two more 'BTH12' pistols have been reported. See 'BTH12' under 'Pistols'

Added 'When was my post-war pistol made?' to 'Information'

Added another late date AC frame pistol to 'Pistols'

Added some late war pistols to 'Pistols'

Pistol Information

An excellent article by Peter Kokalis on thewartime P.38 pistolcan be found here, and another article on thepost-war P38here.

My post-war pistol has no date or date code - about when was it manufactured? You can get a rough estimate based upon these observed pistols.

Need to replace a broken WW2 slide part with a post-war part, and don't know if the new part will fit? Read the slide part compatibility guide. Note: this information is intended as a guide only. I am not a gunsmith. If you do not have working knowledge of the P.38 pistol, consult a competent gunsmith before attempting to effect repairs to your P.38.

Over the long term, will oil cause bakelite grips to deteriorate? An attempt to find out startshere.And continuesafter one year... and finally ends at three plus years.

Atarian's quick reference magazine guide.Helps to identify which magazine is correct for your pistol.

Atarian's post-war reproduction and aftermarket grip guide.Some of the currently available non-World War II grips for the P.38.

Can a 'dipped' pistol be 'un-dipped?' The answer is yes, and quite successfully. Take a look atzero series cyq serial number 030.

Drawings and Manuals

P38 Owner's Manual (multilingual - 4.8 MB). P38 Owner's Manual v2 (multilingual - 6.2 MB). P38 Operating Instructions (multilingual - 1.2 MB, source: Walther Germany). P38 Owner's Manual (1 MB, source: Interarms(?)). P38 Owner's Manual (edited for clarity - Thanks to Quentin for providing this).

German military drawings of the 9mm Patrone: page 1, page 2, page 3, and page 4.

P.38 manual from 1940 (German) - Thanks to Johan and Ron Clarin for providing this.

P.38 illustrated parts breakdown (German - 95KB, source: Walther Germany).

Explanation of the markings on a post-war P38/P1 (source: Federal Foreign Office – Division 241, Germany).

Time Wasters

Test your P.38 knowledge with the P.38 quiz!

Auction Antics - Fantastic stories and overpriced pistols:

Articles and Advertisements

Walther P38 Serial Numbers Lookup Free Reverse

Information on the P.38from the 2008 Walther catalog.

The Defense Intelligence Agency's Small Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide. German ammunition section (213kb) or the entire document (10.1Mb).

Small arms section of the Handbook on German Military Forces.

Walther P38 Value Serial Number

Pricing ofStoeger's Mod HPs and Lugers(1948).

Stoeger's guide to World War II pistols circa 1948 (page 1, page 2).

Walther P38 Serial Numbers

Miscellaneous

A baker's dozen of Walther post-war slide legend variations(this is far from all-inclusive).

Here's what a P.38 frame looks like before the machining process begins.

Information Exchange Pursuant to the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons 2003, 2008, 2010. Note in 2002 the United States was by far the largest importer of German 'Revolvers and Self-Loading Pistols' with 1,040,985 imported (of 1,082,797 - the balance of 41,812 or about 4% going to 20 other countries), while the Germans destroyed only 5,666 'surplus' pistols. In 2009 the US imported none and 17,520 surplus pistols were destroyed (none were exported to any country). See Annexes 2 and 3.

Patent Information

Fritz Walther's 'automatic pistol,' patent number 2135992 dated November 8, 1938 (English).

Fritz Walther's 'automatic firearm,' patent number 2145328 dated January 31, 1939 (English).

Walther pistol patents 1926 to 1942 (German).

Interarms was a long-time importer of products from Walther and many other manufacturers. Browse some of their catalogs here.