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Who Can Tell Me About This P-38 Login/Join 
Not One of
the Cool Kids
Picture of enidpd804
posted
This belongs to a friend whose family has had it for a few generations. It is said to have been brought back from WWII Germany. My first thought was that couldn't be the case because it appears to be stainless, but I'm not well-informed on historical firearms. What say you?









 
Posts: 3911 | Location: OK | Registered: August 15, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
No, not like
Bill Clinton
Picture of BigSwede
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Post good pics of any proof marks



 
Posts: 5653 | Location: GA | Registered: September 23, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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It has the Nazi era proof marks and isn’t stainless steel but rather nickel or chrome plated.
I’ll also bet a nickel that one of our knowledgeable people will agree with me that it was probably refinished after it was brought back.




6.4/93.6
___________
“We are Americans …. Together we have resisted the trap of appeasement, cynicism, and isolation that gives temptation to tyrants.”
— George H. W. Bush
 
Posts: 47817 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Unflappable Enginerd
Picture of stoic-one
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Really looks like it has been hard chromed.


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I lost all my weapons in a boating, umm, accident.
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Posts: 6383 | Location: Headland, AL | Registered: April 19, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Frangas non Flectes
Picture of P220 Smudge
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Looks like the real deal, just chrome plated. A shame, but hey, if someone wanted a shooter.


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Carthago delenda est
 
Posts: 17798 | Location: Sonoran Desert | Registered: February 10, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Yes, definitely refinished in what we used to call "bumper chrome." Probably shoots fine.

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightshooter1,
 
Posts: 1691 | Location: TampaBay | Registered: May 22, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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The proofs may be legit. Chromed.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
 
Posts: 16463 | Location: Marquette MI | Registered: July 08, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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A lot of WWll bring backs were chrome plated, as that was very popular in that time frame. They were just German war guns.....nothing more!! A lot of 1911-1911A1 were plated also.
 
Posts: 6748 | Location: Az | Registered: May 27, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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It's a Walther produced P38, in 1942. The hard chrome kills alot of the collector value. As others had already said, it should be a nice shooter.
 
Posts: 278 | Location: Iowa | Registered: April 18, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Constable
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Chroming was popular with WW2 "bring backs", unfortunately.

Once saw an 8" Artillery Luger in chrome! Sad.
 
Posts: 7074 | Location: Craig, MT | Registered: December 17, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of 1KPerDay
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Yep, AC is the walther factory code, 42 is the year produced. I have an AC41. It's nickel plated, which is somewhat common for bringbacks and other old military arms as it prevents rust.

All the major parts should be stamped with the serial number, and if you're lucky, the magazine will be as well.

Shoot it, I say. DON'T rely on the safety to drop the hammer on a loaded chamber. They can break.


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My hovercraft is full of eels.
 
Posts: 3316 | Registered: February 27, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Dinosaur
Picture of P210
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The plating takes away any collectibility as has been mentioned, which is a shame since it looks like a nice one. It was produced by Walther in 1942 as you know. They were making 10,000 per month at that point and the serial numbers only went to 10,000, so January had no suffix and February through December used A - K, so yours was likely manufactured mid July, 1942.
 
Posts: 6963 | Location: 96753 | Registered: December 15, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not really from Vienna
Picture of arfmel
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Looks like a bumper chrome job to me.

Not like any “hard chrome” I’ve seen from several shops.
 
Posts: 27233 | Location: SW of Hovey, Texas | Registered: January 30, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Oriental Redneck
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Don't know anything about these P38s, but I love it.


Q






 
Posts: 27934 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: September 04, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I wander if the chrome plating can be removed? Maybe bead blasted off carefully or something. Either way it’s still really cool
 
Posts: 3396 | Registered: December 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not One of
the Cool Kids
Picture of enidpd804
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Thanks, guys. That's what he was looking for. It's legit and was likely chromed after his G-dad brought it home. He's considering putting it in a shadow box with his military medals.

That's a very cool keepsake.
 
Posts: 3911 | Location: OK | Registered: August 15, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Oriental Redneck
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quote:
Originally posted by limblessbiff:
I wander if the chrome plating can be removed? Maybe bead blasted off carefully or something. Either way it’s still really cool

I wouldn't do anything to it. Consider the chrome plating at the time, although aftermarket, part of history.


Q






 
Posts: 27934 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: September 04, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Rev. A. J. Forsyth
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As others have stated, a post war chrome job that was popular back in the day. You will hear all sorts of outlandish theories from people who own these guns. "It was for Hitler's special bodyguards at the Nuremburg rally", and the like. Or, my personal favorite is twofold - "it was a Luftwaffe pilot's gun, you can tell by the eagle", or the chrome is real issue, Grandad took it off the officer himself".

Collector value is nil, but it's still a cool family heirloom.
 
Posts: 1639 | Location: Winston-Salem  | Registered: April 01, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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