thank you for video.my first pistol is a byf 44 mauser production 5779w, sn# I know this was late production all matching s#s when I bought it 1970 it cost me 175$ with holster ! mint shape. again THANK YOU,,,
While working for John Martz in the 1070s he came across one of these. It was a rarity. He would take mismatching numbers and make carbines out of them. I did the stock work and grips for the carbines.
Very informative, thanks. I still can not understand why the arms factories took the time to number and inspect stamp every part they assembled. A total waste of time. No wonder they lost the war!
Nonsense! The Astra 300 is relatively easy unless your trying to remove the barrel bushing on the end, even then you can use the little tab on the bottom of the magazine to push down the collar around the barrel & bushing. Otherwise if you just keep the slide and barrel together you can easily take the slide and barrel right off the frame by lining up the hash marks on the right side of the frame and slide then by twisting the barrel 90 degrees. I suppose it's not a breeze but not too bad at all
The original early Walther finish is very hard to reproduce, even for experts; add to that the faint drip marks on both sides of the slide in the proper placement and appear correct, and the fact that the lines and edges appear sharp, would make me think it is original. Why only do the slide, when the rest of the gun is left alone? Likely not used much, and mostly stored in a holster. Maybe not cleaned often enough re: the condition of the bore after some firing, and corrosive ammo and primers. All in all a really excellent example.
Loved the video. I went and pulled my own P-38 from the safe to see what else I might learn about it. Mine is a AC 42 stamped and from the research on serial numbers it was made sometime in the late first quarter of 42. It has an f suffix serial number meaning it was the fifth time through the 4 digit serial number sequence. Going by the condition of the pistols in your video mine has very little wear to the overall finish and a deep brown patina on the front and back straps as well as a very deep brown patina in along the top of the slide when the finish was purposely made dull. My magazine does not have a serial number stamped in the bottom but it does have the P38 stamping in the side. I would love to see a second video on the production run P-38 and what little things were different than the first initial models.
Exactly. Where two parts rub together they should leave identical wear patterns. If one has significantly more wear than the other that's a sign that the two haven't been mated together for very long, or else one part was refinished which turned back the clock on that part. If they don't match at all then one of the parts has been recently replaced.
There is not a single scratch of any kind on that slide, even 80 years of sliding this gun in and out of a leather holster once a year should have cause something.
This pistol would be a good candidate for a 2nd video on the authenticity of things or parts. Further inspection and tear down maybe the sticking safety has a tell tale to if it is or not . It`s got me chattering like a cat at the window just out of curiosity.
The only part that stands out is that slide. It seems to be a different color on the sides than the rest. A warning sign could be that tight safety lever as well (refinish could made it tighter). Yes, it's well done, though.
I have used an old saying or whatever you want to call it that clearly says "If it looks too good to be true then it isn't true"! That slide has been refinished! I have zero doubt about it. It looks too different from the rest of the gun and I think a real pro took a slide from another gun and made an AC No Date slide and put it on this gun! If this is the original slide then it was at least refinished! Thus making this firearm, not as valuable as it could be in all original condition!
I agree. It seems obviously refinished. The fact it’s a high dollar item only gives it more credence. We have a staff member over here that was a huge WWII German collector. About 20 years ago he liquidated his collection after running across a guy who was successfully faking some higher end German stuff. Without going into what he was faking, this individual successfully got some of his items into museums and reference materials. This brought about a logical conundrum: what else is being faked he doesn’t know about? Then the real scary thought: what if technology or data analysis changes and all these fakes become easily detectable? It would be a bloodbath. The result is a hobby that goes from being fun and turns into a giant stressor. He got out and never looked back. Regards, Marky
By all indications, I would say that the slide is original because it was common for soldiers to wipe down the sides of the slide with a soft cloth more than any other part of the firearm thus buffing it shiny which is why there would be very little if any rust.
I currently have 2 common but all-original ac P38's; one from January 42 (no letter suffix) and the other a 44 "e" suffix. Neither shows significant mechanical wear on internals, bolt face or rifling. I have to say each has a much better bore than your No Date unless it hasn't been cleaned. The other thing is neither has such an exaggerated "halo" effect on the front 2 stamps on the right side. The contrast makes them look "silvery". The bore and the stamps seem a little suspicious to me. Also, a rare No Date P38 is certainly more likely to be "enhanced".
To just think. My Father could have purchased a Walther P38 for $5 in 1946. A friend of his, who fought in the 82nd airborne, confiscated one from a German officer POW. My dad's friend needed money, so he offered to sell it to him for $5 (a modest amount of money in those days). My dad didn't have the money. (DAMN !!!)
To think how much time it took to take apart every gun to inspect and stamp every little piece big enough for a stamp to fit. Does anyone know, did the inspectors have some kind of go, no-go gauge for every part?
I’d like to think that the soldier who carried it was just anal retentive and was religious about the care of his sidearm and kept it mint. So it’s the real deal survivor. I hope.
I have a non-AC P38 with a date 1941. It's in good shape. It has all the NAZI stamps. All matching numbers but not a spare mag. The story is remarkable. My late father-in-law bought a house as an investment. He rented this house for 12 years to four different families. The day we were helping them move in after his retirement, he said there was a gun in that pouch. You can have it. My FIL was a total anti-gun. I was shocked when I unzipped the pouch it was in. On top of that, it was not stolen by any of the renters. I did break the firing pin shortly after that, and Walther even repaired that. Still shoots great.
While being cheaper and easier to produce than the Luger ,there were significant delays in getting the P-38'S ramped up to mass production . The 1942 and before all rare and of low production..A very fine video !!!
You mentioned one fact at the beginning of the video safety moving hard ? that could be where they messed up the safety Maybe not fitted properly I think the gun was faked
taking out the safety lever and have a look is really no rocket science ... And there is no way of fitting it improperly. Only thing I have ever seen was one with a crack, still have it.
I laughed my head off when Tom said that the Germans added the “40” so that Tom would know when they were manufactured, Nearly as funny as when the mailman arrived in the trenches in WW1 and said to the soldiers, “you will all be glad to learn that Frank Sinatra was born yesterday” Well done Thomas, keep up the good work, and most of all, keep up that dry humour. Cheers from Australia.
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Hi I have been watching you sense the beginning and I have been collecting sense I was 5
Thanks you god bless
Nice
thank you for video.my first pistol is a byf 44 mauser production 5779w, sn# I know this was late production all matching s#s when I bought it 1970 it cost me 175$ with holster ! mint shape. again THANK YOU,,,
Wow very interesting. Are those their required warden stamp name each part? I'm surprising myself those P38 still look great for over 75 years.
I love the fact your integrity won't let you tell us it's 100% that it's all original.
Yeah he must work out
What is a "Drip Mark?" curious
I have heard it is mark left after dipping it into the bluing solution. As the slide drips dry that is the mark left behind
@@thomaswhiteman4261 Ahh ok makes sense, thanks
While working for John Martz in the 1070s he came across one of these. It was a rarity. He would take mismatching numbers and make carbines out of them. I did the stock work and grips for the carbines.
Can you imagine the 1000s of people throughout all of the German held territories whose only job was to Waffen proof everything?
it was probably done by a forced worker
Very informative, thanks. I still can not understand why the arms factories took the time to number and inspect stamp every part they assembled. A total waste of time. No wonder they lost the war!
"They went to the Eastern front because the Western front hadn't started yet". 2:31. I beg your pardon Tom....
I was referring to the Normandy invasion of 1944.
@@LegacyCollectibles Well the Western front started in 1939 fyi
The p38 is easy to disassemble and reassemble. It's the damn Astra that's a PITA...
Nonsense! The Astra 300 is relatively easy unless your trying to remove the barrel bushing on the end, even then you can use the little tab on the bottom of the magazine to push down the collar around the barrel & bushing.
Otherwise if you just keep the slide and barrel together you can easily take the slide and barrel right off the frame by lining up the hash marks on the right side of the frame and slide then by twisting the barrel 90 degrees.
I suppose it's not a breeze but not too bad at all
@@IsaiahJTimm
Don't know about the 300 but my 600 is very stout.
Patreon is a totally separate entity than youtube and is affiliated in no way.
Cut him some slack hes old lol
The original early Walther finish is very hard to reproduce, even for experts; add to that the faint drip marks on both sides of the slide in the proper placement and appear correct, and the fact that the lines and edges appear sharp, would make me think it is original. Why only do the slide, when the rest of the gun is left alone? Likely not used much, and mostly stored in a holster. Maybe not cleaned often enough re: the condition of the bore after some firing, and corrosive ammo and primers. All in all a really excellent example.
you gonna give away a m134. how can i win. i'll give you a $1 if i win the m134.
Loved the video. I went and pulled my own P-38 from the safe to see what else I might learn about it. Mine is a AC 42 stamped and from the research on serial numbers it was made sometime in the late first quarter of 42. It has an f suffix serial number meaning it was the fifth time through the 4 digit serial number sequence. Going by the condition of the pistols in your video mine has very little wear to the overall finish and a deep brown patina on the front and back straps as well as a very deep brown patina in along the top of the slide when the finish was purposely made dull. My magazine does not have a serial number stamped in the bottom but it does have the P38 stamping in the side. I would love to see a second video on the production run P-38 and what little things were different than the first initial models.
The slide was definitely refinished
Would the rails in the slide show wear that match the pattern to the frame? No expert, just thinking of what more clues would be telling.
Exactly. Where two parts rub together they should leave identical wear patterns. If one has significantly more wear than the other that's a sign that the two haven't been mated together for very long, or else one part was refinished which turned back the clock on that part. If they don't match at all then one of the parts has been recently replaced.
@@DK-gy7ll that’s what I was thinking. The wear pattern and evidence of the finish matching.
It`s got me going , I suggest a video #2 to satisfy the ole nose.
There is not a single scratch of any kind on that slide, even 80 years of sliding this gun in and out of a leather holster once a year should have cause something.
Great video! Will definitely be using these tips in future P38 purchases
the Germans have an amazing ideal in past history for machinery.....
This pistol would be a good candidate for a 2nd video on the authenticity of things or parts. Further inspection and tear down maybe the sticking safety has a tell tale to if it is or not . It`s got me chattering like a cat at the window just out of curiosity.
The only part that stands out is that slide. It seems to be a different color on the sides than the rest. A warning sign could be that tight safety lever as well (refinish could made it tighter). Yes, it's well done, though.
Do spreewerks have a date indication on them ? My spreewerks is number 727 on receiver but 747 on barrel
No Spreewerks are not dated.
Great show my friend and thanks for the info 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Sad they put age limit on the new Walther video,just a historical item it is.
I have used an old saying or whatever you want to call it that clearly says "If it looks too good to be true then it isn't true"! That slide has been refinished! I have zero doubt about it. It looks too different from the rest of the gun and I think a real pro took a slide from another gun and made an AC No Date slide and put it on this gun! If this is the original slide then it was at least refinished! Thus making this firearm, not as valuable as it could be in all original condition!
looking at the depth of the numbers on the slide and compare them to the numbers on the frame it's obvious the slide has been polished and reblued
I agree. It seems obviously refinished. The fact it’s a high dollar item only gives it more credence.
We have a staff member over here that was a huge WWII German collector.
About 20 years ago he liquidated his collection after running across a guy who was successfully faking some higher end German stuff.
Without going into what he was faking, this individual successfully got some of his items into museums and reference materials.
This brought about a logical conundrum: what else is being faked he doesn’t know about?
Then the real scary thought: what if technology or data analysis changes and all these fakes become easily detectable? It would be a bloodbath.
The result is a hobby that goes from being fun and turns into a giant stressor. He got out and never looked back.
Regards,
Marky
The slide is original. Obviously it was refinished.
What a Gorgeous P38
What would be a price range for a pistol in this condition ?
Thanks for Showing Tom.
😎👍👌
Didn't he say $15K-$20K? (esp with two matching mags).
@@elultimo102
I'm not sure....
That 1 zero series the slide is cracked at the locking block cut
Another HOME RUN Tom ... Very good video and very educational Thank you. :)
Great video and leaning a lot of, thank you Tom , I will follow you on your RUclips , I got two p38 love them very much 👍👍😃
This pistol laid the foundation for the Beretta 92.
I like the mag glass you have. I'm 74 and getting one would help me a lot. Where can I purchase one?
Amazon
try walgreen's. i've seen illuminated magnifying glasses there. maybe harbor freight.
@@jessebianchi2631 Junk, yes. What about good quality ones? :)
@@deanfawcett2085 the sky's the limit. ask NASA.
Wow you are actually giving away some good stuff. Not just self promotional merchandise or something. I’m impressed 👍
Very interesting 🧐
Very good video! 👍 I wish I could afford one of these. But at least I can enjoy them through this channel!
Very informative and interesting video. Original or not, this gun is in very good condition.
What was the bluing process? It almost looks rust blued.
I know these early P38s have a "mirror" finish from the factory, whereas later in the war they had a non-polished finish.
By all indications, I would say that the slide is original because it was common for soldiers to wipe down the sides of the slide with a soft cloth more than any other part of the firearm thus buffing it shiny which is why there would be very little if any rust.
You should make a video of what you give away so you can get more patreons
I currently have 2 common but all-original ac P38's; one from January 42 (no letter suffix) and the other a 44 "e" suffix. Neither shows significant mechanical wear on internals, bolt face or rifling. I have to say each has a much better bore than your No Date unless it hasn't been cleaned. The other thing is neither has such an exaggerated "halo" effect on the front 2 stamps on the right side. The contrast makes them look "silvery". The bore and the stamps seem a little suspicious to me. Also, a rare No Date P38 is certainly more likely to be "enhanced".
Take the money when you get it.
Cool video
great stuff tom fascinating stuff
Fabulous no date AC!!
👍🙂
Excelente video Doctor Tom!!!!
To just think. My Father could have purchased a Walther P38 for $5 in 1946. A friend of his, who fought in the 82nd airborne, confiscated one from a German officer POW. My dad's friend needed money, so he offered to sell it to him for $5 (a modest amount of money in those days). My dad didn't have the money. (DAMN !!!)
That was some great info! Thank you
To think how much time it took to take apart every gun to inspect and stamp every little piece big enough for a stamp to fit.
Does anyone know, did the inspectors have some kind of go, no-go gauge for every part?
I have a ac41 a block captured at Berchtesgaden great comparison thanks Tom
Sounds like "Vaffenstomp" in English. Why is this so difficult?
Thank you!!
I’d like to think that the soldier who carried it was just anal retentive and was religious about the care of his sidearm and kept it mint. So it’s the real deal survivor. I hope.
Take the safety or firing pin out and look for old grease.
Can someone school me on the slide "drip mark".
Very informative 👍
if only 80 year old pistols could talk .
They can only say "click" or "Bang!"
I have a non-AC P38 with a date 1941. It's in good shape. It has all the NAZI stamps. All matching numbers but not a spare mag. The story is remarkable. My late father-in-law bought a house as an investment. He rented this house for 12 years to four different families. The day we were helping them move in after his retirement, he said there was a gun in that pouch. You can have it.
My FIL was a total anti-gun. I was shocked when I unzipped the pouch it was in. On top of that, it was not stolen by any of the renters. I did break the firing pin shortly after that, and Walther even repaired that. Still shoots great.
That would be great to run in 3 gun Tom!
While being cheaper and easier to produce than the Luger ,there were significant delays in getting the P-38'S ramped up to mass production . The 1942 and before all rare and of low production..A very fine video !!!
love it great information
its Megatron.
I own Walther P38 with no "AC" markings... It is Spreewerk (cvq) P38 made in August 1944 (serial nr. 9564S)
You mentioned one fact at the beginning of the video safety moving hard ? that could be where they messed up the safety Maybe not fitted properly I think the gun was faked
@Bass Slapper this gun is obviously a hamburger.
Surely they would get that correct if they went to such extraordinary lengths to get that finish on the slide itself.
taking out the safety lever and have a look is really no rocket science ... And there is no way of fitting it improperly. Only thing I have ever seen was one with a crack, still have it.
I laughed my head off when Tom said that the Germans added the “40” so that Tom would know when they were manufactured,
Nearly as funny as when the mailman arrived in the trenches in WW1 and said to the soldiers, “you will all be glad to learn that Frank Sinatra was born yesterday”
Well done Thomas, keep up the good work, and most of all, keep up that dry humour.
Cheers from Australia.