Seller's Description:
LSB#: 160134WM51
This gun is being relisted because the previous high bidder believed the Kriegsmarine marks to have been Falsely stamped as per advice given on the lugergunbaords Forum during the inspection period. We are not experts in the area and encourage you to carefully examine the pictures. This pistol Sold at Rock Island in April 2007 (0lot #1556) as an original piece. We appreciate the advice and attention to detail, please note that the Kriegsmarine marks have been thought suspicious when bidding.
Make: Spreewerke at Hradek nad Nisou, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia
Model: P38
Serial Number: 2955X
Year of Manufacture: Dec. 1944 (http://pistole38.nl.server3.starthosting.nl/tech/P38ProductionDates.pdf )
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker lever.
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “cyq” and “2955 X”, which identifies this pistol as a Spreewerke Block X P38. The left side of frame is marked “2955 X” and with an “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt mark (Spreewerke). The right side of the slide is marked with two “Eagle / 88” marks with an Eagle holding a globe with Swastika in the center, and a “*”, signifying that the slide was a repairable reject. The right front of the trigger guard is marked with an Eagle holding a globe with Swastika, with an “M” on the left side and “III/3” on the right. The “M” is the mark of the Kriegsmarine and the “III/3” signifies the third Ordnance Department 3rd Marine Force Office. However, there is some doubt as to the authenticity of these markings. Some experts have indicated Spreewerke did not make P38s for the Kriegsmarine, while “http://historical.ha.com/itm/military-and-patriotic/-rare-wwii-navy-marked-p38-semi-automatic-pistol-by-spreewerke-cyq-with-holster/a/6070-431.s” indicates that on page 187 of “AXIS PISTOLS, VOL. 2” by Jan Still, Still estimates that less than 25 P38s were Kriegsmarine marked. Therefore, this is either a very rare pistol or the markings are fake. We do not have that book, so we can’t verify Still’s estimates. The left barrel flat is marked with “88” and “cyc”: these were both poorly stamped and should have been “E / 88” and “cyq”. The front barrel flat is marked “2955 /X”. The right barrel flat is marked “B I”. The lug on the bottom of the locking block is marked on the left side with an Eagle (the globe with Swastika is too faint to be read) and the right side with an Eagle / 88”. The left side of the lug at the rear of the barrel is marked with an Eagle holding a globe with Swastika”. The bottom of the locking block is marked “955 / . / X” 005 / m”.
Barrel Length: 4.9” or about 4 15/16”.
Sights / Optics: The pistol is mounted with a flat topped “U” notched rear sight dovetailed into the slide and a Patridge style blade front sight dovetailed into the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are reddish brown serrated plastic with a thumbrest on the left side. The grips show a few light handling marks. The grips rate in about Excellent overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: All Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is pronounced and sharp. There is no erosion.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 90% of its metal finish. There is thinning on the front strap, the front edge of the barrel band, the top of the front sight, and the edges of the rear sight, slide, frame, safety and slide release. There are a few light marks in the barrel (on its underside and on the right side near the frame) and several in the sides of the slide. There are also a few tiny dings in the right side of the slide, a light scratch and a few tiny marks below the safety on the left side of the slide and a small ding in the right side of the takedown lever. The serrations on the slide, hammer, slide release and takedown lever are sharp. The grip screw is sharp and the markings are clear except for those on the left barrel flat. Overall, this pistol rates in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The double action trigger pull is a little stiff, and the single action pull is crisp. The slide is tight to the frame. We did not fire this pistol.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a total of two blued magazines, a belt buckle, a black leather top flap holster and paperwork. Both magazines are marked low on their left side with an “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt. Both show minor wear and a few tiny marks in their floorplate, and are in Excellent condition. The buckle is aluminum with brass plating and measures 2” x 21/2”. There is a large Parteiadler (Nazi eagle) in the center marked around the border with “GOTT MIT UNS” at the top and with a wreath at the bottom. The back side of the buckle is stamped “R.S. & S.”. There is a short piece of leather attached to one end of the buckle marked with a Nazi Eagle over a Script “M” (Kriegsmarine mark) and with a markers mark of “R. SIEPER & SOHNE / LUDENSCHEID” with “1938” in the center. The buckle shows several light scratches and a few tiny dings. There is finish loss on the edges of the buckle and on eagle. The buckle is in about Fine condition. The holster has a magazine pouch sewn to its front surface and the top flap is sewn to the back of the holster, which forms a leather hinge for the top flap. There is a short leather strap sewn to the top flap and a steel escutcheon near its bottom edge with a slot in it. A square “D” ring is riveted to the outside surface of the holster and when the slot in the top flap is passed over it, the strap on the flap can be passed through the ring, securing the top flap. The back side of the holster is marked “CWW”, an “Eagle / WaA392” Waffenamt, “1943”, an Eagle holding a globe with Swastika over “M”, and at the top rear of the holster in large letters “P38”. The “CWW” and “392” Waffenamt refer to Carl Weiss at Braun-schweig, and is correct for 1942-1945. There are two thin belt loops sewn to the back of the holster and a pull strap sewn to the inside of the holster for aid in removing the pistol from the holster. The holster shows multiple handling marks with thinning on the top flap, the edges of the magazine pouch and the outside surface of the holster at the muzzle. There is a small scuff mark on the outside of the holster below the magazine pouch and a scratch in the leather of the top flap. The stitching is all intact, the markings are sharp and clear, and the flap hinge has no cracks. The holster is in about Fine condition. The bringback paperwork consists of an original “Captured Enemy Equipment Certificate” dated 5-15-45 and signed by Cpt. Frank Nelson of the 1st Army, showing that this pistol (model and serial number both included) and holster were the property of William Mikina. The certificate is in Excellent condition. Also included is a full description of this pistol, holster and buckle as listed on a Rock Island auction in 2007.
Our Assessment: The P38 occupies a significant place in history. It was the first locked breech pistol to have a single action/double action trigger. After the start of WWII, Walther could not keep up with the production required, and production was ordered to commence at both Mauser and Spreewerke in 1940. Spreewerke was slow in getting started, and their pistols were not accepted until late in 1942. By the end of the war, they had manufactured about 285,000 P38s. This is a Spreewerke P38 that was manufactured in December 1944 from its X block serial number. The pistol is in about Fine overall condition with about 90% of its original finish remaining. It shows thinning on the front strap and the edges of the slide, frame and sights. There are a few light handling marks and a few tiny dings on the sides of the slide. The grips show a very few light marks. The bore is bright with sharp pronounced rifling. All of the serial numbers match, but the right side of the trigger guard is marked with a Kriegsmarine acceptance mark. There appears to be some question as to whether Spreewerke made P38s for the Kriegsmarine, although Jan Still in his book “Axis Pistols Vol. 2” indicates that less than 25 were made for the Kriegsmarine – see reference above. Therefore, the Kriegsmarine markings are either a fake, or this is a very rare pistol. All of the serial numbers match and the pistol is marked with the correct proof marks. The pistol comes with a Kriegsmarine belt buckle, a total of two Spreewerke manufactured magazines and a black top flap holster, which is also correct. The belt buckle is brass plated aluminum and marked “GOTT WITT UNS” along with a Parteadler. The magazines and holster are marked with Waffenamts and the leather tab on the holder is marked with a Kriegsmarine acceptance mark. The pistol, buckle holster and magazines are all correct for a WWII Spreewerke P38. The gun comes with a WWII “Captured Enemy Equipment Certificate” dated 5-15-45 and signed by a Captain in the 1st Army. This package is a great find for the collector of P38s and of WWII pistols in general. We understand that there are doubts about the markings and not being experts in this exact area we choose to just present what is here and not weigh in. We do however find it odd that this was done to a bringback gun with papers... Puzzling...
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible handgun CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R's and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS'd. This does not apply to out of state residents.

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THIS AUCTION HAS CLOSED.