Is the Walther P38 German?
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Is the Walther P38 German?
Walther P-38 pistol. The Walther P-38 arguably supplants even the infamous Luger P. 08 as the definitive German pistol of the 20th century. Its development began in the early 1930s, when a cash-strapped German army looked to replace the elegant but expensive Luger.
Who designed the Walther P38?
Carl Walther
| Walther P38 | |
|---|---|
| Designed | 1938 |
| Manufacturer | Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, Mauser Werke, Spreewerk |
| Unit cost | 30 (32) RM (1943) equivalent to €120 in 2017 |
| Produced | Walther P38 1939–1945 Pistole P1 1957–2000 |
What replaced the Walther P38?
It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942….Walther P38.
| P38 | |
|---|---|
| Wars | World War II Portuguese Colonial War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1938 |
| Manufacturer | Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, Mauser Werke, Spreewerk |
What’s the difference between a Luger and a P38?
The Walther P. 38 employed a much simpler design, with fewer moving parts and potential for quick field repair. The cost to produce the gun was about one-third less than the Luger. The design was so successful that is it is still used today.
Is the Walther P38 a good gun?
Tough and raw-boned, it doesn’t lure you to it with a perfect single-action trigger release. But out in the mud and dirt-soaked world of wartime combat, it certainly earned its place as one of the great pistols of our time.
What gun did German soldiers use?
The P8 model (9×19 mm) is the standard handgun of the Bundeswehr, while the P12 model (.45 ACP/11.43×23 mm) is used by the Special Forces.
Is the Walther P38 good?
Is Walther P38 still in production?
The last commercial P38 pistol was manufactured in the year 2000. Technical Description: The Walther P38 is a short-recoil operated, locked-breech pistol.
Is P38 a good gun?
When was the Walther P38 made?
1940
The Carl Walther Company began development of a new military pistol in the mid-1930s to replace the WW I Luger design. In 1938, the Werhmacht adopted Walther’s design and called it the “Pistole 38.” The pistol went into full production by mid-1940 and became standard issue in the World War II.
What does P38 stand for?
can opener
One is that soldiers called it the P-38 because it could open a can faster than the P-38 Lightning fighter plane could fly. A more likely explanation is that the “38” comes from the length of the can opener, which is 38 millimeters (or 1 1/2 inches).
Why did Germany not like shotguns?
The German government decried the use of shotguns as inhumane, stating, “The German Government protests against the use of shotguns by the American Army and calls attention to the fact that according to the law of war, every U.S. prisoner of war found to have in his possession such guns or ammunition belonging thereto …
What happened to the Walther P38?
And that’s what happened with the Walther P38. Mauser was making Luger’s. We all know that Mauser Luger throughout World War II. They stopped production in 1942. BYF was the code for the Mauser Factory and so they’re kicking out these Luger’s.
Why did Germany not replace the P38 with the P08?
German tank crews first carried the P38 during the Polish Blitzkrieg of 1939. Wartime demand was so high that despite three factories producing over a million P38s, Germany was not able to completely replace the P.08 before the war was over.
Why was the p38 so much more powerful than the Luger?
But that’s the overall operation for the P38. All the military guns shot a 9-millimeter Luger round and it had less moving parts than the Luger. It was by many seen as an improvement and the most important part was that they were a lot cheaper to produce.
Is the Walther P-38 a good combat handgun?
The history of combat handguns is replete with examples of guns that have earned either praise or condemnation. One pistol that has earned almost unanimous respect is the Walther P-38.