The Germans did not even start work on what became the P38 until 1935. A crash program, they had a final form in 1938 and were building guns in 1939. Had to wait until 1940 to issue, the holster makers were slower to get going.
gs.
If you are implying that the concept of a firing pin block did not exist until the Germans created it out of thin air, in 1935, such should be backed up with research like a patent search. Google's patent search engine is cumbersome, chaotic, and finding something is more happenstance than anything else, but I did find that Pedersen was creating patents with firing pin safeties, though I am sure, given day's and years of searching, I would find an exact firing pin block patent. But this is what Pedersen is filing around 1919 to 1922
J. D., PEDERSEN,
Firearm 1,410,268, Patented Mar. 21, 1922.
text additionally found in patent 1,410,269.
Also, when the firearm is provided with a main slide comprising a firing-pin, to pre vent discharge of the firearm by locking the main slide of the firearm to prevent effective contact between the firing-pin and the cartridge, so that action of the firing member or hammer on the cartridge will not explode the cartridge
If Pedersen is creating patents which prevent incidental, or accidental contact between the firing pin and primer, then it can be certain, that
"this was "something in the air". Did Swartz just come up with his firing pin block on 1 Jan 1937, and then only patent it that year, or did Swartz see enough accidental drop discharges of 1911's through the years to have been working on it well before then?
I am also quite certain the Germans incorporated a firing pin block in their service pistol because the Germans have a more safety oriented military culture. Unlike the Allies, who were extremely wasteful of the lives of the soldiers, the Germans always knew they had a limited manpower pool, and could not win a war of attrition by trading bodies. This is very evident as they were the only to issue parachutes to their WW1 fighter pilots, built massive, highly protective trench shelters, etc. And I would claim, they decided they wanted a pistol that would not remove soldier's through accidental drops. And I claim, firing pin blocks had been invented, probably by the 1880's, if only I could find the patent. Virtually ever mechanical firearm feature had been patented before 1900, the problem is, finding the patent!