Walther P1-I need to know

[The_Antibubba]

It looks like I'll be able to buy a P1 soon, and I've always liked them, but I'm looking for feedback about them. Like, Getting parts and magazines, persistent problems, how it shoots, etc. I've heard the DA trigger is really heavy, so are there fixes, aftermarket options, and doodads? Are some, most, or all parts swappable with the P-38? What about magazines? Is it picky about ammo?

Stuff like that. Thanks

 

[Onmilo]

Parts are fairly abundant.
Frame parts from the standard, steel frame P-38 models will interchange with anything on the frame of the P-1.
Slide/barrel assemblies will interchange on either gun but parts from the slide of a P-38 are different than the parts on a P-1 slide assembly.
Magazines are easy to find and abundant but fairly expensive, $30.00-$40.00.
Avoid all aftermarket magazines, you will save a few bucks and have nothing but aggrevation for your thriftiness.

The double action is heavy on these guns but so what.
They were developed in an era when the trigger cocking feature was meant to be used in a really up close and personal gunfight situation.
Anything else, the manual suggested that the shooter thumb cocked the hammer first and fired the pistol as a conventional single action first shot.

All P-38/P-1 pistols I have ever fired, and I have fired more than a few, every one has been sufficiently combat accurate, i.e. all were able to hold 3"-5" group on paper at 25 meters.
Many have done much better and I have found Geco 9mm hardball to be the most accurate cartridge in the majority of the pistols.
Geco has also been 100% reliable in all the pistols it was tried in.

My personal P-1 is reliable with all hardball ammunition and with my favorite hollowpoint which is the Federal 115 JHP.

Buy the pistol, you will like it if you like German handgun designs. I do.

 

[Roadkill]

I've had five P38 variants, one was a Walther commercial post war P38, two were P1s, two I currently have are war era P38s. One is a Walther AC 44, the other a BYF Mauser 43. Main difference is the alloy frame on the P1s, all functioned very well when using 115g fmj. Accuracy is good but not great. If you are planning on doing a lot of shooting might to get a P1 with the frame reinforcing pin. Lube the rails with a little grease, make sure the top plate is really locked down.

rk

 

[Sactown]

I have one. The DA is heavy. SA is acceptable, but there is some trigger slap. It's accurate enough.

 

[Moonclip]

Do a search, much info and mine has been reliable with hp ammo and pro mags surprisingly.