Why did they call it a P38?

[2ifbyC]

To illustrate how our national debt is affecting our purchasing power, here is an ad for some popular guns taken from a gun magazine. Note the P38 could be had for $42.50 and the Luger for $59.85.

Now all I need is a time machine to go back to pick up a stockpile for resale in today’s market.

The month/year you ask? Not that long ago: 069110


BTW: Date is read right to left.

 

[Prosser]

Like most 9mm, I didn't like it, and sold it. It was light, alloy frame, and not very accurate.
It was a copy of a combat pistol, and, it shot like one.

The Browning HiPower was a far better pistol, and it wasn't great, either, accuracy wise.

1911's won my heart.

Funny part is new, IIRC it was around 500 dollars in 1970's dollars.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I got a P38 on my keychain and a P51 in the silverware drawer. It may take thirty or forty strokes to open a can with the P38, but it sure doesn't take fifty to open a can with the P51. In fact it takes less strokes than with the P38. Measuring the two, the P38 is 38mm long and the P51 is 51mm long. Hmmmm. I wonder.......

 

[Carl N. Brown]

$40.00 for a Broomhandle Mauser C96. That $40.00 in 1960. adjusted for inflation, was the equivalent of $297 today. Still not a bad price for a C96.

 

[Fishslayer]

So, we sit down for dinner, in the heat, and with c rations.

Trade ya my sketti for that beef w/spiced sauce!

 

[Mp7]

very amusing thread. i got one of those p38s. the american one.

didnt know it was a legend

 

[tipoc]

A few quick points...

When Walther first introduced the reworked version of the gun to the German military for possible adoption Walther called the gun the Model HP for Heeres Pistole for "Service Pistol". These early versions are highly collectable guns today and some found their way to the civilian market. The name did stick around some. These guns were the all steel version of the gun.

When adopted by the German military, as we know, it was the first da/sa gun adopted by any military in a service caliber. It received the designation P38.

In the postwar period an alloy framed version was introduced and was called the P1. As was the case Walther had these manufactured in France at the Manurhin plant and trucked across the border to their plant in Ulm for assembly. This is why a fella may see P1s with both Walther or Manurhin names on the slides.

tipoc