Opinions needed: What happened to this P-38?

[CJS57]

The slide bridge was bent like that, on purpose, by a soldier, in the field, to try to tighten the barrel slide fit and so improve accuracy. Fairly common to see the same situation on GI 1911 45's, they squeezed the slide in a vice. The OP's gun was not used to pry something. Good idea, but using the barrel to pry would have also bent the slide/barrel rails below, which they are not. What happened was a bar or tool was used to bend the bridge up and back. The barrel was removed, the slide reassembled onto the gun and the tool was used. Look inside the very top apex of the bridge, I guess you will see a mark where the tool bore on that point.

[Shadowsix]

Originally Posted by CJS57

The slide bridge was bent like that, on purpose, by a soldier, in the field, to try to tighten the barrel slide fit and so improve accuracy. Fairly common to see the same situation on GI 1911 45's, they squeezed the slide in a vice. The OP's gun was not used to pry something. Good idea, but using the barrel to pry would have also bent the slide/barrel rails below, which they are not. What happened was a bar or tool was used to bend the bridge up and back. The barrel was removed, the slide reassembled onto the gun and the tool was used. Look inside the very top apex of the bridge, I guess you will see a mark where the tool bore on that point.

So does that mean that the tiny crack on the right front of the slide was an eventuality. I wouldn't think that whoever (and however long ago) that the crack was peened would've stabilized it but I did get 500 rounds with almost no issue.

I wonder if the 500 rounds I put through it reopened the crack some and that's why it is more noticeable. I didn't see it when I bought it (just the bend in the slide front arch) but it may have been the light at the gun show & my desire for an inexpensive shooter that overlooked it?