..1943 Mauser P-38

hansfischer007 · 07-20-2012, 05:03 PM

For quite some time I have wanted to add a P-38 to my small Luger Collection.....I got in touch with Checkpoint Charlie who has a great website....talked to him at length about P-38s and he had one he recommended....a 1943 Mauser....that he had redone by a gunsmith friend of his.....it came in last thursday and it looks absolutely MINT.....all the markings are present...Waffenamts....and it is a real tack driver....only drawback is the right grip has small piece out of it so I'm on the lookout for a pair of the WW2 Brown/Red P-38 Grips..........so if anyone has a pair of the grips...I would appreciate it if you drop me a note.....heres a photo of my new BYF43 Hans Fischer

alanint · 07-20-2012, 10:27 PM

I like the gun, but I'm a little non-plussed by the statement "redone" and "absolutely mint".

If the gun has been redone, I would expect it to be "absolutely mint".

Edward Tinker · 07-20-2012, 11:12 PM

yes, i agree with alan, unless a heck of a deal, you can find an ac or byf original for around $800 or less

And Justin is a straight up guy, so no complaints there

Douglas Jr. · 07-23-2012, 08:31 AM

Hans,

The gun doesn't look redone (refinished) but with it tough to give any opinion based on the sole photo you posted. The question is what was redone?

Douglas

Sieger · 07-26-2012, 01:08 AM

Hi:

My byf 43 was anything but a tack driver!

Also, byf 43s are known to be slide crackers, mine for instance!

Nice looking pistol anyway!!

Sieger

hansfischer007 · 07-26-2012, 09:06 AM

As you guys know.....I recently became ....finally....the proud owner of a BYF43.....one that I had been looking for a long time...and now I see a note that "BYF43s are known to be slide crackers....at least mine was".......boy that sure takes some air out of your balloon when you see that......how many BYF43s did MAUSER make.?....over 250,000.? and they are "known as slide crackers.?"....maybe this guy used +P ammo...or submachine gun ammo.?..who knows...but to immediately come back with that comment.........Ive never seen a note before regarding slides cracking.......maybe its just me.....but when someone purchases something new......I have always offered good comments and congratulations rather than immediately start to disparage the purchase......but then Im an old Southern Boy and was always taught good manners...........so anyway.........weigh in guys..........however it turns out.....Im still proud of my BYF 43 Hans.

Ron Smith · 07-26-2012, 10:29 AM

Hans,

If it's refinished? It appears that someone did a nice job of it. It speaks to Charlie's good reputation. He could probably have passed this off as original.

I've never heard that any P.38 was more prone to cracked slides than any other. If you're going to shoot it? Just keep the ammo used, to specs. I've owned and shot many P.38s over the years, never had a cracked slide.

Mauser made 144,300 P.38s in 1943. Yours is a "p" suffix 2nd variation, 88,000 produced as per Mark Castell's web page.

Ron

lugerholsterrepair · 07-26-2012, 10:40 AM

Hans..Congratulations! Always good to get a dead on tack driver...I have had many pistols and I always keep those that shoot where you point them!

I have seen more than one of the French Manhurin pistols, P1's with cracked slides. I have also had a Mauser Luger with cracks all over the bolt and slide..so fine you had to look really hard to find them but they were cracks clear through.

Hey..it isn't cracked now so don't worry till it is..maybe never!

hansfischer007 · 07-26-2012, 11:14 AM

Thanks guys for your good replies to my post......once again you have proved that this is a Forum with Class........

rhuff · 07-26-2012, 04:31 PM

Hans,

You have a very nice looking P-38 pistol. I have owned an AC43 P-38 since the late 50s. I purchased mine from the person that brought it back from WWll. I got the well used over the shoulder holster with a German's name carved in it. Mine is not near as nice as yours, but I like it just the same. I wish I could shoot mine better, but I don't take it to the range that often, so I guess that I can't complain. Anyway, congtats on your new purchase.....oh, and by the way, I haven't seen any cracks in my slide, and I am very sure that my P-38 has been shot a bunch!!

Ice · 07-26-2012, 07:28 PM

Hans, I have an AC43 P-38 that i have shot several thousand round out of. Never had a problem. Some folks seem to focus on the negative side of getting a gun, particularly a military pistol. The positive side is that its fun to shoot unless its a rare collectible. We get these old military guns used and never know what kind of ammo has been shot out of them before we got them; their prior history can make them prone to breakage but thats a chance we take. I just use moderate powered ammo and enjoy the heck out of shooting a real piece of history. Have fun.

Charlie

07-20-2012, 05:03 PM	#1
hansfischer007 User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sunny Tennessee Posts: 233 Thanks: 509 Thanked 96 Times in 48 Posts	..1943 Mauser P-38 For quite some time I have wanted to add a P-38 to my small Luger Collection.....I got in touch with Checkpoint Charlie who has a great website....talked to him at length about P-38s and he had one he recommended....a 1943 Mauser....that he had redone by a gunsmith friend of his.....it came in last thursday and it looks absolutely MINT.....all the markings are present...Waffenamts....and it is a real tack driver....only drawback is the right grip has small piece out of it so I'm on the lookout for a pair of the WW2 Brown/Red P-38 Grips..........so if anyone has a pair of the grips...I would appreciate it if you drop me a note.....heres a photo of my new BYF43 Hans Fischer Attached Thumbnails

07-20-2012, 11:12 PM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,926 Thanks: 2,014 Thanked 4,523 Times in 2,089 Posts	yes, i agree with alan, unless a heck of a deal, you can find an ac or byf original for around $800 or less And Justin is a straight up guy, so no complaints there __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

07-26-2012, 09:06 AM	#6
hansfischer007 User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sunny Tennessee Posts: 233 Thanks: 509 Thanked 96 Times in 48 Posts	Southern Manners.& Slide Crackers As you guys know.....I recently became ....finally....the proud owner of a BYF43.....one that I had been looking for a long time...and now I see a note that "BYF43s are known to be slide crackers....at least mine was".......boy that sure takes some air out of your balloon when you see that......how many BYF43s did MAUSER make.?....over 250,000.? and they are "known as slide crackers.?"....maybe this guy used +P ammo...or submachine gun ammo.?..who knows...but to immediately come back with that comment.........Ive never seen a note before regarding slides cracking.......maybe its just me.....but when someone purchases something new......I have always offered good comments and congratulations rather than immediately start to disparage the purchase......but then Im an old Southern Boy and was always taught good manners...........so anyway.........weigh in guys..........however it turns out.....Im still proud of my BYF 43 Hans.

07-26-2012, 10:29 AM	#7
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hans, If it's refinished? It appears that someone did a nice job of it. It speaks to Charlie's good reputation. He could probably have passed this off as original. I've never heard that any P.38 was more prone to cracked slides than any other. If you're going to shoot it? Just keep the ammo used, to specs. I've owned and shot many P.38s over the years, never had a cracked slide. Mauser made 144,300 P.38s in 1943. Yours is a "p" suffix 2nd variation, 88,000 produced as per Mark Castell's web page. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

07-26-2012, 10:40 AM	#8
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,766 Thanks: 4,883 Thanked 3,121 Times in 1,432 Posts	Hans..Congratulations! Always good to get a dead on tack driver...I have had many pistols and I always keep those that shoot where you point them! I have seen more than one of the French Manhurin pistols, P1's with cracked slides. I have also had a Mauser Luger with cracks all over the bolt and slide..so fine you had to look really hard to find them but they were cracks clear through. Hey..it isn't cracked now so don't worry till it is..maybe never! __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

07-20-2012, 10:27 PM	#2
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	I like the gun, but I'm a little non-plussed by the statement "redone" and "absolutely mint". If the gun has been redone, I would expect it to be "absolutely mint".

07-23-2012, 08:31 AM	#4
Douglas Jr. User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: South America Posts: 948 Thanks: 598 Thanked 584 Times in 254 Posts	Hans, The gun doesn't look redone (refinished) but with it tough to give any opinion based on the sole photo you posted. The question is what was redone? Douglas

07-26-2012, 01:08 AM	#5
Sieger User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,575 Thanks: 2,124 Thanked 400 Times in 249 Posts	Hi: My byf 43 was anything but a tack driver! Also, byf 43s are known to be slide crackers, mine for instance! Nice looking pistol anyway!! Sieger

07-26-2012, 11:14 AM	#9
hansfischer007 User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sunny Tennessee Posts: 233 Thanks: 509 Thanked 96 Times in 48 Posts	BYF 43 comments Thanks guys for your good replies to my post......once again you have proved that this is a Forum with Class........

07-26-2012, 04:31 PM	#10
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,288 Thanks: 2,702 Thanked 971 Times in 716 Posts	Hans, You have a very nice looking P-38 pistol. I have owned an AC43 P-38 since the late 50s. I purchased mine from the person that brought it back from WWll. I got the well used over the shoulder holster with a German's name carved in it. Mine is not near as nice as yours, but I like it just the same. I wish I could shoot mine better, but I don't take it to the range that often, so I guess that I can't complain. Anyway, congtats on your new purchase.....oh, and by the way, I haven't seen any cracks in my slide, and I am very sure that my P-38 has been shot a bunch!!

07-26-2012, 07:28 PM	#11
Ice User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 552 Thanks: 13 Thanked 69 Times in 57 Posts	Hans, I have an AC43 P-38 that i have shot several thousand round out of. Never had a problem. Some folks seem to focus on the negative side of getting a gun, particularly a military pistol. The positive side is that its fun to shoot unless its a rare collectible. We get these old military guns used and never know what kind of ammo has been shot out of them before we got them; their prior history can make them prone to breakage but thats a chance we take. I just use moderate powered ammo and enjoy the heck out of shooting a real piece of history. Have fun. Charlie