Opinions needed: What happened to this P-38?

CJS57 · 04-13-2013, 08:59 AM

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.

04-13-2013, 08:59 AM	#19
CJS57 User Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 224 Thanks: 0 Thanked 81 Times in 41 Posts	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.