Real or Replica?

John Sabato · 01-06-2012, 05:35 PM

Any P.38 that shoots that well is a real keeper.

There used to be a saying about wartime P.38's back in the 1970's--- P.38's are like LIGHTNING! They never strike twice in the same place!

mastermo · 01-06-2012, 10:10 PM

"There used to be a saying about wartime P.38's back in the 1970's--- P.38's are like LIGHTNING! They never strike twice in the same place! "

---Lol.
All I can say the way I shoot is unorthodox.
Here for example the P38 has two recoil springs, one on each side to balance and control the recoil.
And my method is way different from the Isosceles stance i.e., weak and strong hand grip and held in the middle of the chest. My methods can be used for any handgun to get a controlled recoil to improve accuracy.

I worked in aerospace for 23 yrs. machining, research & development, production, and reworking most of the parts of turbine engines etc.

At any rate, I have shot w/ some friends that couldn't hold a 10' pattern at 10 yds, let alone the rest of the yardages. And at the end of the 2 days, 2" patterns@ 10 and 25 yds. And beyond that, they can kick my behind often. Darn-it I wish I hadn't showed them my methods,

Oh, btw, today a new friend from our forum (we coincidently met) used some of the methods and the first two shots were 1/2" apart, 2" from bulls-eye. And the third shot Bingo" --Bulls-eye.
M

mastermo · 01-06-2012, 11:24 PM

Nukem, Alvin, rhuff,
You guys have excellent guns, and I think it's not the gun or you why you are not getting better results. I just think that you haven't been exposed to different technics that might work better. There is no doubt in my mind that you could do better by changing technics.

Here's just one of the methods I used for griping my gun but first some info as to why.
The Luger has a stock lug that was figured, and they were correct, to be the center point of recoil so that it could be transferred to the/a shoulder stock.
1. So, point your index finger and place it beside the upper part of the trigger guard.

2. With left hand place grip of gun right in the middle between your rt. index finger and thumb to where it feels comfortable. The whole weight of the gun should feel comfortable too. This will help support the center point of recoil and lessen the push of the big thumb muscle.

3. For practice, aim the gun somewhere and look at the front sight. Squeeze your grip to, not light or strong, but firm medium pressure while looking at the front sight. If it moves left or right or up/down, your grip is incorrect. --Practice squeezing and releasing until it does not move. ---Doing this will free the gun from undo vectorial pressures/tensions of your grip.
Happy practicing this part,

M

mastermo · 01-07-2012, 12:27 AM

Oops,
Forgot to say what the left hand does, lol.
The pistol is mostly controlled by the right hand. The left hand is used as 'the cup and saucer.'
First, w/left hand you pull the hammer, not the rt. thumb, you don't want to loose the grip, then place the palm under the gun and under the rt. hand. Then the index finger point goes underneath the trigger guard. Here it is used as a fine tune on the elevation.
The left hand is only used to help with the weight of the pistol and to fine tune the elevation.
M

sheepherder · 01-07-2012, 08:25 AM

Manuel -

Please post some pics of your P-38. I also have a P-38 (as do most members here); it is a Russian capture/VoPo refurb. Mine was 'dipped' to refinish it. This is different from what your local re-bluer would do, as it was not buffed (no reason to). Mine was lightly 'dipped'; there have been reports/complaints here of a tar-like coating on some Lugers/P-38's refurbed by the Eastern Bloc rebuilding facilities, but mine is very nicely done. Some numbers have been XX'd out and new numbers stamped ("force matched" is the term used here).

As John mentioned above, the P-38 Forum [http://www.p38forum.com/] is a good source of information; Jan Still's site [http://luger.gunboards.com/index.php] is good as well. There is also the Walther Forum [http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/] which is another good site for enthusiasts.

mastermo · 01-07-2012, 03:18 PM

Hi Postino,
Mine has an X and no forced matching. It appears lightly dipped. The barrel and the internals are darker than the frame. Also no polishing. Check it out on the link I posted on the 5th post at the start of the topic. It also has the description the seller used.
Manuel

mastermo · 01-07-2012, 03:35 PM

Postino,
I just went and checked it, it is still there.
I did notice that the safety and the serrations are darker than the rest of the slide to the extend that it covered the 'S' and 'F' colors. It probably was lightly polished.
And.....
I noticed in the description that it mentioned the 'import marking' above the trigger, ....

This was the very question I asked for advice....duhhh.

Manuel

01-06-2012, 05:35 PM	#1
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,309 Times in 1,098 Posts	Any P.38 that shoots that well is a real keeper. There used to be a saying about wartime P.38's back in the 1970's--- P.38's are like LIGHTNING! They never strike twice in the same place! __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

01-07-2012, 08:25 AM	#5
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,208 Thanks: 1,425 Thanked 4,474 Times in 2,343 Posts	Manuel - Please post some pics of your P-38. I also have a P-38 (as do most members here); it is a Russian capture/VoPo refurb. Mine was 'dipped' to refinish it. This is different from what your local re-bluer would do, as it was not buffed (no reason to). Mine was lightly 'dipped'; there have been reports/complaints here of a tar-like coating on some Lugers/P-38's refurbed by the Eastern Bloc rebuilding facilities, but mine is very nicely done. Some numbers have been XX'd out and new numbers stamped ("force matched" is the term used here). As John mentioned above, the P-38 Forum [http://www.p38forum.com/] is a good source of information; Jan Still's site [http://luger.gunboards.com/index.php] is good as well. There is also the Walther Forum [http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/] which is another good site for enthusiasts. __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

01-06-2012, 10:10 PM	#2
mastermo User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	"There used to be a saying about wartime P.38's back in the 1970's--- P.38's are like LIGHTNING! They never strike twice in the same place! " ---Lol. All I can say the way I shoot is unorthodox. Here for example the P38 has two recoil springs, one on each side to balance and control the recoil. And my method is way different from the Isosceles stance i.e., weak and strong hand grip and held in the middle of the chest. My methods can be used for any handgun to get a controlled recoil to improve accuracy. I worked in aerospace for 23 yrs. machining, research & development, production, and reworking most of the parts of turbine engines etc. At any rate, I have shot w/ some friends that couldn't hold a 10' pattern at 10 yds, let alone the rest of the yardages. And at the end of the 2 days, 2" patterns@ 10 and 25 yds. And beyond that, they can kick my behind often. Darn-it I wish I hadn't showed them my methods, Oh, btw, today a new friend from our forum (we coincidently met) used some of the methods and the first two shots were 1/2" apart, 2" from bulls-eye. And the third shot Bingo" --Bulls-eye. M

01-06-2012, 11:24 PM	#3
mastermo User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Nukem, Alvin, rhuff, You guys have excellent guns, and I think it's not the gun or you why you are not getting better results. I just think that you haven't been exposed to different technics that might work better. There is no doubt in my mind that you could do better by changing technics. Here's just one of the methods I used for griping my gun but first some info as to why. The Luger has a stock lug that was figured, and they were correct, to be the center point of recoil so that it could be transferred to the/a shoulder stock. 1. So, point your index finger and place it beside the upper part of the trigger guard. 2. With left hand place grip of gun right in the middle between your rt. index finger and thumb to where it feels comfortable. The whole weight of the gun should feel comfortable too. This will help support the center point of recoil and lessen the push of the big thumb muscle. 3. For practice, aim the gun somewhere and look at the front sight. Squeeze your grip to, not light or strong, but firm medium pressure while looking at the front sight. If it moves left or right or up/down, your grip is incorrect. --Practice squeezing and releasing until it does not move. ---Doing this will free the gun from undo vectorial pressures/tensions of your grip. Happy practicing this part, M

01-07-2012, 12:27 AM	#4
mastermo User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Oops, Forgot to say what the left hand does, lol. The pistol is mostly controlled by the right hand. The left hand is used as 'the cup and saucer.' First, w/left hand you pull the hammer, not the rt. thumb, you don't want to loose the grip, then place the palm under the gun and under the rt. hand. Then the index finger point goes underneath the trigger guard. Here it is used as a fine tune on the elevation. The left hand is only used to help with the weight of the pistol and to fine tune the elevation. M

01-07-2012, 03:18 PM	#6
mastermo User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Hi Postino, Mine has an X and no forced matching. It appears lightly dipped. The barrel and the internals are darker than the frame. Also no polishing. Check it out on the link I posted on the 5th post at the start of the topic. It also has the description the seller used. Manuel

01-07-2012, 03:35 PM	#7
mastermo User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 49 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Postino, I just went and checked it, it is still there. I did notice that the safety and the serrations are darker than the rest of the slide to the extend that it covered the 'S' and 'F' colors. It probably was lightly polished. And..... I noticed in the description that it mentioned the 'import marking' above the trigger, .... This was the very question I asked for advice....duhhh. Manuel