Ogtree
Member
Unfortunately, I no longer own this rifle. I thought that those of you who did not see it on
Gunboards might be interested.
The rifle is an S/237 (Berlin Luebecker Maschinenfabriken, later duv) made in 1937. It's only non-matching features are its floorplate, follower and cleaning rod.
Note the first WaA on the reciever's left side. As clearly as regular and high-resolution medical photography can determine that WaA is WaA81. I have never seen another WaA81. When I asked several people, including Claus Espeholt, none of them had seen it either.
I would love to know if there are any more of these out there. Who and where was WaA81?
This was the first of several lessons I have had in the last three years insisting that I examine every historic weapon in great detail. A prize P.38 I had owned for years (#02007) was obviously one of at least 1600 in its series. Its milled out "480" code made it one of 20+. Late last year I received an e-mail from a member of the P.38 Forum who had seen and bid on #02005, the earliest P.38 of this series, with a regular extractor and a rectangular firing pin. He asked if mine had numbers and strikes indicating that the slide and barrel were originally "HP" parts, Walther's commercial version of the P.38. I thought "NO WAY!" but said I would look. Under 10x magnification the barrel number was revealed to have original been "2077". The first "7" had been overstamped with a "0". I am 60 years old and my eyes are not what they once were for close-up viewing! 10x helps!
I then checked the slide and the inside flat had a dim but definite "77" stamped there. The slide and barrel had been manufactured and stamped to be part of a Walther "HP". Why Walther took parts from "HP" production and used them for a new series of P.38 for the Heer is a story I would like to hear. The haste of the effort is also indicated by unfinished milling on parts of the frame.
If you think #02007 is a mis-match I can assure you that its matching numbered grip panels, matching numbered spare mag (#02007+) and even superb finish would take care of your doubts. My point is that this pistol had been in my safe for 10 years. I had looked it over many times. But, I never did it as thoroughly as I should have.
The bnz41 #1752a shown in the sticky here for Steyr is another example. I had never noticed the Polish/Radom Arsenal assembly marks on the left side of the receiver and, of all places, on the bottom of the bolt handle. The rifle has many more E/77 parts than I would have ever expected for a rifle that early.
Look! There is no telling what you may find right in your own gunsafe!
Ogtree
Gunboards might be interested.
The rifle is an S/237 (Berlin Luebecker Maschinenfabriken, later duv) made in 1937. It's only non-matching features are its floorplate, follower and cleaning rod.
Note the first WaA on the reciever's left side. As clearly as regular and high-resolution medical photography can determine that WaA is WaA81. I have never seen another WaA81. When I asked several people, including Claus Espeholt, none of them had seen it either.
I would love to know if there are any more of these out there. Who and where was WaA81?
This was the first of several lessons I have had in the last three years insisting that I examine every historic weapon in great detail. A prize P.38 I had owned for years (#02007) was obviously one of at least 1600 in its series. Its milled out "480" code made it one of 20+. Late last year I received an e-mail from a member of the P.38 Forum who had seen and bid on #02005, the earliest P.38 of this series, with a regular extractor and a rectangular firing pin. He asked if mine had numbers and strikes indicating that the slide and barrel were originally "HP" parts, Walther's commercial version of the P.38. I thought "NO WAY!" but said I would look. Under 10x magnification the barrel number was revealed to have original been "2077". The first "7" had been overstamped with a "0". I am 60 years old and my eyes are not what they once were for close-up viewing! 10x helps!
I then checked the slide and the inside flat had a dim but definite "77" stamped there. The slide and barrel had been manufactured and stamped to be part of a Walther "HP". Why Walther took parts from "HP" production and used them for a new series of P.38 for the Heer is a story I would like to hear. The haste of the effort is also indicated by unfinished milling on parts of the frame.
If you think #02007 is a mis-match I can assure you that its matching numbered grip panels, matching numbered spare mag (#02007+) and even superb finish would take care of your doubts. My point is that this pistol had been in my safe for 10 years. I had looked it over many times. But, I never did it as thoroughly as I should have.
The bnz41 #1752a shown in the sticky here for Steyr is another example. I had never noticed the Polish/Radom Arsenal assembly marks on the left side of the receiver and, of all places, on the bottom of the bolt handle. The rifle has many more E/77 parts than I would have ever expected for a rifle that early.
Look! There is no telling what you may find right in your own gunsafe!
Ogtree
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