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P.38 Odd Grips - Help Identifying

Oldnrth

Oldnrth

Well-known member
Acquired a AC44 P.38 - was a descent price so I couldn’t help myself... I know, I know ... anyway. Took the gun apart matching Walther coded magazine, however the grips have absolutely no marking on the inside. Appear bakelite looking material, especially the top where they were cut/molded on my other P.38 and ones I’ve had in the past, any ideas?

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Slash said:
That's exactly what they are ......
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Would it be common to have late war Mauser grips on a Walther P.38? I should say would this be production or something that was switched out during/post war?

I haven’t seen a set like these before, not being marked that is, are these an uncommon grip?


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Thank you for the help - within the last two years have made my transfer from militaria edged weapons, medals, etc (collected for 15 years( over to Firearms, mainly pistols. Starting over from scratch it takes a lot to memorize and find all the different nuances and what it correct/not correct, this group has been very helpful!


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Before you go swapping grips, let’s see the pistol to make sure they aren’t the correct grips for it. There are ac44 Mauser made guns.


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mrfarb said:
Before you go swapping grips, let’s see the pistol to make sure they aren’t the correct grips for it. There are ac44 Mauser made guns.


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Click to expand...

Obviously not mint - the guy I bought it from is a “Junk Man” who flips stuff. He gave me a story, no reason to lie but trust what you can see not what you’re told. Not the nicest, but numbers matching and certainly a decent example.
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How about a closeup if the frame Waffenamt? It is a Walter Gun.


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FN made frame, E140 stamp! Nice and less common than a standard AC44.

The pistol would not have left the factory with those grips though.
 
mrfarb said:
How about a closeup if the frame Waffenamt? It is a Walter Gun.


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Click to expand...

Attached above - yeah the 359 is supposed to be walther I thought. The 140 on the frame, is that walther as well?


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Oldnrth said:
Attached above - yeah the 359 is supposed to be walther I thought. The 140 on the frame, is that walther as well?


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Click to expand...

FN supplied frames and slides to the P38 manufacturers. FN made then Walther assembled.
 
ugafx4 said:
FN made frame, E140 stamp! Nice and less common than a standard AC44.

The pistol would not have left the factory with those grips though.
Click to expand...

So have done a little digging on these now and used the grip site you provided as a resource, Polymide 6, I believe is what they are called, these would be a type I variation. A quick google yielded some “worthpoint” listings and had the below info on these type of grips.


“These grips were common on Mauser P.38s from mid-1944 until the end of WW II, rarer on Walther ac44 and ac45 P.38's.... These grips were made of a softer type of plastic & are not as rigid as the bakelite they replaced”

They referenced the book “P.38 Magazines & Grips-A Collector's Guide” published in 2011, going to try to track down a copy of the book. If their research is correct it appears to point this could’ve been on an AC44.


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Might be Polyamid-6 Grips, ok for late Mauser and some AC’s. I suspect they may be armorers grips for almost anything as well .
 
I have a pair of these on a mid-1943 AC bring back which is why I suggested they may have also been used as armorers replacements.
 
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