Spreewerk P38 going rate
- Thread starter DogDoc
- Start date
DogDoc
Well-known member
Thank you! That is what I was thinking. I looked at a nice one yesterday but he wanted $1300 for it.
Tiger 2 Tank
Senior Member
It’s all based on condition. It will be higher if it’s a really nice one.
DogDoc
Well-known member
It's certainly not mint but it's pretty nice. I'll try to get some pictures next week.
Tiger 2 Tank
Senior Member
It would be a lot easier with photos. Also, there is a dedicated P.38 website at the following:
It should be in the ballpark of 1000
SVW1945
Senior Member
This Spree work just sold under 1000.00 on GB with holster. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/943309611
It really depends on a number of things...Spreewerk, just like Walther and Mauser have their rarer and more unusual variants.
~The first 500 or so Spreewerk pistols had Walther proofed parts (trigger, slide cover plate, magazine release, slide lock) and grips. When you can find one, expect to pay north of $3k is it is in decent condition and all matched.
~The NLS (no-letter-series) tend to draw much higher prices as well because they were made (the first 8k or so) in 1942. They will also sport Walther supplied grips. They are much more difficult to find than a 1942 dated Mauser P38 for example and the finish on most of them will rival anything produced by Walther and Mauser of the period. Around the later b-block of pistols, you will start seeing Posselt grips exclusively on Spreewerk pistols.
~The later war pistols will also draw more money. When Spreewerk ran out of letters of the aplhabet in 1945, they started putting the letters in front of the serial number (prefix-pistols). Those will draw more money as well (generally the $1500-2000 range). They only got as far as the b-prefix (and only about 5k of those as the Russians overran the factory).
~They also produced the Zero series. It was thought to be a separate contract and the serial numbers all began with a '0'. They also have completely different inspection proofing than the rest of the Spreewerk production. They are around $2k or more when you can find them. You'll also pay more if they have 'special-characters (E/F/R/L) on the slide.
~Additonally, there were Spreewerks manufactured with FN slides that will be stamped AC43 & AC44. Only about 1200 of these were thought to have been assembled. They are very difficult to find and have unique features (pantographed serial number on the slide for example). They are also part of the Zero series of pistols.
~Spreewerk also had about 500 or less pistols assembled with FN frames. These are also difficult to find and will generally draw north of $2k when you can even find them.
~There are also double-zero Spreewerks (only about 100 are thought to have been made). They were thought to have been made after the Russians occupied the plant, and their history is largely undocumented.
~Earlier Spreewerks that are better finished (usually up in through the b/c-block) will generally draw more money.
~A $1k pistol, 90% or better original finish, should be: all matching, no Russian dip, the correct magazine and grips (many times you see them being sold with incorrect magazines and wrong grips), between e-block and t-block would generally fit this price range. When the U-block showed up, they started using cog-hammers about 75% of the time. Spreewerk was the widest user of this style hammer until the end of the war.
So, in conclusion, there is a little more to Spreewerk than meets the eye. Pictured is pistol SN 215 with Walther parts and a Zero series pistol. The zero pistol is the only known Spreewerk with special characters on both the frame & slide (note that there is no standard E/88 proof, and the large 'U' final inspection proof has been overstamped by the SN).
~The first 500 or so Spreewerk pistols had Walther proofed parts (trigger, slide cover plate, magazine release, slide lock) and grips. When you can find one, expect to pay north of $3k is it is in decent condition and all matched.
~The NLS (no-letter-series) tend to draw much higher prices as well because they were made (the first 8k or so) in 1942. They will also sport Walther supplied grips. They are much more difficult to find than a 1942 dated Mauser P38 for example and the finish on most of them will rival anything produced by Walther and Mauser of the period. Around the later b-block of pistols, you will start seeing Posselt grips exclusively on Spreewerk pistols.
~The later war pistols will also draw more money. When Spreewerk ran out of letters of the aplhabet in 1945, they started putting the letters in front of the serial number (prefix-pistols). Those will draw more money as well (generally the $1500-2000 range). They only got as far as the b-prefix (and only about 5k of those as the Russians overran the factory).
~They also produced the Zero series. It was thought to be a separate contract and the serial numbers all began with a '0'. They also have completely different inspection proofing than the rest of the Spreewerk production. They are around $2k or more when you can find them. You'll also pay more if they have 'special-characters (E/F/R/L) on the slide.
~Additonally, there were Spreewerks manufactured with FN slides that will be stamped AC43 & AC44. Only about 1200 of these were thought to have been assembled. They are very difficult to find and have unique features (pantographed serial number on the slide for example). They are also part of the Zero series of pistols.
~Spreewerk also had about 500 or less pistols assembled with FN frames. These are also difficult to find and will generally draw north of $2k when you can even find them.
~There are also double-zero Spreewerks (only about 100 are thought to have been made). They were thought to have been made after the Russians occupied the plant, and their history is largely undocumented.
~Earlier Spreewerks that are better finished (usually up in through the b/c-block) will generally draw more money.
~A $1k pistol, 90% or better original finish, should be: all matching, no Russian dip, the correct magazine and grips (many times you see them being sold with incorrect magazines and wrong grips), between e-block and t-block would generally fit this price range. When the U-block showed up, they started using cog-hammers about 75% of the time. Spreewerk was the widest user of this style hammer until the end of the war.
So, in conclusion, there is a little more to Spreewerk than meets the eye. Pictured is pistol SN 215 with Walther parts and a Zero series pistol. The zero pistol is the only known Spreewerk with special characters on both the frame & slide (note that there is no standard E/88 proof, and the large 'U' final inspection proof has been overstamped by the SN).
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Very likely Russian dipped. You see the really black locking block pin and trigger springs? Spreewerk was the only manufacturer that frequently had lightly blued locking blocks and pins. However, they were not the dark black like you see here. And trigger springs were never known to have been blued. It has post-war serial numbered magazines (all three are typical East German/Czech style numbering...Spreewerk never numbered magazines) and the wrong grips. My belief is this was likely picked up and dipped by the Russians and later used by a comm-bloc nation post war before being imported here.
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Read the post I wrote above. This is a b-block, made around April of 1943, in decent condition. You won't have any idea if its worth anything until you find out if the locking block and barrel are correctly numbered. It has the wrong grips on it, and correct replacements will be $150+, when you can find them. Find out what magazine it has. It should only be Eagle/88 proofed on the lower spine. If the locking block and barrel do match, the condition of this one does not warrant a $1295 price tag, since the grips are mismatched at a minimum. If the magazine is correct, and if the rest of it matches, I'd say it's $1100. You need to find out more details before spending money on it.
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DogDoc
Well-known member
I appreciate the response. I felt like I could get it for $1100-1150. I just hate to buy something that I need to change without it being a good deal.
At $1100-1150 it's not a deal. Not in it's currect configuration. The grips that are on it look like the very late war Mauser grips (you won't know until you take them off and look at the inside). It's going to cost you more to put the right grips on it (when you can find them), than you'll be able to sell those for. And the magazine is another issue...if it is a common Mauser or Walther magazine, it will cost you more to replace it with a correct E/88 mag than you'll be able to sell the one thats in it for. You never know though...sometimes you get lucky with magazines. Some of the early E/88 stamped magazines also had E/88 marked small parts in them and those are very rare.
Bottom line, you won't really know what you have until you take this one apart and look at the components.
Bottom line, you won't really know what you have until you take this one apart and look at the components.
Tiger 2 Tank
Senior Member
The grips are easy. You can probably trade someone for the correct grips for those grips. But, like said above, hopefully the locking block and barrel matches up and it’s a decent correct mag. Like the grips, if the mag is wartime but not technically correct for this pistol, you can swap with another collector. Or, find the correct grips, find the correct mag and outright sell the grips and mag on this one.
A b block cyq is pretty neat as it’s an early one. I don’t see early ones like this very often.
A b block cyq is pretty neat as it’s an early one. I don’t see early ones like this very often.
mauser202
Senior Member
As it sits, I think $750 to $800 would be fair if all all else matches. It drives me nuts when a dealer gets all matching, correct, high condition price for something that doesn’t warrant the price due to one or more of those criteria not being true. It only encourages crazy pricing for thing that don’t warrant it. I would post a WTB on the forum and get what you want a a decent price.
