BYF 44 Q block P-38

[nhowe92]

Finally picked up my post deployment gift to myself, an all matching 1944 Mauser produced BYF P-38. Out of the four pistols this seller had to choose from this one hit the sweet spot for me with brown bakelite grips, Wartime production, and being a byf as my K98s and Luger are also Mauser produced. From what I’ve read this year 120k P-38s were produced making it one of the most common found and in this series the transition to E135 waffenamts completed. Has what appears to be initials as well as unit stenciled on the side, when I looked it up it brought up the US Army 2nd Battalion, 18th Artillery Regiment, which spent about 10 months fighting in Europe starting on D-day, during which point I believe this might have been captured.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

It also has the mixed proofs on the slide! e/135 and e/WaA135.

 

[korea1950]

Mixed proofs make it more valuable to a collector. The magazine on the 1944 pistols normally should have a "P38v" stamping, but who knows what magazines they had in the factory for placing in this pistol at that production time. The stamping on the spine E/135 or E/WaA135 which I cannot see will tell if this is a Mauser magazine, but if it has a E/359, it is a Walther magazine.