Early Spreewerk and Mauser P38

[Missourigunguy]

We just had our Missouri Valley Collector gun show here in KC over the weekend. Never disappoints. Each year I attend I always find something. This year I walked away with these 2 p38's.. Not entirely good deals but also, not easy to find guns.
First up is the Mauser 42.

 

[Missourigunguy]

Here is the next one. Early Spreewerk nls

 

[Gringo]

Very nice. Early Spreewerks (1942 manufacture) are certainly more difficult to find than 1942 Mauser P38s. They are my favorite of all my P38s. Now, here's a tip...that magazine the Spreewerk is sporting may have a hidden surprise for you. The E/88 only magazines are correct for that pistol, however, somewhere in the manufacturing process, an untold number magazines left the factory with the E/88 stamped higher up on the spine like yours. In some cases, those magazines in particular have E/88 small parts on the inside. Not always...but it is definitley worth checking out. Something less than 50 or so such magazines with the internal parts stamped have been documented and they have always been on the magazines with the higher strike of the E/88.

 

[Gringo]

You may also want to check the inside of the grips. The first 20,000 or so Spreewerks left the factory with Walther supplied grips. These are distinguished from the later Posselt grips by having 6-broken lines around the grips screw. In some cases, you will find them stamped E/359 on the inside. Post up pics of the inside of the grips and I can tell you if they are correct early ones (most likely given the condition of the pistol).

 

[AN-94]

Congrats on the P38s, definitely not easy to find nice 1942 P38s! @Gringo thanks for sharing such good information about early Spreewerk guns, didn't know about the shared grips from Walther

 

[Missourigunguy]

Very nice. Early Spreewerks (1942 manufacture) are certainly more difficult to find than 1942 Mauser P38s. They are my favorite of all my P38s. Now, here's a tip...that magazine the Spreewerk is sporting may have a hidden surprise for you. The E/88 only magazines are correct for that pistol, however, somewhere in the manufacturing process, an untold number magazines left the factory with the E/88 stamped higher up on the spine like yours. In some cases, those magazines in particular have E/88 small parts on the inside. Not always...but it is definitley worth checking out. Something less than 50 or so such magazines with the internal parts stamped have been documented and they have always been on the magazines with the higher strike of the E/88.

Would appear I have the proofs on the small parts as well.

 

[Gringo]

Yes. Those magazines were discovered over a decade ago by a P38 board member, and since then there have IIRC less than 50 have surfaced. Not all with the high spine proof are so marked, and often times people don't even know to look for them. Next you can look for one with what is believed to be the steel maker stamping still visible. You may want to acquire a standard E/88 proofed magazine and keep that one separate. They generally sell (when you can even find them) for about twice what a regular E/88 mag sells for.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Wow. You did well for sure. Nice early P.38’s.

 

[BigShell]

Very nice. Early Spreewerks (1942 manufacture) are certainly more difficult to find than 1942 Mauser P38s. They are my favorite of all my P38s. Now, here's a tip...that magazine the Spreewerk is sporting may have a hidden surprise for you. The E/88 only magazines are correct for that pistol, however, somewhere in the manufacturing process, an untold number magazines left the factory with the E/88 stamped higher up on the spine like yours. In some cases, those magazines in particular have E/88 small parts on the inside. Not always...but it is definitley worth checking out. Something less than 50 or so such magazines with the internal parts stamped have been documented and they have always been on the magazines with the higher strike of the E/88.

Well I'll be scrambling to get home and check my E/88 mag given this info! But I suspect you would have mentioned it when you offered it

 

[Missourigunguy]

You may also want to check the inside of the grips. The first 20,000 or so Spreewerks left the factory with Walther supplied grips. These are distinguished from the later Posselt grips by having 6-broken lines around the grips screw. In some cases, you will find them stamped E/359 on the inside. Post up pics of the inside of the grips and I can tell you if they are correct early ones (most likely given the condition of the pistol).

 

[Gringo]

Those are indeed the correct early grips for your pistol. The stamping in the top circle of both grips identifies them as early grips supplied by Walther for Spreewerk production. A completely correct and early production gun in fine shape.