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p-38 AC43


Trigger Mike

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For my anniversary my wife and I went to a gun store I have not been to in a while. Buried on a shelf surrounded by lots of pistols as well as some on the shelf above was a hard to see P-38. The guy got it out and it is a Walther. All matching numbers, probably original finish as best I can tell and the magazine is properly coded E 359. After I got it home and cleaned it I noticed it rattles when you shake it. It sounds like the pin that you push to release the barrell from the slide to disassemble, but I can not be sure. I did pull a bullet and the primer went bang so it does work. Any ideas why the rattle and what, if anything I should do about it? It was 499.

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For my anniversary my wife and I went to a gun store I have not been to in a while. Buried on a shelf surrounded by lots of pistols as well as some on the shelf above was a hard to see P-38. The guy got it out and it is a Walther. All matching numbers, probably original finish as best I can tell and the magazine is properly coded E 359. After I got it home and cleaned it I noticed it rattles when you shake it. It sounds like the pin that you push to release the barrell from the slide to disassemble, but I can not be sure. I did pull a bullet and the primer went bang so it does work. Any ideas why the rattle and what, if anything I should do about it? It was 499.

as a side note, I noticed the pin you push to pull the barrell out of the slide seemed loose when I took it apart. Is that a concern?

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TM, take a look at this site - it'll help ya with the thing. Can't say for sure what the rattle may be, but check for a broken spring... And good on ya for a neat find~! ^_^

 

P-38

 

By the way, I gotta confess - when I clicked on this thread I honestly expected a discussion about an airplane or a can opener. :blush:

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TM, take a look at this site - it'll help ya with the thing. Can't say for sure what the rattle may be, but check for a broken spring... And good on ya for a neat find~! ^_^

 

By the way, I gotta confess - when I clicked on this thread I honestly expected a discussion about an airplane or a can opener. :blush:

:lol:

 

I worried some might think of the can opener. Those are getting expensive these days btw. I have one on 2 key chains. They are getting hard to find

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By the time your pistol was made, the slave labor was getting pretty sloppy with their work. Those guns rattle, but they usually shoot OK.

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Good price for a war model for sure.

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Good price for a war model for sure.

thanks. It spoiled me, I saw a Spreework today in the same condition for 899 and the best they would do is come down 50, so I walked away. A week ago I saw the same spreework and was thinking of buying it. glad I waited.

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At present I own 3 P38s, and have owned over 1/2 dozens over the year. They are very tight fitted pistols, and have never accounted a rattle. Though years ago at a gun show there was a P38 that was loose and did shake at the barrel. I asked the dealer if I might examine it, Yup! As you might know because of the short recoil of a P38, there are high stressed areas were the locking piece and barrel were slamming against the frame on recoil, causing cracks in frame, and the locking piece, (this slight crack, and wear, was causing a slight looseness and shake). A replacement "hexagonal" crosspin made from steel, kept free play at a minimumn, (they had recalls during the war). If you do have a rattle were you indicated, you might have a serious problem. Also as you might know the safety when put on, slams the hammer down, these have been known to crystalize, break down, allowing the firing pin to travel forward. MT

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At present I own 3 P38s, and have owned over 1/2 dozens over the year. They are very tight fitted pistols, and have never accounted a rattle. Though years ago at a gun show there was a P38 that was loose and did shake at the barrel. I asked the dealer if I might examine it, Yup! As you might know because of the short recoil of a P38, there are high stressed areas were the locking piece and barrel were slamming against the frame on recoil, causing cracks in frame, and the locking piece, (this slight crack, and wear, was causing a slight looseness and shake). A replacement "hexagonal" crosspin made from steel, kept free play at a minimumn, (they had recalls during the war). If you do have a rattle were you indicated, you might have a serious problem. Also as you might know the safety when put on, slams the hammer down, these have been known to crystalize, break down, allowing the firing pin to travel forward. MT

Come to think of it I have heard tell of some frames cracking on those. I also shook my Walther made in 41 and it does not rattle, but then went to another store and shook an older one and it also rattles. I will take a harder look at it.

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