P38 Magazines and Grips; a Collectors Guide

P.38 pistol collectors often concern themselves with the smallest of details when evaluating a specific firearm. First and foremost seems to be ensuring that the serial numbers are matching on the frame, slide, barrel, and locking block. Another important issue to collectors is the condition and originality of the finish. Most P.38 collectors also want to make sure that their pistol has the correct magazine and the correct pair of grips.

With this book, we hope to provide that information. Grips are easily damaged and could have been replaced at some point in the pistol’s life; it’s also possible that the grips could have been accidentally or even deliberately switched. Magazines are easily lost and could have been switched or replaced many times over during the life of a pistol.

As you will see when you read this book, there are many possibilities and different areas to consider: subcontractor-manufactured parts, cross support from one factory to another, dates of an actual change order versus when the part first entered production on a regular basis, lack of rotation of old and new parts, transitional periods when both an older and newer part was overlapped, and as error variations of grips and magazines that exhibit machine and/or human mistakes.


The book contains 258 pages (85 colour) and has a softcover.

Some of the sections included are:

• A General Introduction to the P.38 Pistol
• The development and production processes of P.38 magazines
• Magazine marking and stamps
• Magazines produced between 1939 and 1945 at Walther
• Magazines produced between 1942 and 1945 at Mauser
• Magazines produced between 1942 and 1945 at ENM
• Postwar re-used and produced magazines
• Polymer plastic compounds in Germany and P.38 grip plates up to 1945
• Companies that produced grips for the P.38; classification according to the producers and materials
• Specifications of P.38 grips, classified according to producers and materials: Conclusions drawn by observing the chronological modification of their classification names
• Postwar P.38 grips and reproductions: an illustrated guide for collectors.

Also included will be easy-to-use charts to help determine which magazine(s) and grips are correct for the different variations of pistols, along with numerous drawings, blueprints, and photos.


price: 49.95 euro + shipping (NL: 4,15eu / International: 15,40eu )

Books can be ordered by sending an email to info@pistole38.nl

Overview of some pages from the book