Question
p.38 ac44
I would like value of this gun. All the serial numbers match 100% including the magazine. The gun is mint and appears to have never been fired. All the NAZI and manufacture proof marks sharp and crisp. The gun is extremely tight, to the point of making it almost impossible to disassemble/reassemble. Here is the problem, it is not blued, polished, plated, chromed, nickel, etc. Every part on this P.38 is in the white and polished to the point of seeing yourself in it like a mirror. Even the magazine inside is polished. Every square inch of the frame, barrel, sights, etc., inside and outside is mirror polished. I thought at first that it was plated or re-polished, but all the proof marks are like new, sharper than any others that I have seen and the parts all fit way to tight to have been polished or plated. There is zero play along the entire length of the barrel and slide. Here is the problem, every "expert" that I take the gun to states that Walter never made a white p.38, only blued and that someone had reworked the gun, but they are real quick to take the gun off my hands for $800 or $1000. I believe they are full of BS and just want to steal it from me. Believe this or not but according to the person I purchased the P.38 from, now deceased, he stated that he took it off a NAZI SS Battle of the Bulge Tiger tank officer at the end WW2. I have never seen another one like this one but there has to be something special about this p.38 to have gone through all that work to make this a show room perfect presentation gun. I have attached a photo for you. It's hard to show the detail because of the reflection. If you need more photos, let me know and I will send them. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
AnswerDave,
I have spent a lot of time researching this and have not been able to come up with anything on the 'mirror finish'. The AC41 was the last P.38 made with the 'military high polish' but that was a high polish blued gun.
Starting with the ac-42, the guns were all a dull blued finish. In fact, late ac-43 and ac-44 guns began to show very apparent tool marks as production quality was sacrificed for speed of production. The highest production rates of P.38s were in 1943 and 1944.
The serial number range on the 1 to 9999 with a letter code after the number, "a" thru "i". The serial number would give some idea if this gun falls into the correct range. It is hard to tell in the photo, but the proof marks on the right side of the gun are not as sharp as others I have seen. This might be consistent with the gun having been plated. That would also explain the 'tightness' since the addition of a layer of plating would make tolerances much closer that would usually occur in these pistols.
It would be interesting to see the left side of the gun to examine it for any other markings. If the barrel is marked 'fnh' that could increase the value. If the gun has an FN frame (marked with an "MI" or "E/140" that would also increase the value.
As it stands, a gun of this type without modification would be worth $750 to $800 in 98% condition. The gun dealers you have spoken with probably realize that the 'mirror finish' could make this interesting to an 'uninformed' collector. Most of the guys out there that really know their stuff on the P.38 would realize that this was most likely not 'original'.
If you could let me see pictures of the left side of the gun, I might be able to tell you more, but with the info that you have provided me, this is about all I can tell you.
Hope this helps you out...
Doug
