Walther P38 P1

Question
I have a P38 P1 that I've owned for 8 - 9 years now and would like to know a little more about it, if possible?

It is a 9mm, black w/ black nylon/plastic grips.  The frame has the following on the left side:
260570, serial number I assume, and the Walther logo with "Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do." stamped on the left side and the slide/receiver has 570 (same side).  The barrel also has 570 stamped on it beneath the slide.

On the right side there are two matching stamps on the slide and the frame (appear to be crowns).  The stamps on the slide are towards the rear while ther satmps on the frame are forward of the trigger.  The slide also has the following stamped on it "CAI GEORGIA VT."  With "GERMANY" stamped right below it.

Anything special about it, or is just another P38?  It is in good to very good condition, normal wear, nothing else.

Answer
Jeffrey,

You have a postwar P-38 that was imported and distributed by Century Arms in Georgia, VT.  Georgia is way up in the northern part of Vermont, near the Canadian border.  

The notation about Carl Walther Waffenfabrik Ulm/Do refers to the location of manufacture (waffenfabrik).  Ulm is a city in Germany that was the location of the new Walther factory that opened in 1949.  The old Walther factory was located in Zella - Mehlis.  Any gun marked with Zella-Mehlis was a pre-war or wartime gun.  Any gun marked Ulm, was a postwar gun.    The crowns on the side and frame are 'proof marks'.  Essentially they are marks from the testing houses or 'proof houses'.  

Walther began manufacturing the P-38 again after the war starting either in 1956 or 1958 (there is conflicting info in the record) and continued to manufacture a version of it until the early 1990s.  In terms of the serial number, I can't find anything to give me an idea of the manufacture date.  There are some people on the P38 forums that might be able to help with that.  www.p38forum.com

I suspect that you have a basic shooter, nothing that is particularly collectable.  That should not interfere with your enjoyment of the gun however.

Hope this helps you out a bit...

Regards,

Doug Little