~ German, WW2 1942 Walther P38 Semi-Automatic Pistol by Spreewerk (CYQ) and Post-War Holster, Deactivated Old Spec ~
The P38 was developed as a successor to the Luger P08, which was technically complex and costly to produce. Series production began in 1939, and it soon became the standard service pistol of the German Army, manufactured by three major companies: Walther (AC), Mauser (BYF), and Spreewerk (CYQ).
As the war intensified, demand for P38 pistols surged beyond what Walther alone could supply. Spreewerk became the third manufacturer to start producing P38 pistols, beginning at the end of 1942.
Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH had factories in Spandau, Germany, and Grottau (now Hrádek nad Nisou) in what was then Czechoslovakia, and played a key role in P38 production.
Our Example is serial numbered 7380 and, as can be seen in the pictures, has matching numbers and the correct Waffenamt inspection stamps.
It comes with its deactivation certificate, dummy rounds, inert rounds, a copy of the manual and a post-war holster.
~ Production & Serial Numbers ~
Production started with the assigned code CYQ in June 1942. CYQ P38s were serialized starting with number 1 and produced in blocks of 10,000. After 10,000, the numbering restarted at 1 and a suffix letter was added — A, then B, and so on.
Based on the information already found, Spreewerk serialized in blocks of 10,000 with suffix letters. Serial 7380 (no suffix letter) would be in the very first block (1–10,000), which was the earliest production run. Serial 7380 with no suffix letter places it in the very first block of Spreewerk production (1–10,000, no letter suffix).
The Spreewerk production chart shows that the no-letter-suffix (NLS) block ran from June 1942 through into early 1943, with serials 4001–7000 being produced in August 1942.
So serial 7380 would date to approximately August–September 1942 — right at the very beginning of Spreewerk's P38 production, making it quite an early example. The no-letter-suffix block started in June 1942 and ran into January 1943.
It's worth noting that Spreewerk pistols lack a date stamp on the slide (unlike Walther and Mauser examples), but can be dated to the approximate month of production by the serial number. So while we can't pin it down to an exact month with certainty, late summer 1942 is the most likely window for serial 7380.
~ The Final Months ~
In February 1945, a pistol with serial number 10000z was produced, exhausting all suffix letters. Spreewerk began recounting using prefix letters instead. Two months later, a new "zero series" numbering system was introduced, before the Russian army conquered the factory. Around 100 more pistols were produced under Russian control before the factory was dismantled. Pistols made under Russian control carry serial numbers starting with "00" and are known as the "double zero series."
~ Condition ~
This Mauser P38 is in excellent condition, packed in grease. Deactivated to old spec it cocks and dry fires. The holster is in good condition with all stitching intact. Please see the photographs as part of the condition report.
