*German, WW2, P.38 Pistol – Spreewerk (cyq), Waffenamt marks (Eagle over 88), Matching Numbers 9880 T, Old Specification Deactivation*
An original German World War II P.38 semi-automatic pistol, manufactured by Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH, coded “cyq”, and retaining clear wartime inspection stamps. The pistol is deactivated to UK old specification, complete with a Birmingham Proof House deactivation certificate. The slide is marked P.38 / cyq, with matching serial number 9880 t visible on the frame, slide, and barrel assembly, confirming correct factory matching. The pistol retains its original ribbed brown Bakelite grips, correct profile hammer, and wartime finish showing honest service wear consistent with late-war manufacture. Waffenamt inspection marks are present, including the correct Eagle over 88 (WaA88), the inspector code assigned to Spreewerk’s Grottau production facility.
Deactivated to UK old specification and accompanied by an original Birmingham Proof House certificate. The barrel, chamber, and internal components have been rendered permanently inoperable in accordance with the legislation in force at the time of deactivation. Waffenamt stamps remain intact and visible.
Historical Note:
The Walther P.38 was adopted by the German Wehrmacht in 1938 as the standard replacement for the ageing Luger P.08, offering markedly improved safety, reliability, and ease of manufacture. It was revolutionary as the first widely adopted double-action/single-action military pistol, a design that would go on to influence numerous post-war service pistols, including the Beretta 92 and later SIG Sauer series. Wartime production was undertaken by three principal manufacturers: Walther (code “ac”), Mauser (codes “byf” and later “svw”), and Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH (code “cyq”). As Allied bombing intensified, German arms manufacture was increasingly decentralised, with Spreewerk emerging as a major producer from 1942 onwards. By the mid- to late-war period, P.38 production was at its height, with large numbers issued monthly across all theatres of combat, from the Western Front to the Eastern Front.
Spreewerk pistols are identifiable by the manufacturer code “cyq” (with some later examples marked “cvq”) and by their distinctive machining and finish, particularly on late-war examples. The Eagle over 88 Waffenamt stamp confirms inspection at the Spreewerk facility at Grottau (now Hrádek nad Nisou).
Serial number 9880 t falls within the “t” suffix block, which is widely accepted by collectors as dating to August–September 1944, a period characterised by increasingly simplified finishing but continued functional quality. By late 1944 production would progress through the X and Y blocks before the collapse of German arms manufacture in early 1945.
*Condition*
The pistol presents in very good overall condition for a late-war Spreewerk example. The pistol cocks and dry fires and the magazine can be removed. Finish shows wear and age patination consistent with wartime service and subsequent storage. Grips remain intact with no major cracks. Markings, including P.38, cyq, serial number 9880 t, and Eagle/88, are clear and legible. Deactivation cuts are visible internally and at the muzzle, as expected for old specification examples. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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