[Guest]

Here are some pictures of a P38 I aquired from a cousin that passed away. He brought it and some others back during the war.
This gun looks and shoots like new.
Comments welcome on what it is and what condition is like.

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[Edward Tinker]

byf 43, mauser, made in 1943. Another nice gun, (however, I do not know enolugh about them to know what should be blue and what shouldn't). P38's shoot and shoot, or at least the couple I have owned have.

Ed

PS; for the next 2 weeks I am in the Bensalem, PA area...

 

[Guest]

I had to look up Bensalem, its the opposite corner of Pa. In the middle of Philadelphia. I'm 80 miles SE of Erie.

The gun is in very nice shape and does shoot incredible.

 

[Edward Tinker]

okay, I thought I'd throw that out there; I met up with a collector friend recently, we found out we were 5 miles away from each other (I have been on a contract job the last 5 months), and he didn't know I was in town and I didn't know he lived here.

The p38 is a nice gun and it appears your cousin picked wisely. You might want to find a "shooter" p38, if this one is as nice as it appears.

Ed

 

[Guest]

I feel sorry for you being in the city of bloodtherly love. If you ever get to the nice part of the state look me up.

 

[Edward Tinker]

I am a mile or so from the city border and this is a nice suburb town, with work only 3 miles away. I've had much worse assignments.

Ed

 

[Frank]

Taxi, very nice looking P.38!! Your pistol is somewhat unique. It has an early type frame design and a late type slide design. It is called a transition model between the first and second 43 byf variations. I have seen a few in the F-Block and mostly in the G-Block, but srill hard to find. Congratulations!!!

 

[tague]

@Frank,

can you tell me the differences in the variations?

Günter

 

[Ogtree]

tague,

The variations Frank mentioned concern the change from the early frame, with a flat milling where the trigger exits the frame, to a reinforced rounded support for the trigger pin where the trigger exits the frame, and from the early slide with a large and small extractor cut to the later large single extractor cut. (I am at the office or I would post two pistols for comparison.)
These are very desirable and, based on my only finding one in ten years (ac43 #9237f)!) rare.
Thank you for your very fine web site!

Ogtree

 

[Mark]

Here are some photos

http://www.p38guns.com/AC432nd.htm

Mark

 

[tague]

Ogtree, Mark

thanks for clarification and the good pics.

Günter

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone! This collectable stuff is all new to me.

So this is a transition model between the first and second 43 byf variations. Does anyone know how many transition models in this varient was built. I take it that would add to its value?

The more I look at this gun the more I can't believe the condition its in, like it was hardly shot or carried.

 

[Frank]

Taxi, I really don't believe there are any records of these transition 43 byf Pistols.

Variation 1, Early Frame, Early Slide show up in the G-Block
Transition 1, Early Frame, Late Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Transition 2, Late Frame, Early Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Variation 2, Late Frame, Late Slide, some in F & G Blocks, but mostly in the H-Block.

Each Block consists of 10,000 Pistols (really 9,999), but whose counting? So a guess, and it's really a guess, is about 5,000 Transition 43 byf Pistols.

To a Mauser P.38 Collector it has added value. To most, it's just another 43 byf. I own one of each of the 43 byf variations and my two transition pistols are both in the G-Block

 

[Frank]

Taxi, I really don't believe there are any records of these transition 43 byf Pistols.

Variation 1, Early Frame, Early Slide show up in the G-Block
Transition 1, Early Frame, Late Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Transition 2, Late Frame, Early Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Variation 2, Late Frame, Late Slide, some in F & G Blocks, but mostly in the H-Block.

Each Block consists of 10,000 Pistols (really 9,999), but whose counting? So a guess, and it's really a guess, is about 5,000 Transition 43 byf Pistols.

To a Mauser P.38 Collector it has added value. To most, it's just another 43 byf. I own one of each of the 43 byf variations and my two transition pistols are both in the G-Block

 

[Scutter]

Taxi, I really don't believe there are any records of these transition 43 byf Pistols.

Variation 1, Early Frame, Early Slide show up in the G-Block
Transition 1, Early Frame, Late Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Transition 2, Late Frame, Early Slide, F-Block, but mainly G-Block
Variation 2, Late Frame, Late Slide, some in F & G Blocks, but mostly in the H-Block.

Each Block consists of 10,000 Pistols (really 9,999), but whose counting? So a guess, and it's really a guess, is about 5,000 Transition 43 byf Pistols.

To a Mauser P.38 Collector it has added value. To most, it's just another 43 byf. I own one of each of the 43 byf variations and my two transition pistols are both in the G-Block

@Frank
New member here and appreciate the forum’s sharing and knowledge.

Re: Transition variant
Now 2022, another “transitional” turns up in my collection
P.38 byf 43 sn 2371 g block.
All matched.
However, I suspect it has been dipped (frame - locking block, pin & springs are signatories.)