The Walther P38 is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the comparatively complex and expensive to produce Luger P08. Moving the production lines to the more easily mass producible P38 once World War II started took longer than expected, leading to the P08 remaining in production until September 1942 and copies remained in service until the end of the war.
Spreewerk manufactured Walther P38
P38 cut-away model
1943 Mauser P.38 barrel showing locking block design
P38 made by Mauser, coded "byf 44" with matching presstoff and leather holster
A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridges in its chamber after every shot fired. Only one round of ammunition is fired each time the trigger is pulled, as the pistol's fire control group disconnects the trigger mechanism from the firing pin/striker until the trigger has been released and reset.
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A Smith & Wesson CS45 double-action/single-action pistol, chambered in .45 ACP
A Mauser C96 Red 9 chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum
A Colt M1911 made in 1917, chambered in .45 ACP