For a range gun, start of collection, should i go for a Walther P38 or Luger P08?? Let your voices be heard!

walther just my opinion

get both, sell the looser here

What's your budget? You say collecting and range time, but beware of shooting an all-matching piece lest you break an extractor or firing pin. You don't know if the last owner was shooting +P 9mm or what. If you pick up an all-matching piece (like I did) my advice is to buy extra pieces now. Shoot it with the non matching parts and put them back in for show and tell.

 

P38 pistols can still be had by bigger retailers, and there is one FS in Manahawkin, a BYF (mauser oberndorf) 43. Me personally, when I move onto a P38 I will seek an "ac" code, as that is the actual Walther factory. "CQY" and "CQ" is Spreeworks but they don't add the year of the gun, and I like that.

 

Maybe ease into German WWII guns with a Mauser HSC, or Walther PP or PPK, or a war office marked FN 1922 or something.

 

But I dove into the pool head first; traded an AR15 I bought in 2006 for $500 for an all-matching 1940 42 code (mauser) Luger P08.

very good point. matching doesnt truely matter to me at this point, would be nice, but not necesary. Was leaning towards a p38 due to reliability etc, but just cant enough of that P08! I would have to say my budget is max at around 1000. I know a matching numbers luger isnt going to be had for that. heritage guild has quite a few of both ranging from about 650-4500, but not sure what id be looking at as far as how bad the cheaper ones are!

Next time you go to Heritage bring a notebook and jot down the years, codes and conditions of each pistol you're looking at. Also note how many parts are not matching. To me, mismatches are not a problem, it just so happened that I found a deal for an all matching P-08. If all the parts are originals then they are all "veterans" one way or another. But for $1000 you can get a matching Luger, one was at my local shop for $995 before it sold and it even had the matching magazine. "Top dollar" for matching WWII Luger in good condition would be $1,400, but not everyone will agree with that.

 

Also there are MANY different kinds of Lugers out there.. millions were made between 1908 and 1945; Artillery models, Navy, Army, WWI, some of those are unit marked, Swiss, American, commercial, compacts, chromed, Police marked, Weimar marked, Nazi marked, mutts of put-togethers, Russian Captures, then you've got matching and non matching and non numbered, bore condition, magazines, holsters and accessories.... so yeah price can vary depending on that particular piece and to know if you're getting a fair value you should know exactly what you're looking at.

 

 

P08 - be careful, there are a lot of faked together "numbers matching" guns which are not "really authentic". Also, many of these guns are extremely picky with regard to ammo and cycling properly. These guns are made like a swiss watch, all hand fitted and as such are like a fine woman - difficult to please.

 

P38 - currently much more plentiful on the market and bring a lower price point than the P08.

Walther P38

double action

less likely to malfuntion

built like a tank!