The Walter p38 pistol, the perfect heir to the Ruger P08 pistol, as a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol developed by the German Walter company on the eve of the Second World War, was born in the hands of the famous firearms designer Karl Walter, whose concept was adopted by the German military in 1938.
The prototype was not officially put into production in 1939, and it immediately became the standard pistol of the German army after its introduction, as another classic pistol in Germany after the p08, the Walter p38 pistol, which adopted a semi-automatic pistol with a closed barrel.
Its biggest advantage is that the user can preload a bullet in the chamber to pull the hammer back to a safe position with the release lever, in double-action mode, the shooter only needs to pull the plate machine to fire, the Walter P38 pistol, using the barrel short recoil working principle.
Gunpowder gas will lock the barrel together, and the sleeve will be pushed backwards after free travel. The ejector rod in the lug under the chamber is pressed against the socket seat and strikes forward against the bevel of the rear end of the latching camcorne, forcing the camber to rotate downwards, so that the upper protrusion leaves the latching groove on the sleeve, thus achieving unlocking.
The Walter P38 pistol is 216 mm long, with a barrel length of 125 mm, and uses ammunition 9× 19 mm Ruger bullets, with an effective range of up to 50 meters.
Due to the beautiful appearance, stable performance, reliable action and advanced technology of this pistol, it will generally be equipped for paratroopers, commandos, tank drivers and lieutenants, etc. Many users have a deep affection for the gun, and later it has been equipped and used in many countries.
During the war, France, the former East Germany and the former Soviet Union were also equipped and used after the Second World War, and this relatively good pistol, the Walter P38, produced a total of about 1 million units throughout the Second World War.
In 1963, Walter introduced a derivative called the P1, which immediately became the German standard pistol and replaced the older version, which had the word P1 engraved on the carriage and replaced the original steel body with an aluminum body.
Later versions were more above the plate guard, adding a hex bolt to make the weapon stronger, until 1990, when the Bundeswehr announced that the more modern HKP8 pistol would gradually replace the P1.