Just thought I would ask in case. I am loading 115g FMJ, 125g JHP, 147g JHP with no real problems and have just started with is gun. I guess what I need to know is there a round that anyone has worked up that is real good? I have had a little problem with incepters ARX bullet but again just starting to load for this new to me gun. It was never fired and runs real good with standard loads listed above and was just wondering if anyone had any input as to loads they find that work well. Any input will be welcome and appreciated. Craig
Well just got back from shooting and was concentrating on the incepter rounds as I found different COL from Hodgen website. So I fixed some of the bullets and they shot better in the P-38. I will just have to experiment more with this bullet is all. Gun shot great with all other rounds. It is a lot of fun to shoot. Craig
My P38 BYF 1943 only uses 124hr FPJ bullets it was not designed to shoot Hollow Points without feed ramp modifications. I use the Federal Military load. My father brought this pistol back from Berlin with the P08 holster and extra magazine with the Orginal German 9mm bullet in the holster. It’s probably a 90% pistol in great condition and shot very little since 50’s. A great pistol the P-38 Walter. I will soon pass this on to my fathers Grandson.
As a note, watch what rounds you use....
I had a P38 and was using regular off shelf 9mm rounds and it blew out the works a bit.... not a boom but more like the rounds were hotter than the ones made way back when.
cost of repair about $40 for parts.
Ah this is an older post but I haven't shot the p-38 in about a year or so but shot all weights of bullets but I tend to load light anyway. I will shoot 115g rounds in it or may be light 124g. I love the gun and will be careful with it. Craig
I have only shot it maybe 5 rounds in 63 years thru it. My father I only shot it twice for 2 rounds in my lifetime. So P38 not been shot very much. It?s a treasure of my family.
The P-38 is a really neat pistol, don?t know that I?d even shoot it if I was fortunate enough to own one
I have a P38 that has some unusual markings and apparently the slide produced in 1943 and then overstamped 1944, matched with a 1944 same serial number frame and completed in the that year which is not common. People on the P38 forum provided a lot of information about it.
The general consensus on that forum is if you have a wartime production P38 that is at all rare it is best to not fire it especially with modern ammo due to known cracking issues. It was suggested if I wanted a P38 to shoot I should obtain a post war model. After discussion with the experts I decided to make it a display model.
I?m seeing a number of them on GB, including a supposedly rare 1942 P38 Walther AC42 ($2,950.00) pretty cool stuff, that?s for sure