Hello, first post.
I recently inherited a WWII Mauser P38 with holster and 2 mags. Holster has a brass swastika on it. All numbers match, mags and holster are correct for the time frame for this P38. Good condition, nothing broken. I found someone wanting a P38 in trade for their SAM7R-61. They said it has at most 500 rounds through it.
Would this be an even trade? I don’t havean AK and know nothing about the AK market. On GB it looks like P38’s just come and go without ever selling.
thanks
P38s go for about a grand without the holster/mags.
I’d rather keep the P38 and buy the AK. Surplus forearms keep going up in value and there is no more out there.
Without pictures, it’s hard to give you a value on the P38, but even shooters don’t go for much less than $700. As Arik said, I’d be much more inclined to keep the P38, considering SAM7s are easy enough to find. Military firearms like the P38 are only going up in value.
If it’s a run of the mill shooter grade P38, I’d make the trade. But first I’d make 100% sure that there’s nothing special about it.
I’d keep the pistol. They’re not making any more World War II P38’s. They are making AK’s even if the exact model you have a chance to trade for is no longer being produced (I don’t know much about that particular AK).
deleted
At the very least find out what the P38 is worth before you do anything.
Right. I wouldn’t go out and buy a P38 but I would buy an AK. It’s the swastika on the holster that throws things off though. It looks like it was purposefully put on for the original owner so I wouldn’t want to trade it without knowing what that was about.
This.
No different then any other time. Like in 2011?
OP, take lots of good pictures of all the markings and sign up on Gunboards. It’s a place mostly for collectors. They’ll be able to tell you what you have or at least point you in the right direction
Couldn’t disagree more, at least for something like a P38.
Could be a high-ranking officer/party member’s holster/pistol (these were typically more unique firearms, like a PPK, Sauer, etc., though, not a mass produced, standard issue firearm), but more than likely it’s just something a GI found and stuck on it when he brought it back. There’s always a chance it’s something unique/rare/collectible, though.
Exactly. I’d post pics there before deciding to trade in case you do have something that’s more collectible than a shooter P38.
deleted
The real question is what you mean by “inherited.” If this is something like “your grandfather brought it back from WWII” then it should stay in the family.
This.
But if you just happened upon a WW2 P38 with no real family history or high value, trade if you like.
Yep. This is the truth.
Even if it is not a family heirloom, I would keep the all matching WWII p38. AKs are plentiful and overpriced. Keep the p38.