P38 Serial Numbers Spreewerke 88

05-10-2021

P38 Serial Numbers Spreewerke 88

Spreewerke P38 Serial Number Lookup
Cyq P 38
P38 Serial Numbers Spreewerke 88 Series
P38 Serial Numbers Spreewerke 88 For Sale

Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH was a German weapons manufacturing company. Spreewerk produced a number of important weapons and components before and during World War II including 280,880 of the Walther P.38 pistol which was the standard service pistol of the German Heer, and the famous 8.8 cm Flak anti-aircraft gun. I just acquired a Spreewerke P.38, with 'cvq' code, no date. The serial number is 3975 n. According to LTC Joel Johnston, (Ret), US Army, who has a website giving values for various P.38 military variants, the 'cvq' was a 'Last ditch P.38 after 'cyq' die broke, assembled in Munich from parts.' On the other side, the last three numbers of the serial numbers also has a german eagle under the numbers Cyq p38 serial numbers. New German Alpha-Numerica serial number. Spreewerke cyq marked P-38, serial no 1780 O, 9mm. Cyq p38 serial numbers. www.p38guns.com CYQ 4th variation 'rig' serial number range 1584d-9804z. The Waffenamt stamp applied to Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols was an Eagle over 88 (e/88). 12 Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols were marked with the 'cyq' and 'cvq' manufacturer's code. 13 References edit P38 Serial Numbers Spreewerke 10 ^ Balcar, Jan & Clarin, Ron The P.38 Pistol: Spreewerk Production, p.110 ISBN978-1-60458-364-9.

SOLD FOR: $1300

LSB#: 210616KB02

Make: Spreewerke

Model: P38 cvq Series, 1st Alphabet Run,2nd Variation

Serial Number: 7274n

Year of Manufacture: Late 1943- Early 1944 (See Pg. 138, Vol. 2, “The P.38 Pistol” by Buxton)

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum

Action Type: Single or Double Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine. This pistol has a de-cocker lever.

Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “P.38”, “cvq” and “7274n”. The left side of the frame is marked “7274n” and an “Eagle / 88” Waffenamt. The left barrel flat is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and “cyq”. The front barrel flat is marked “7274 / n”. The right barrel flat is marked “B” and “c”. The bottom of the locking block is marked “274 / n”, the right side is marked with an “Eagle / 88” and the left side is marked with an Eagle clutching Swastika. The left rear of the barrel is also marked with a poorly-struck Eagle clutching Swastika. The right side of the slide is marked with two “Eagle / 88” Waffenamts, with an Eagle clutching Swastika in the center. The left of the frame is marked “107” at the top under the grip panel.

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The pistol is mounted with a flat topped “U” notched rear sight dovetailed into the slide and a blade front sight dovetailed into a band on the front of the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are serrated Posselt production panels. The grips have some a few scattered light nicks and scratches. The serrations are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore has bright lands and mostly bright grooves. The rifling is sharp. There are some scattered spots of erosion in the grooves, mostly along the edges of the rifling.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 85% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip straps with. There is some scattered minor surface oxidation. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches, mostly blending well with the slightly rough late-war finish. The screw head is tool marked with a strong slot. The markings range from clear to poorly struck (common with Spreewerke production in this serial range). Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has a decocker safety at the left rear of the slide. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine marked “P.38v” on the left. The magazine has a plum hue to its finish, light operational wear, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Very Good condition.

Our Assessment: Walther’s P38 occupies a significant place in history. It was the first locked breech pistol to have a single action/double action trigger. After the start of WWII, Walther could not keep up with the production required, and production was finally started in 1942 at Mauser and Spreewerke. During the war, the German code for Spreewerke changed from cyq to cvq, and this has sparked much discussion as to whether not there was actually a code change or if the stamp was just worn out, and the tail of the “y” no longer present. This pistol was made in late 1943 or early 1944, as the Allies were pushing the German Wehrmacht back in Italy, the Soviets were approaching the Romanian border, and preparations were underway for D-Day. It shows the typical late-war finish on the metal, with non-bearing surfaces showing tool marks and rough polish. The serial numbered parts are all matching with proper inspection marks. The pistol is in Very Good condition with about 85% of its metal finish remaining. The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. This is a very nice find for the P38 collector, and would make a great addition to any collection of WWII P38s. Please see our photos and good luck!

Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH was a German weapons manufacturing company. Spreewerk produced a number of important weapons and components before and during World War II including 280,880^[1] of the Walther P.38 pistol which was the standard service pistol of the German Heer, and the famous 8.8 cm Flakanti-aircraft gun.

History[edit]

Spreewerke P38 Serial Number Lookup

The Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie Werke (BERKA) was founded in 1920 as a successor to the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken AG, one of Germany's largest munitions firms of the prewar era. Under the regime of the Versailles treaty the firm was forced to give up the manufacture of armaments, which had been its core business. Most of the facilities that had grown up to meet the needs of war were reduced and BERKA carried on with factories in Berlin and Karlsruhe, manufacturing a variety of light metal goods.

In 1928 the firm passed under the control of Günther Quandt who moved the company into the production of business machines, acquiring typewriter manufacturer Olympia Schreibmaschinen in 1929, and opening a new factory in 1933 at Erfurt to manufacture cash registers and other business machines. Under Herr Quandt's leadership further acquisitions followed.

In 1938 the firm re-entered the field of munitions production, establishing Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk to undertake the fabrication of munitions components at the former Berlin-Spandau factory of the defunct Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken. This was followed in 1939 by the establishment of a modern ammunition loading facility on a forty hectare site near the city of Lübeck by the newly established Maschinen für Massenverpackung GmbH. Early in 1940 the firm strengthened its role in the manufacture of industrial machinery through the acquisition of the Berlin-Anhaltische Maschinenbau of Dessau.

The factories of the firm include:

Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie Werke AG, Berlin-Borsigwalde (metal fabrication)
Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie Werke AG, Karlsruhe-Durlach (metal fabrication)

Subsidiaries of the firm include:

Berlin-Anhaltische Maschinenbau AG, Dessau (machine building)
Maschinen für Massenverpackung GmbH, Lübeck-Schlutup (munitions)
Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk AG, Berlin-Spandau (munitions)
Olympia Büromaschinenwerke AG, Erfurt (business and tabulating machines)
Olympia Schreibmaschinen AG, Berlin-Spandau (typewriters and business machines)
Sächsische Maschinenfabrik AG, Chemnitz (machine building)^[2]

Spreewerk was formed in September 1935 in SpandauGermany as a subsidiary of Deutschen Industrie-Werke A.G. (DIWAG).^[3] Spreewerk was involved in weapons production from its formation until April 1945 at the Spandau complex; and from June 1942 to April 1945 at the Grottau, Czechoslovakia factory named Werk Grottau.^[4]

Products[edit]

'P.38' model identification mark and Spreewerk 'cyq' manufacturer's code on slide of P.38 pistol.

WWII era weapons produced by Spreewerk include:

Spandau, Germany
- s 10 cm K 18^[5]
- 15 cm sFH 18^[6]
- 8.8 cm Flak^[7]
Grottau, Czechoslovakia
- P.38 Pistol^[8]^[9]^[10]
- VG 2 Rifle^[11]

Markings[edit]

'Eagle over 88' Waffenamt inspection mark on frame of Spreewerk produced P.38 pistol.

Cyq P 38

The Waffenamt inspector at Spreewerk Grottau was assigned code WaA88. The Waffenamt stamp applied to Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols was an Eagle over 88 (e/88).^[12] Spreewerk produced P.38 pistols were marked with the 'cyq' and 'cvq' manufacturer's code.^[13]

References[edit]