Walther P.38 Zero Series.
Walther P.38 Zero Series.
In 1940 after Adolph Hitler invaded most European countries, the P.38 had still not been issued to the German Army. Finally, after failure to secure Great Britain under Nazi rule, a stalemate of sorts occured and there was reduced land activity which allowed troops in the field to be re-equiped and re-supplied.
By the end of August 1940, fewer than 13,000 P.38's had been manufactured. These were the much sought-after P.38 Zero Series. They were called that because of the zero preceding the serial number on the left side of the slide. The Zero Series also displayed the Walther banner towards the front of the left hand side of the slide. The code "AC" denoting Walther as the manufacturer had not yet been assigned.
These pistols were beautifully finished with a high-gloss polished blue. Most pistol parts such as the hammer, trigger bar, and major parts, etc, were stamped with the army Waffenampt, or acceptance mark. The firing pin had been changed to a rounded point with a square shaft, and all pistols untill the end of the war had the new pin. The wood grips of the early HP's were changed to black checkered plastic. These are the same grips found on the postwar P1's, except for the round lanyard hole on the zero's. Magazines were still stamped with the same serial number as the gun.
Photo courtesy of Midwest Firearms / midwest2@cwix.com