Byf 42 P38

[r.blue]

Look forward to seeing better photos of it. Sometimes the light can play tricks on those inside shots.....could be that the slide has more blue than we realize.
$900 for the whole rig....if all matching is not too bad. Those holsters in nice condition are over $200.
R.Blue

[Carson]

Beautiful P38 and if it makes you happy, it is well worth it.

I feel there are 3 prices on any item.

1) The price it is worth to you. ($900.00)
2) The price it is worth to others. (Common market value, which you reasearched on this forum)
3) The price it is worth if you are tyring to sell it in a hurry. (Considerably less value due to limited market)

It looks to me that you will soon own a piece of history that was there and you can explore by taking it apart and researching the weapon. Almost like a time portal, taking you back to the last years of the war. From your posts, it sounds like you are very interested in it, so it is money well spent!!!

You also have the distinction of being the first owner since WWII, which is very nice indeed. Congrats on your purchase and thanks to all the other forum members who educated me on this variant!

[ChrisCook]

p38

Hopefully it's a good one....you need to check out this forum...quality info and board members, just like here!
http://forums.p38forum.com/forums/index.php
Post pictures when it gets to ya....

[leondes]

byf42s were made with two different slide finishes. The first was a "dusty blue" finish. It looks like the slide was bead blasted. The second was a milled finish just like you see on all later guns. The earlier slide, like the example in question, is the most desireable and, therefore, more valuable.

In my opinion, $900 for the grouping is probably a good price, maybe a great price. That is, if you can accept the condition of the gun and it is all original. It appears, like R. Blue alluded to, that the blue is washed out on the slide plus there is pitting. Some collectors will not buy pitted guns. Some will.

Hope this helps you some.

Regards, Leon

[ottomaton]

I've been looking around at what retailers are selling rare variation P.38's and in that light you did very well. I saw models of similar rarity with significant pitting and much more apparent loss of bluing selling for $950 by themselves.

Including the holster you came out well ahead of what you could have gotten the gun for from one of the 'big name' online gun shops like Simpson's or Collector's Firearms.

[justina]

44

Hi,I just wanted to thank all of you for all of the help you have given!!And soon as it gets here i will post more on it for sure!Thanks again.James Chris

[vitts]

these pistols were actualy put together in 1943. As Mauser was gearing up in 1942 they had a lot of production problems the story is the first 700 pistols were scrapped. they did not get everything going until early 1943 and then used up the slides that were produced and stamped byf42. they got into the mid "a" block of guns and then slides that were made in 1943 and marked byf43 were used that is where the figure of 15,000 byf42's pistols comes from your pistol looks nice mags should be marked eagle over 135 on the spine and p38 on the side. I have byf42 serial # 4240 and it has that same dusty blue looking finish that in photos looks like it has a lot of wear but when you oil it up it looks realy nice

[leondes]

Hi vitts,

I believe the story is that only 700 Mauser P.38s were accepted by the Heer in 1942. We have no idea what the serial numbers were on those 700. There were lots of startup problems so the 700th pistol was likely a much later serial number. Mauser always seemed to be very adept at making slides so they had plenty of byf42 slides left over and they were used up in 1943.

The early byf42s have small parts that are waffenamt marked with the E/135. Some of the early mags were also double stamped E/135 on the spine. One stamp high and one low like Walther did on the later serial numbered magazines.

Regards, Leon