P.38 Spreewerk

[nomadr]

Jan,
That is very informative. Never knew some of the original blue was removed in the process.

Thank you for responding with the corrections.

Bob

[Element7]

More good info, thanks guys.

I'm just curious was there any reason not to blue the locking block?

I have some experience with the hot bluing proses, the only reasoned I can think of not to blue it would be to have a place to hold on to during the proses or if there was a metallurgical reason for not wanting to heat that part of the gun after heat treating.

Were all war time manufactured P.38's done the same by all manufactures or was this unique to Spreewerk?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Kirby

[phild]

So called mysterial Russian Dip is American Urban Legend. The pistols were dismatled to parts, then was the original bluing removed in 30% HCl bath, then te "acid" parts were neutralised in NaOH and then newly hot blued. Smal parts and grips were mostly mismatched. Finally were the pistols preserved with boiled (to remove humidity) grease.

I tend to agree with you the "Russian Dip" as an American myth and I also agree the process that you outlined would be the only to put a uniform finish on these firearms.

My question is this: In the case where the captured P.38s were mint and unfired (and I know that the Soviets captured many crates of un-issued P.38s as the close of the war....maybe thousands of pistols) did they bother to re-blue them?

I ask because I have seen a number of later war P.38s that were Soviet captured and showed no sign (too me) that they had been re-blued. These were in fact mint guns inside and out. With every edge and fine machine mark showing clearly. I thought if a Soviet re-work arsenal could refinish one to that standard, they could make millions in the west as professional firearms restorers as even the best that I have seen could not duplicate that level of work.....if indeed it was re-blued at all.

[Luis22]

Great gun in very good condition.....

[Element7]

Thanks Luis22!

I took out to the range last weekend and put a about 30 rounds through it. I was very pleased with the performance and it was fun to shoot. There may be another in my future....

Thanks,

Kirby

[Jan Balcar]

The weapons were refurbished shortly before they were sold to "west". The pistols were stored in many storages and some are okay, some not. The well preserved pistols were sold as they are, the rusted were reblued. The wery first batches of the Russian capture were well preserved an they were sold in Europe mostly in Germany. **** pieces remains to US market.