38h

[baja600]

For helping a friend, I was given a pistol he said was given to him by his uncle who served in the military during WWll. The weapon has a few marking on it, which I have found by way of the internet, to be German made.

After reading about this pistol and the comments from others, I am satisfied that it is a 38H. The serial number 473XXX is stamped on several places, as well as the last 3 of the serial number is stamped underneath the slide. There are several H stamped on various parts as well.

There are wooden grips with checkering which appears to have been done by someone who knows the art.

There is a safety lever as well as a decocker lever. The slide on the left side is stamped CAL . 7.65 Using the serial number, is there anyway to identify the date of issue...and even who it was issued to?

I can post pictures if needed

[sen24]

Yes thats a Sauer 38H. The later ones were not maker marked. That serial number is 1945 I believe. Heres my example which is later serial. These last ones usually have crude milling marks as apposed to the nice blue of the earlier. A very awesome little gun and the cocker decocker is a cool feature.

<a href="https://ibb.co/eg5ry5"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/hdY0rQ/sauer.jpg" alt="sauer" border="0"></a><br /><a target='_blank' href='https://imgbb.com/'>upload facebook pictures</a><br />

[bodes]

Using the serial number, is there anyway to identify the date of issue...and even who it was issued to?

Unless there's a name inside the holster, it's pretty much impossible to find out who it was issued to.....Any master list (if one existed at all) would have likely been destroyed during the war....Also, one would have to look through every soldier's identity papers (soldbuch) and even than, one would never know for sure....Bodes

[Gimenez]

sauer

Hello Friend.

I'm sorry for the mistakes because I do not speak your language very well

I believe you have the Sauer pistol corresponds to the penultimate model.

Made in the middle of 1944. (More towards the end of the year).

After its model, it was only manufactured without safety lever;

[baja600]

[baja600]

[Gimenez]

very beautiful

Really,
His copy is the penultimate variant.

It is the penultimate model before they stop manufacturing.

It is from the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945.

The Sauer 38h pistols were manufactured from 1938 to 1945.

I believe that JP SAUER SOHN entered into a supply contract with the Wehrmacht in 1939/40.

The military versions are 4. We have four military versions.

The difference of this model of Sauer with its predecessors is the change of the side in which the serial number is stamped.


Note that on other (previous) models the serial number is on the right side.

In this model the serial number has been inverted and is on the left side.

[bmg17a1]

Sorry to be the bearer of possibly bad news, but the example in pics #5 and #6 has been polished and reblued. Many buyers like fresh, shiny looking guns and don't object to the refinish.

[baja600]

Thank you for your response

So to understand your statement, they didn't have polished and blued 38H pistols?

And you believe my H model has been "refurbished" at a later time.

[herd118]

Sorry to be the bearer of possibly bad news, but the example in pics #5 and #6 has been polished and reblued. Many buyers like fresh, shiny looking guns and don't object to the refinish.

Yep, It's been heavily buffed and re-blued, post war. The grips are post war made too.

[sen24]

Just to be clear, do you think my 38h(the top pic) is late 1944 manufacture?

[baja600]

Yep, It's been heavily buffed and re-blued, post war. The grips are post war made too.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/reviews/f...auer38_082306/

I found this interesting article on the 38H. In it they talk about late production and early production 38H...and a picture of an early production pistol with wooden grips very similar to mine, as well as the buffed finish. I have attached the picture from the article.

[sen24]

The early sauer 38h's were polished blue, but yours is not in that serial range. And the grips are definitely postwar. Not a bad thing, because its still a good pistol, but it has absolutely been reworked.

[bmg17a1]

baja600: some comparisons between your gun and the guns you pictured which you call "buffed" might help to illuminate the indicators of buffing to refinish the metal. The best indicators of a buffing job on metal that is prepped for refinish, and usually also an indication that the smith is not very skilled, is that all high points, edges, etc are no longer crisp and sharp. Formerly crisp and sharp edges have become slightly rounded and softened by the buffing, which in the case of your gun was quite heavy handed. Another indicator is that perfectly machined, flat surfaces, such as the sides of the slide, have slight undulations and waves resulting from variable pressure of the buffing wheel against the metal. Both these indicators are very evident if you compare your pistol to the guns in the other picture. Another indicator is the color and texture of the bluing, its reflective qualities, etc, etc.
As a reference for my comment, my full-time business is gunsmithing, specializing in machine guns going on over forty years. I've seen a great many refinished guns of all types and done many of them in my shop. Nothing wrong with such work, especially when well done, but refinished guns are easy to spot.
You have a unique and interesting pistol so that fact that it has been refinished is an aspect that is irreversible and nothing to be concerned about. It is important, however, to know and understand the true state and condition of one's firearms.

[baja600]

I do appreciate your comments, and after looking at the two, I do see what you are talking about. Can you tell me about the grips, they appear to be of the same similar design as the one pictured. As there were checked wooden grips of that era, could these be just as authentic...or not.

Also I found this interesting item on the serial numbers and such......

MILITARY
Variation 1 Double E/37 serial number range 271456-273082 - 141st gun accepted
Variation 1 Double E/37 serial number range 271456-273082 Early High Polish
Variation 2 E/37 serial number range 273446-332000 High Polish "rig"
Variation 3 Serial number range 332000-484000 Military Finish
Variation 3 (subvariation) one line slide logo serial number range 410000-484000
Variation 4 Serial number range 484000-507000
POLICE
Variation 1 with two matched mags. Serial number range 268303-326088
Variation 1 "rig". Subvariation with checkered magazine release button
Variation 2 serial number range 331154-440113
Variation 2 Subvariation 1 "rig". One line slide logo serial number range 409000-440113
Variation 3 E/F no manual safety
WAR TIME NON MILITARY VARIATIONS
Variation 1 High polish finish with no safety lever and posts
Variation 1 High polish finish with no safety lever and screw
Variation 2 High polish finish with safety lever
Variation 3 Military finish with safety lever
Variation 4 Military finish with safety lever and one line slide legend
Variation 5 Military finish without safety lever and one line slide legend
POST WAR
No proofs Blued serial number 507350
No proofs Blued serial number 508220
No proofs Blued with post war metal grips 509389
No proofs In-The-White serial number 512108
No proofs In-The-White no serial number

Another says this for the Military 4th Wehmachts-Variation, which your serial number indicates it falls into that category. "Military finish with E/37 acceptance mark without manual safety-lever; approx. 10,000 pieces with the following characteristics:
Legend: Cal 7,65
Finish: military-finish blued
Grips: black Bakelite-grips with "SuS" Logo on left side; checkered
Serial Number: 6 digit number on left of frame; 3 digit number on inside slide; 3 digit number on rear of breach block
Acceptance stamp: E/37 left on frame
Test proof stamp: E/N right on frame; E/N right on slide; E/N on barrel near muzzle