Oh, one more thing to share! The Loaded Chamber Indicator IвЂ™d mentioned. Reassemble in reverse order, making note to insert the barrel assembly into the slide with the locking-block pushed out (that is, button pushed in so the locking-block is lowered), and when replacing the slide to the frame, make sure to push the locking-block back up so that itвЂ™s able to stay with the slide when you retract it far enough to re-engage the slide release. If, when you pull the trigger, the Trigger Bar hook doesnвЂ™t positively catch the notch in the Sear, you have a problem, and should find a replacement Trigger Bar Spring.To check, be sure the spring is where it should be, then cock the hammer, and slowly pull the trigger (lowering the hammer with your thumb) to watch the action of the trigger bar on the Sear. This can lead to a dangerous situation where you pull the trigger, no bang happens, and the weapon is now Condition 0, and has a malfunctioning trigger, a VERY dangerous situation. A problem IвЂ™ve seen develop with the P38 is the Trigger Bar spring coming loose, and not forcing the вЂњduck billвЂќВ hook of the Trigger Bar from interacting with the corresponding notch in the Sear when pulling the trigger. The grey part with the hole there is the Sear.What youвЂ™re looking for is on the right side of the frame, previously covered by the right grip panel.Remove the right side grip panel first, then maneuver and remove the left side panel, taking care not to damage it on the slide release. To get access to this, use a small flat-head screwdriver to remove the Grip Screw from the left side of the firearm. One thing I would check out while you have it apart, however, is the Trigger Bar and Sear are interacting correctly.I prefer the first method, but didnвЂ™t bother showing it, as itвЂ™s rarely necessary, and pretty easy to figure out. These can be removed, if desired, by either using a small tool to pull the spring back away from the contained rod at the front far enough that you can remove the rod, then withdrawing the spring OR using a tool to push the spring forward a bit from the rear until it can be extracted from the wider area at the rear. Notice the unique dual recoil springs on either side of the frame. At this point, you have access to everything you need for a decent simple clean вЂn lube.To remove the barrel from the slide, simply push the вЂњbuttonвЂќ (locking block operating pin) visible at the rear of the barrel assembly, which will push the locking-block wedge out a bit, allowing the barrel assembly to be withdrawn from the front of the slide.The de-cocking lever may be used carefully, but itвЂ™s preferable to just lower the hammer gently while using the trigger. At this point, de-cock the hammer to allow the slide to be fully removed from the frame. Disengage the slide lock if necessary, and move the slide forward only to the point where it would normally rest.Swing the slide release located on the front left of the frame down and forward, noting how it aligns toВ allow the slide move forward and off the frame.Remove the magazine via the bottom magazine release, and open action to ensure that the firearm is unloaded.TheyвЂ™re well balanced, and even the aluminum framed P1 has very comfortable recoil. TheyвЂ™re still considered to be great shooters, and while not having the greatest DA trigger pull in the world, their SA trigger pull is extremely crisp, and has the shortest reset IвЂ™ve personally experienced. The top example is a wartime P38, and the bottom is a P1 produced in late 1968. As is visible, the grip design also changed from grooved to checkered. The major difference between the earlier P38 and the P1 variant is construction of the frame, which was switched to Aluminum in the P1. These were produced until 1963, when an updated design was adopted, referred to as the P1, which was finally phased out completely in 2004, replaced by the Walther P8/USP. 17 years passed before the Bundeswehr announced that they would be adopting the P38 as their service pistol, and in June of 1957 production of the P38 recommenced. The original wartime P38s were produced from 1938 to warвЂ™s end in 1945. More on that later.Д¬hambered in 9mm Luger similar to their previously used P08 Luger, this was a more powerful handgun than the other Walther issued to the Wehrmacht, the PP/PPK. This is also theВ earliest handgun IвЂ™m aware of which includes a Loaded Chamber Indicator (in this case, above theВ hammer). First produced in 1939 by Walther Arms to serve as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht, the P38В is a first-of-itвЂ™s-kindВ locked-breech semi-automatic pistol with a DA/SA trigger. Lets move on last weekвЂ™s post in France to wartime Germany where weвЂ™ll be getting intimate with the Walther P38, and itвЂ™s post-war relative, the P1.

Walther p1 hitting to the left