What is this?

[basstracker89]

looks like maybe a nazi p38.

^^^ This, nice weapon

 

[StuP]

What does BYF mean?


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BYF = Mauser AC = Walther CYQ = Spreewerk

 

[41mag]

A very nice relic to remember your grandfather by. Take care of it and treasure it for what it is .

 

[georgefox1]

BYF was the production code for Mauser. AC was the production code for Walther. CYQ was the production code for Spreewerke. All three concerns manufactured the P38 pistol during WWII.

 

[landsknecht]

Looks like a late-war model P38.

Clearly, there's a Wehrmacht rollmark on there. the '359' Identifies it as a Walther manufactured firearm(?) and that 'AC 43' places it after mid-1942/1943, although I don't remember what was different in that version.

The serial number put its into the later part of December 1943.

They were serialized in batches of ten-thousand, with each manufacturer keeping their own count. When the first batch of the new year came out, there was no letter at the end (0001-9999). The second batch reset the count to 0001 and added a letter at the end (0001a-9999a), the next batch changed the letter (0001b-9999b), and so on. Yours is the 147,890th out of 150,000 P38's made by Walther in 1943.