Companion WW2 Pieces for my Inland M1 Carbine.

[imarangemaster]

Some know I found a Victory Model .38 like my dad carried with his Carbine on Iwo Jima, but more recently a good and dear friend gave me a bring-back WW2 German AC44 P38, with matching numbers. AWESOME little weapon. I can see why some vets would say, a Luger is a trophy, but a P38 was a pistol to carry and use. I had enjoyed collecting accouterments for the carbine, and it is nice to get a couple WW2 pistols to go with it. I am sure

Here's the P38 thread.

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=60045&page=1



Here's the Victory and its Thread

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=59527&page=1

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Nice pair, I've been following of course. I've had them both but now have neither. I also had an original shoulder rig for the Victory and a hip holster too. Seems like a long time back though.

[imarangemaster]

Both of these guys are respectable side arms. 70 years later, and they are viable choices for their intended purposes. Just like the M1 Carbine. My Inland is still my Home zDefense carbine choice, loaded with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. I have ARs and an AK, but the little carbine is still better for a close-up, house and ranch PDW.

[browningautorifle]

Just like the M1 Carbine. My Inland is still my Home Defense carbine choice

There are thousands of guys in the ground that would agree...with it's potential.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Nice Victory, and P-38. Surely the Victory, though being on opposite sides, companion seems awfully nice for the P-38. Enemy, foe, opponent, maybe?

[imarangemaster]

Nice Victory, and P-38. Surely the Victory, though being on opposite sides, companion seems awfully nice for the P-38. Enemy, foe, opponent, maybe?

The P38 is a war trophy, as is the holster I got (though from different people). I do not have provenance for it, though I do not care. It has no import marks, and was in the family for many years, before it was given to the guy I got it from. When I was a kid, I went with my dad from Chicago to a farm in Indiana to see a war buddy of his. He had fought in North Africa, before ending up in the Pacific on Iwo with my dad. He had a transmitter and receiver from a German half track that he managed to ship home (he was Signal Core like my dad). He gave the transmitter and receiver to my dad, who was a ham. I later ended up with them, but sadly sold them in 1998 along with a lot of guns and other things when I was forced out on disability and my wife was laid off three weeks later. We had three kids in college at the time...

My dad's buddy also had a nice Luger, holster and two mags that he liberated from an enemy combatant that no longer needed them. We shot it on his farm, but it jammed a couple times. It was nice, but as a kid, I still wanted a P38. I thought they were both cooler and more practical. As an aside, he also used an M1 Carbine in the war.

[browningautorifle]

I still wanted a P38

That was what I was told way back then too, same sort of thing. If you wanted a trophy get a Luger but for a combat shooter a P38.

[TDH]

I bought my P38 at an estate auction and it had some god awful black tarry paint all over (Russian capture?) It shot but seemed sluggish. I found a rebuild kit for a Franklin and had my gunsmith go to work on it. He bead blasted the frame and barrel replaced the slide (I still have the original parts) and reparked it. The pistol is beautiful and shoots like a dream and the so called experts tell me I ruined the collector value. I don't care my guns are all shooters not wall queens. Anyway when he called to tell me it was ready I told him I would get in the following Monday as I was in Pittsburg at the time. He said he planned on bein in Pittsburg the next day (NRA convention) We met the following day and made the exchange and he was happy to have the extra Franklin in his pocket. Anyways that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[imarangemaster]

I bought my P38 at an estate auction and it had some god awful black tarry paint all over (Russian capture?) It shot but seemed sluggish. I found a rebuild kit for a Franklin and had my gunsmith go to work on it. He bead blasted the frame and barrel replaced the slide (I still have the original parts) and reparked it. The pistol is beautiful and shoots like a dream and the so called experts tell me I ruined the collector value. I don't care my guns are all shooters not wall queens. Anyway when he called to tell me it was ready I told him I would get in the following Monday as I was in Pittsburg at the time. He said he planned on bein in Pittsburg the next day (NRA convention) We met the following day and made the exchange and he was happy to have the extra Franklin in his pocket. Anyways that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I agree. There are levels of collector value. An original in its original holster with matching mags and provenance (capture papers, etc.) is collectable. Mine is somewhat collectable, but I have no compunction about replacinf prings, though I would not re-park it. I have seen some though, that are not matching number, lots of pitting and rust, or even grey ghosts, that would be good re-finished shooters.

[painter777]

IRM,
Have you given thought to getting a S&W letter on your VP?

CH-P777