When you get it home break it apart and check the locking block. It should be in the white with a waffenmat stamped on both sides and the last 3 digits and letter of the serial number on the bottom. If it was a Russianicon capture the locking block would be blued as they threw everything in the tank together. It looks nice and correct though. Here is a chart that will give you an idea as to when it was made: http://www.p38forum.com/P38ProductionDates.pdf. This chart will give you an idea of it's collectability by amount produced: http://p38forum.com/technical/P38Chart.pdf

If your going to shoot it replace the springs with new ones (save the old ones) with a standard weight set from Wolff (http://www.gunsprings.com). Don't get the heavy ones those are for the P1 which can shoot +P ammo yours can't. NEVER use +P ammo in a wartime manufactured pistol they weren't built to handle the extra pressure. Only use standard velocity 124gr ball ammo. 115gr are kind of short and will cause feeding problems. 147gr is too heavy and can cause parts like the locking block and slide to fail which will ruin it's originality.

Nice pistol good luck with it. Waiting for the better pics! - Bill