Sauer 38H

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Sauer 38H

Sauer 38H Second Version
Type semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Service history
In service 1939-1945
Used by Nazi Germany
Wars World War II
Production history
Designed 1938
Manufacturer J.P. Sauer und Sohn
Produced 1938-1945
Number built ~200,000
Specifications
Weight 705 g unloaded
Length 171 mm
Barrel length 83 mm
Cartridge .32 ACP
Caliber 7.65 mm
Action DA/SA
Feed system Magazine capacity: 8
Sights fixed iron sight

The Sauer 38H is a small semiautomatic pistol made in Nazi Germany from 1938 until the end of World War II by the prestigious firm J.P. Sauer und Sohn which at the time was based in Suhl, Germany. Its name is derived from the year it was first built (1938) and the fact that it was Hammerless giving it the name of '38H.'

[edit] Design

This handgun was greatly ahead of its time. It featured a shrouded hammer, double-action/single action trigger, single-column magazine, and an action spring surrounding a fixed barrel. What was revolutionary about this handgun was that it featured the first use of a lever which was operated to either cock or decock the hammer safely. Though the Walther PP did also have a lever, it was designed only to lower the hammer safely. The hammer on the Sauer 38H could be lowered for safe carry either after a round had been chambered or after a shot had been fired. A hollow space on the trigger would indicate if the concealed hammer were cocked; if you could see through it, the hammer was lowered. If a round had already been chambered and the shooter desired to fire is single action they could simply lower the lever which would cock the hammer allowing for single action firing. Almost all modern pistols by SIG-Sauer (the firm of which J.P. Sauer und Sohn became a part) made today feature a decocking lever. Most modern SIG-Sauer pistols feature controls in almost the same place as on the Sauer 38H.

Another feature of this pistol was its loaded chamber indicator. When a round was chambered, just behind the rear sight, a small pin will protrude. Another advanced feature for its time is a magazine safety, a device which (as opposed to the case of the SIG P226) deactivates the trigger when the magazine is removed from the pistol, even if a round is chambered.

The grips of the pistol were constructed of Bakelite, which is not as robust as modern plastics. Age, or overtightening of the grip screws often resulted in the cracking and crumbling of the grips themselves. All original grips featured "SUS" lettering standing for "Sauer und Sohn" which could be found on the same side of the pistol as the magazine release. It is unusual for a present-day example to have original, undamaged grips.

The Sauer 38H was produced mainly in .32 ACP caliber, however some were also made in .380 ACP and .22 Long Rifle calibers. The .380 caliber in particular can increase the value of the Sauer 38H to many times over what the standard .32 ACP chambering sells for on the open market today. This handgun was used by German armed forces such as the Luftwaffe, as well as police forces in numbers that nearly equaled the Walther PPK, though the Walther was considered a more desirable gun.

[edit] History

Sauer began development of this pistol to compete with companies such as Mauser on the commercial market. However, with the outbreak of the war, most Sauer 38Hs found their way into the various German police agencies, often coming with a black leather holster. These guns were stamped by those agencies and some can still be found with the holster and additional magazine with which they were distributed. Occasionally, a Sauer 38H was presented to a high Nazi official and, as such, usually featured custom engraving, ivory grips, and often gold inlay as well. For example, in September 2004 the Rock Island Auction Company sold a Sauer 38H, serial number 363573, that belonged to S.S. Colonel-General Joseph "Sepp" Dietrich for $43,125.00.

The Sauer 38H was produced in three basic models. The first model says "JP Sauer und Sohn" on the left hand of the slide. The second version only says "CAL 7.65", and the third version omits the safety and the cocking/decocking lever. Towards the end of the war, weapons produced throughout Nazi empire were simplified for quicker, cheaper production. For the 38H, this meant simpler markings, rough finish, and the elimination of features like the slide-mounted safety. So-called "late-war" models were still fully functional though. Final examples, produced up until April 1945 when the factory was overrun by the Allies, feature mismatched serial numbers and poor fit and finish.

The spirit of the Sauer 38H lives on in the SigSauer P232 and its predecessor the P230, which also feature a fixed barrel, decocking lever, and similar internal design. As a testament to their fine design, many Sauer 38Hs are regularly used by owners to this day.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
 v • d • e German-made firearms and light weapons of World War II
Side arms (Pistole)
Mauser C96 | Luger | Walther P38 | Walther PPK | Sauer 38H | Mauser HSc
Rifles & carbines (Gewehr & Karabiner)
Karabiner 98k | Gewehr 41 | Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43 | StG44/MP44 | FG42 | StG45(M) | Volkssturmgewehr 1-5
Submachine guns ( Maschinenpistole )
Bergmann MP18 | MP38/MP40 "Schmeisser" | MP3008 "Volks MP"
Machine guns & other larger weapons
MG08 | MG34 | MG42 | Faustpatrone | Panzerfaust | Panzerschreck

Flammenwerfer 35 | Panzerbüchse 39 | Granatwerfer 36 | Granatwerfer 42
Notable foreign-made infantry weapons
P.640(b) | Vis.35 | Vz.24/G24(t) | MG26(t) | Panzerbüchse 35(p)
German-made cartridges used by the Wehrmacht
7.92 x 57 mm | 7.63 x 25 mm Mauser | 7.92 mm Kurz | 7.65 mm Luger | 9 mm Luger
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