Walther P38 problems

[jacoby33]

I am new to this forum and hoping to find help. I am currently working on a Walter p 38. I have replaced the trigger bar spring and the retainer latch plunger due to their disappearance. Now I can use the trigger to pull and release the hammer (double action works) I can cock the hammer and then release it with the trigger. If I pull the slide back the hammer will not lock and follows the slide home. With the grips off you can see the hammer engaging the sear but it will not stay engaged. I can notice some play in the sear and sear pin. What do I need to do to fix this? Hammer , Sear , Sear Pin? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[daltrey99]

MgMike is the guru on this but I will add my 2 cents. I have found that replacing the sear or the hammer will remedy this condition. I had a Spreewerke that had this issues. I tried a few combinations of hammers and sears and it works like a charm now.

[jacoby33]

Thanks, I think replacing the sear will work I hate to take off the original sear because it has matching numbers. Will this hurt the overall value of the gun?

[daltrey99]

The sear isnt stamped with a number. What year is it? the only stamping it could possibly have is a WaffenAmpt and those were only stamped up until the AC42 series.

[jacoby33]

It has the waffenamt with 359?

[daltrey99]

Originally Posted by jacoby33

It has the waffenamt with 359?

You need to replace it with a sear that has the WaffenAmpt 359 stamped on it to be correct if that is what you are replacing. If no one can help you with one on here. Contact LugerDoc (Tom Heller from Heller Arms). He probably has one.

[MGMike]

Is the the trigger bar spring properly seated in its little niche in the trigger bar and hooked on the frame?

M

[AoxoMoxoA]

Originally Posted by MGMike

Is the the trigger bar spring properly seated in its little niche in the trigger bar and hooked on the frame?

This will not come as news to most P38 owners, but that little trigger bar spring is EXTREMELY easy to dislodge when cleaning the pistol with the grips removed...

EDIT: I have prior experience with accidental trigger bar spring displacement, and would like to share the following:

While detail cleaning my P38 the day I purchased it, I had unknowingly knocked the trigger bar spring out of position (likely with a toothbrush while scrubbing), and when I visited the range the next morning, the pistol would only fire in double action. In what should have been single action, the trigger met a point of resistance, and slipped without firing the round. If I decocked the hammer, I could fire another round in DA. I returned home and took the pistol apart and while looking it over, discovered the trigger bar spring in what seemed to be in an odd position, tucked behind the bar. I spotted the notch under the trigger bar, and saw the little upward curve of the spring, and took a pair of tweezers and dislodged it from behind the bar and tucked it into position in the channel on the underside of the trigger bar. I checked it for function, then took it back to the range and the pistol operated properly.

Below, are photos that depict the condition that I later found on the 'net when following up on the problem.

Hope this is of assistance, if not to the OP, to others...

[rollin59]

Originally Posted by AoxoMoxoA

This will not come as news to most P38 owners, but that little trigger bar spring is EXTREMELY easy to dislodge when cleaning the pistol with the grips removed...

EDIT: I have prior experience with accidental trigger bar spring displacement, and would like to share the following:
...
Below, are photos that depict the condition that I later found on the 'net when looking up the problem...

Hope this is of assistance, if not to the OP, to others...

I think I took that same picture of my P38 after having the exact same problem.

[jacoby33]

The trigger bar spring is in the notch. You can pull the trigger to double action fire but the slide will not set the hammer in cocked position. I assume if it were loaded it would be full auto. I will try to contact lugerdoc for the part thanks for your help fellas.