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Walther P38 manual Page3

Graphic Description

The handgun pistol is loaded and uncocked. The safety lever is 'off.
The hand gun is thus ready for instant use ('Double-Action'). Automatic Safety
The handgun, though uncocked and loaded, may thus be fired. The safety lever (19) is in the 'Fire' position. The handgun is, OS shown in II lustration 3, entirely free from tension.
The firing pin (11) is blocked by the firing pin arrester (12). The live round in the chamber cannot be. Discharged if the pistol should accidentally be dropped and fall hammer first on the floor. The signal pin (8) can both be felt and seen, and indicates that there is a cartridge in the amber (Illustration 3).

The pistol is loaded, safety lever 'off, and cocked by 'pulling through' (Double-Action trigger motion, shown here in the moment in which the tumbler IS about to be released by the sear). Operating the Trigger
The trigger (43) has been pulled back until the tumbler edge (403 of the hammer (39) barely rests on the sear edge of the tensioning piece (26), as shown in Illustration 4. Until then, the firing pin arrester 92 blocks the firing pin (11)).
If the trigger (43) is now pulled back a little further, the sear (40) of the hammer slides off the edge of the cocking piece (26), the firing pin arrester (12) releases the firing pin (11), and the hammer (39) strikes the rear end of the firing pm (11).

Walther handgun loaded and cocked, safety lever 'Off
Operating the trigger when the hammer is cocked ('Single-Action').
Upon pulling the trigger (43), the cocked hammer (39) is released from its rearward position by the lifting motion of the cocking piece (26) and strikes the unlocked firing pin (11).

Walther P38 at the moment of firing
Process of firing
The hammer (39) strikes the unlocked firing pin (11), and the tip of the latter detonates the primer by hitting and indenting the primer cap, thus igniting the powder charge and thereby causing the resultant pressure gases to drive the bullet out of the cartridge case.

Handgun loaded, safety lever 'Off
Operating the safety lever when the hammer is cocked. The hammer (39) has been drawn back, and the arm is thus ready. The protruding signal pin (8) indicates that there is a cartridge in the chamber.
If for some reason it is not intended to fire the round, the safety lever (19) should in such case be moved downwards until the letter "S" becomes clearly exposed. This application of the safety lever (19) causes the firing pin (11) to be blocked (see arrows). Moreover, during the last third of the lever travel the hammer (39) becomes disengaged by the lifting of the cocking piece (26) and drops forward. (See also: page 10, - 'Handling', and Illustration 14.) The trigger moves backwards and remains in the rear -most limit of its travel.

Handgun loaded, safety lever 'Off
Operating the safety lever when the hammer is uncocked. The firing pin (11) remains blocked by the automatic safety effect of the firing pin arrester (12) when the hammer is in an uncocked state. By moving the safety lever (19) downwards, thereby exposing the letter "S" fully, an additional lock is applied to the firing pin (11), as shown by the arrows in Illustration 8. The trigger remains in its normal forward position.

loading
Hold the pistol with the right hand and render it safe by turning the safety lever downwards to the fullest extent of its travel, thus fully exposing the letter "S". Remove the magazine by releasing the magazine catch with the left thumb. The left index finger with draws the magazine from the grip, as shown in the above Illustration 9.

Filling the magazine
Hold the magazine with the left hand and push the cartridges - base first - under the magazine lips by carefully depressing the feeder platform with the cartridge rim. The magazine holds 8 cartridges. When emptying the magazine, push the cartridges forward until they are finally expelled by the upward thrust of the magazine spring. The 7 holes in the side of the magazine serve to facilitate chedcing the contents of the magazine. Any forceful jamming-in or tearing-out during either of these two respective operations would cause damage to the magazine and consequently lead to functional disorders of the pistol.

Introducing the first cartridge into the chamber
After inserting the full magazine into the pistol grip, hold the pistol with the right hand. The walther handgun must still be 'safe'. Next, grip the slide by the ribbed rear end with the left hand and pull fully backwards - then let go. This operation causes the first cartridge to slip into the chamber. The hammer, however, does not become cocked by this process, as the safety lever is still applied and the hammer of the P38 therefore cannot be cocked either by hand or else be pulling the trigger through. To make the pistol ready for immediate use, push the safety lever upwards to cover the letter *S* completely and the letter F ('Fire') becomes visible. The weapon will still remain uncocked, since the firing pin is still blocked. The pistol is nevertheless ready for firing.