Walther P38 manual Page4
'Single-Action' shooting
In target shooting, it is recommended to cock the hammer with the right thumb as shown in Illustration 12. With a little practice, this operation should become fairly easy. It offers the advantage of having only a comparatively slight amount of resistance (trigger pressure) to overcome. This in its turn increases the accuracy in shooting quite considerably.
'Double-Action' shooting
Firing the first shot by means of the 'single-action' method is, of course, chiefly enacted in practice and competition shooting at targets, while 'double-action' shooting occurs mainly under active service conditions. In the latter event, the hammer is cocked by simply pulling the trigger through its entire length of travel for the first shot. Should for reasons of faulty ammunition the pistol fail to fire in such exceptional cases, the trigger should be pulled again. A second impact of the firing pin on the primer cap will as a rule cause even a defective round to detonate.
Operating the safety lever
Hold the handgun with the right hand, and place the right index finger along the side of the trigger guard. The right thumb grips the hammer, while the left thumb pushes the safety lever downwards. The hammer can now slowly return to its resting position, as shown in illustration 14. Care should be taken that the muzzle of the pistol paints downwards.
The emptied magazine
When the last round in the magazine has been fired, the slide stays open. If shooting is to be continued, remove the empty magazine and insert the next full magazine. Pull the slide back lightly and then let it glide forwards. This process will cause the first round to be introduced into the chamber.
This cartridge may also be fed into the chamber without using the left hand: by simply depressing the catch lever with the right thumb. If it is not intended to continue shooting, apply the safety lever (see page 10, Illustration 14).
Unloading
If the handgun P38 is to be unloaded after a live round has been lodged in the chamber, put the safety lever into the Safe' position (see page 10, Illustration 14), withdraw the magazine, and remove the cartridges from the latter. Now pull the slide fully back (as shown in Illustration 16). The cartridge will be extracted from the chamber by this operation and drop out.
Dismantling
insert an empty magazine. Hold the pistol with the right hand and move the safety lever to 'Safe' (see page 10, Illustration 14). Next, pull the slide back until it stays open, and remove the magazine. Then turn the barrel catch lever downwards with the left thumb until it engages with an audible 'click'.
If an empty magazine is not available, the retracted slide may be made to stay open by pushing the catch lever upwards.
Dismantling
The barrel catch lever having been pushed down, the slide should now be pulled back slightly and then be allowed to move forward so as to be separated from the frame,
Alternatively, the slide may be drawn back with the left hand while the right thumb depresses the breech catch lever. Following this, the slide may be allowed to glide forward and off the frame unit.
Separating the barrel from the slide
Hold the slide upside-down in the left hand as shown in illustration 19. Press the small internal locking bolt towards the muzzle end with your right index finger. The barrel can then be readily taken out of the slide unit.
Cleaning the component parts
The Walther pistol has now been partly stripped and split up into its four main units: barrel, slide, frame (grip), and magazine, as shown in Illustration 20. These components can now be cleaned and oiled.
The barrel, the grooves of the slide, and the grip unit should be lubricated with a good, acid-free, and non-resinous oil, and the barrel should then be wiped dry again.
Any further dismantling should be carried out only if there is an uncommonly great amount of dirt present in these parts. Any such work, however, should be entrusted to skilled craftsmen.
Assembling
The re-assembling of the walther handgun is appropriate carried out in the opposite order to that of taking-down.' In order to avoid damage during this process, it IS important that the following explanations and Illustrations be observed:
It is particularly important to realize that re-assembling can be carried out only while the pistol is in a 'safe' state, i. e., the hammer must be 'down'. First, re-fit the barrel to the slide. When attaching this re-assembled unit to the grip unit, ensure that the locking bolt below the chamber IS pressed upwards with the left thumb in the manner shown in Illustration 21. The slide unit can now be freely pushed back over the frame top without any fear of damage to the recoil springs, the slide, or the frame.
The three protruding parts - ejector, release lever, and trip lever' - must be pushed downwards so as to permit the slide to run freely back over the top of the frame (the three components in question are indicated by arrows in Illustration (22).
Assembling
Insert the empty magazine into the grip, and then pull the slide bock until the latter engages and stays open. Now push the barrel catch lever back into its normal locking position with the left thumb, as shown in Illustration 23.
Finally, push the breech-locking lever downwards with the right thumb and at the same time pull the slide back with the left hand, then let the slide move forward.
The P 38 is now once again in its complete original state, -safe, and ready for further service.
Voting
Viewed: 722 | Votes: 4 | Rate:
Favorites, suggestions
Add to Favorites:
Comments
No comments yet. Be first!