Sauer 38H
Last updated
J. P. Sauer & son produced it from 1938 until April 1945, when the factory was overrun by the Allies.[1][2] German police, security forces, and the Wehrmacht used the pistol; the Wehrmacht ordered some 200 thousands for officer issue.[1]
How it changed
The basic idea of a separate, frame-mounted decocker was later revived in the HK P9 and SIG-Sauer P220 pistols.[1] Pre-war examples were made to high standards of fit and finish, but wartime production saw cost- and time-saving simplifications.[1] Late-war models omitted the slide-mounted safety and cocking/decocking lever, and had rough finishes and simpler markings.[2] Final examples produced until April 1945 often have mismatched serial numbers and poor fit and finish.[2]
On the left side, below the slide and just forward of the grip, that cocking/decocking lever was positioned.[3] Most modern SIG Sauer pistols feature a decocking lever in nearly the same position as on the 38H.[4]
What the maker and period sources say
The final design was completed by 1938, and the "H" in the model name stands for "hahn" (hammer in German), distinguishing it from earlier striker-fired Sauer pistols.[1] The Sauer 38H is a blowback-operated pistol with a stationary barrel.[1] Grip panels are made from black plastic with a "double S" Sauer logo on the left grip.[1] The field-stripping procedure involves removing the magazine, checking the chamber, pulling down a disassembly latch inside the trigger guard, and sliding the rear of the slide off the frame rails.[1]
The Modern Firearms account states that Sauer engineers worked on the concealed-hammer trigger system with external cocking and decocking lever from about 1932, with first patents issued in 1935.[1]
References
- Popenker, "Sauer 38H", Modern Firearms. facts only, no text reused. modernfirearms.net
- Wikipedia, "Sauer 38H" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sauer 38H", Pistolen der deutschen Wehrmacht (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauer 38H" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 17th Annual Firearms News Treasury, p. 28. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauer 38H" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Popenker, "Sauer 38H", Modern Firearms (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sauer 38H (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Semi-Automatic Pistols
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Sauer 38H (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced