Sauer 38H: Most Underrated German Pistol of WW2 

I’ve never heard of this pistol honestly. This is completely new to me. Awesome video

Thanks for making this video! I Like the close up footage and how you do a walk around the gun. I also appreciate the switch to WW2 hand guns .

This is one of the most mechanically informative videos I've seen. My father bought an early variant of the Sauer 38H in 1947. He had a disability retirement from the California Highway Patrol from having his right leg shot off at the knee and this was the pistol he could carry when his 1911 was too big. By 1949 he had recovered enough from the injury and spent enough time learning to use his new peg leg that he could pass the physical and go back into police work for the Sheriff's Dept. Unfortunately, when he died 20 years later my mother gave all his guns to his buddy the Sheriff before I could drive across country to put in my claim. A few years later I found one in a gun store in Denver and bought it. It's a nice shooting little pistol, but I'm not a fan of .32 ACP and after a few years I traded it for a Colt 1908. Would I prefer the Sauer or the Walther PPK? I have moderately large hands and I experience hammer bite with the PPK, so I definitely prefer the Sauer. But among the older pocket autos, the Colt 1908 is my favorite.

fantastic firearm! Own one mfg. Jan. 1940. Original rare , yellow and red painted sights and original grips. Thanks for the vid.

Thanks for the video. I have this exact gun I acquired from my grandfather. Didn't know what brand it was until this video! Thanks!

Great review, definitely will be in my bucket list Btw, the features on this pistol very similar to HK P9S which is a work of genius and great piece as well

Thanks, I'm restoring an early version (lots of writing on the slide). I'm starting to get excited about it.

My grandfather brought back his JP sauer 38H its after the war it's in great shape and the trigger is surprisingly good and accurate the serial number is 305981 with eagle N

Excellent review, a personal favorite 7.65.

I have passed on these a couple times at gun shows... I really need to get one next time I see it at a good price.

This gun was actually in consideration to be James Bond’s gun in the ian Fleming books. Original Bond uses a .25 Beretta from Casino Royale to From Russia With Love. A gun expert named Geffory Bourthroud wrote to Fleming saying he felt the .25 beretta was a terrible choice for Bond. Fleming wrote back to him thanking him and switched Bonds gun to the Walther PPK in Dr. No

A fantastic firearm by German design with simplistic beauty and functionality. Thank you!

There are some rare specimen without an external safety - when I had the chance to buy one, I didn't hesitate, in spite of the poor wartime finish.

Just picked one up, its been a number of years of trying to have things fall into place.

These are for the most part very good guns. But the one that I have pointed out the one flaw in the design. I had to replace my safety, the reason, it broke into two parts. The notches are cut square for firing pin and other parts. This leads to stress fractures from the repeated blow of the hammer against the safety. That this is a very common problem is shown by two things. First, you can't get new parts except for the very common parts of firing pins and the decocking spring. In the used parts market, the safety is very rare and a bit expensive, showing that there is demand beyond supply. Slides without the safety are common, but the safety is not. Why do I mention this, simple, I would consider very carefully dropping the hammer instead of lowering it.

My late father served in the 2nd infantry during WW2. He returned home with a few war trophies from the battles. This was one of hs trophies he liberated from a dead German officer that he killed.

It could have stayed attractive in the latter part of the 20th century and even for all but the last few years of the 21st if they offered it in 380 ACP, similar to what competing pistols did such as FN 1910/1922 or Walther's. That DA/SA action would be great. That said I like .32 cal / 7.65mm pistols and even carry a Kel-Tec P32 when I need the smallest and lightest gun to carry.

ਘੈਂਟ ਪਿਸਤੌਲ ਹੈ ਵੀਰੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਜਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਪਾਸ ਮਾਉਜਰ ਦੇ ਹਥਿਆਰ ਨੇ ਮਾਉਜਰ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਜੀ

I like them too. A bit snappy for a .32 of this size. Haven't had any problems with slide bite. Nothing near as bad as the hammer bite I get from the Hsc.

These pistols were commonly carried by the German panzer troops in ww2 and the Mauser hsc in 32 acp and the SA / Brown shirts

I still have my grandfather’s sauer 38h, I only take it out every couple of years, shoot it, clean it, and then put it away.

I noticed the hole at the back of the trigger. Do you know what that’s for? Mine has the same thing. Curious 🧐 I think I have a second model serial number 319030 it’s has a nice bluing considering war production. I’m guessing it late 39 or 40 it’s within the first 5000 copies. From what I can find.

Got one, it’s very nice.

Really cool gun. Not sure about the reliability but it seems very underrated! Good info

Very nice pistol the bersa seem similar

The 38h seems to me to be a typical German firearm. An expensive, precision engineered piece of machinery, full of ingenious mechanisms designed to solve problems that don't really exist. Don't get me wrong. From an historic firearms enthusiast's point of view, I love these old masterpieces. However, I do question German firearm production priorities on WW2. Why put so much production effort into making hundreds of thousands of beautifully engineered pistols (including the P38), requiring extensive machining and skilled labour input, and which have virtually no combat effectiveness, when they could have been making literally millions of cheap, combat effective SMG's like the STEN, PpSH41 and Grease Gun? It sounds like a war losing strategy to me.

I love it!

No wonder this pistol became a standard sidearm for Fallschirmjagers in WW2.

discovered that a full load caused magazine to be pushed down in handle activating mag safety so removed it - works every time now - nice finish on yours

I did know the pistol before but just from pictures. I didnt know that it has a decocker and that the lever als can cock the hammer. That is genius. Strange why Sig&Sauer continue with the decocking function only.

Great video - thank you for the info - my dad inherited one along with the holster and US Army paperwork declaring it an article of war and allowing for it to be brought back to the US - super excited to see it again now that I know more about it

Had the opportunity to buy one with holster at a decent price, but already spent a good amount of money the week prior. Regret it now. Is the trigger supposed to be phosphate colored/finished like yours?

I have one of these. Absolutely great gun. Mine is a Nazi military police officer pistol. On the left side of the frame in front of the trigger guard it’s stamped with a “C”. My cocker doesn’t work, but the de-cocker does. Supposedly there is a spring that breaks and I found one on eBay and installed it but it still doesn’t work. I don’t have the original grips though. You’re correct that the Bako-Lite grips are fragile. Very few are still around but there’s a company that makes reproduction grips. Mine are ivory colored rather than original black.

wait do you really live in missorui? heard that on another video. There is a gun show in Rolla this friday, would be super cool to see you there!

Darn it Nathan!!

I have one. Have wood grips and plastic ivory color grips.

I love my pistol. My father passed it down to me from His father passing it to him, The grip has the free mason symbol on each side. My grandfather was a mystery, as is my father.

Looks like the glock of its time a pretty good collectable but i am a pp fan(i watch lots oflegacy collectables) im sure you love it too İ say it looks like italian am i right Reply

Does anyone have replacement parts available? Springs , magazines,etc.

Excellent design, I wish there were modern firearms with this cock/decock feature.

My best friend just came into this pistol. His grandfather passed awa and he was in world war II he always said he took it off a dead Nazi. He claimed an SS I don't know if that's true. He was a warrant officer in the United States Army I wouldn't think he's a liar. Anyway he gave that to my boy's dad, My boy's dad just passed away. The gun's not the best shape has a bit of rust on it and the hand of scales are broken but it functions. He's wondering it if there's a market for it

SINCERELY YOUR'S CHARLETNEWTON

I wonder why the hammer cocking thing hasn't made a return, only the decocking function?

Neet!

The grips are Italian?

Do A pp video (if avelible )

I have one I also have one video of it on my channel

Who underrated it?

I think the 38H is the best auto pistol ever made! I know the pistol is a simple blowback but it is also a .32 cal gun. If the damned Soviet morons hadn't taken control of the Sauer Factory in WWI the 38 H and Sauer itself would be a big-time player in today's market like the Walther and Mauser companies!

Proud owner of this inspired gun my wife bought me the taneotech from *immaglockdealer on wickr* T2 for Father’s Day and the MK18 upper as well so mad credit for her too