Neglected P-38

[Gil Martin]

I was in a gun shop yesterday and saw a cyq P-38 that had been stored in a damp basement since 1945. Seems a G.I.brought it home and his wife disliked guns so he placed it in a the basement. His grandson sold it to the gun shop for $50.00 (which was too much in my view). The pistol was covered with rust and the slide was rusted in place as was the magazine. The shop owner plans to soak the handgun in oil for a few days to see what happens. I nearly forgot, there is a round in the chamber, but the hammer is rusted in the down position (I determined this with a handgun cleaning rod, a bore light and mirror). All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

I will pay $50 and take that P-38 off the shop owner's hands.

This reminds me of a story from my old New Hampshire deer camp, Kilkenny Lodge, just East of Round Mountain and North of Berlin, NH.

I first went to deer camp in 1975. It was the rustic and outback experience one would picture of the "North Woods" of New England. We had about one million acres of the White Mountain National Forest to hunt the few NH deer. On my first day at the lodge, I saw a M98K Mauser over the fireplace. The rilfe was found 10 years before leaning against a tree on Deer Mountain by a club member. The rifle had been in the woods for a decade or so and was fully loaded; chamber and magazine. The guys unloaded the rusty rifle and then made it the center piece of the camp.

We often wondered if a hunter got lost and freaked out and left the Mauser behind or if the guy dropped dead nearby and the coyotes cleaned up his remains. The woods are very big up there north of Berlin and there are many tales of lost hunters. Our camp may have the deer rifle of one of the lost.....

Adam

[Joe Boleo]

Gil,
I saw that P-38 and the only parts that appeared salvagable were the grips. Take care...
Joe