While the Walther P38 was selected as the official sidearm of the German military in 1938 and continued to be their standard pistol throughout World War II, there were simply not enough P38s produced to meet the total demand for the German war effort.
As a result, the German military turned to numerous different types of pistols to issue to its officers and soldiers in the Wehrmacht (Army), Luftwaffe (Air Force), and Kriegsmarine (Navy).
Some of these pistols were produced by German gun manufacturers, while others were produced by foreign gun manufacturers in countries that were conquered either before or after the formal start of the war in September of 1939.
When the Germans took control of the factories of these manufacturers, they would continue production of their pistols and then issue them to their own troops to help supplement the P38.
Here are eighteen sidearms the German military used during World War II:
1 – Luger P08 9mm
The Luger P08 is perhaps the most iconic German pistol of the Second World War. It was originally selected as the standard issue sidearm for the German military in 1908 and served in that role throughout World War I and into the 1930s. It was the first pistol to chamber and fire the 9mm (9x19mm Parabellum) round, which is the most common semi-automatic pistol round utilized today. The Luger is unique for its elegant appearance and toggle link action that separated it from other semi-auto pistols of its era.
While a marvelous weapon, the Luger was slow and expensive to manufacture. As a result, the German military decided to replace it with the Walther P38. The Luger was never totally phased out, however, and continued to see service all the way up until the end of the war. Over two million were produced in total and they became highly prized souvenirs for Allied soldiers.
2 – Walther P38 9mm
The Walther P38 was the official sidearm of the German military during the war. The pistol was officially selected in 1938 and mass production began two years later. The P38 had a similar profile to the Luger, but it could be produced in only half the time and for a fraction of the cost. The P38 borrowed the same double action/single action and safety/decocker system as Walther’s earlier PP pistol and combined it with a locked breech design that could handle the 9mm cartridge. Decades later, this design would be closely replicated in the Beretta 92 pistol.
Over two million P38 pistols were made during the war in total. Of these, over half were made by Walther, while the remainder were manufactured by Mauser and Spreewerk to help keep up with demand. Walther-made P38 pistols can be identified by an ‘ac’ code on the gun, while Mauser and Spreewerk pistols were designated by ‘byf’ and ‘cyq’ respectively. The gun in the above photo is an example of a Mauser-made P38.
3 – Walther PP 9mm
The Walther PP in 7.65mm (.32 ACP) was released in 1929. This was the world’s first successful double action/single action semi-automatic pistol, and the blowback operated design has been widely replicated throughout the world. The Makarov, Bersa Thunder, SIG Sauer P230/P232, FEG PA-63, and other similar pistols all owe their heritage to the PP.
Walther originally intended the PP for use as a sidearm by German police, but it became a favorite sidearm of Nazi party officials, officers, tank crews, and Luftwaffe airmen due to its reliability, compactness, and sleek design.
4 – Walther PPK 7.65mm
In 1931, Walther released their most iconic pistol of all time in the form of the PPK. The PPK is simply the PP with a cutdown barrel and slide, shorter grip, and wraparound-style grips. Walther intended the PPK for use by plainclothes police officers and detectives who needed a gun even more concealable than the PP, but it naturally found favor with military officers and Nazi Party officials who appreciated the pistol for this same reason.
The PPK was also the favorite sidearm of Adolf Hitler and he carried one on his person often. As the Red Army closed in on Berlin, it is believed he used his PPK in 7.65mm to commit suicide in the Fuhrerbunker on April 30th, 1945.
5 – Walther Model 8 6.35mm
The Model 8 was Walther’s most successful pistol before the PP and PPK. Released in 1920, it was an innovative pistol at the time due to its few moving parts, shrouded hammer that reduced snagging when drawing from a holster or pocket, and ease of disassembly. Walther actually expanded on the design of the Model 8 further to later create the PP and PPK.
Model 8s were favored during the war by German officers who wanted a concealable pocket pistol or a backup weapon. Hitler was known to pack a Model 8 either as an alternative or an addition to his PPK. Joseph Goebbels, the chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, also owned and carried a Model 8.
6 – Astra 300 7.65mm
The Astra 300 is a compact Spanish-made pistol in 7.65mm that was introduced in 1922. The gun was issued to officers in the Spanish military and army, as well as to soldiers in the German Condor Legion who took part in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Nationalists (who were ultimately victorious). Many of the men who fought in the Condor Legion later participated in the Second World War and continued to carry the Astra 300 pistols that they had been previously issued.
The Spanish government was officially neutral during the Second World War but was sympathetic to the Axis Powers. In 1941, the German military contracted Astra to deliver Model 300 pistols to the Wehrmacht. Around 85,000 units were supplied in total.
7 – Astra 600 9mm
The Astra 600 was a larger version of the Astra 300 designed to fire the larger 9mm Parabellum round. The standard issue sidearm of the Spanish military at the time was the Astra 400, which was chambered for the 9mm Largo cartridge. The German Wehrmacht requested Astra to reconfigure the 400 for the 9mm Parabellum, and the 600 was born.
The Wehrmacht placed an order for 50,000 Astra 600 pistols. Around 10,000 guns were supplied until the Allied powers invaded France and took control of the French side of the border with Spain. The Spanish government then stored the remaining Astra 600 pistols and later sold them to West German police forces, who used them late into the 1960s.
8 – Browning Hi-Power 9mm
The Browning Hi-Power is famous for being John Browning’s last firearm design. The Hi-Power was revolutionary because it offered a total capacity of 13+1 9mm cartridges in an era where 6 to 8 rounds was normal. Hi-Power pistols were manufactured at the FN factory in Belgium, which was overrun by German forces in 1940.
The Wehrmacht took possession of many Hi-Power pistols that were already produced and ordered FN to continue production. Designated as the Pistole 640(b), it became a favorite sidearm of the Waffen-SS due to its high capacity. Meanwhile, the Allied Powers also used the Hi-Power pistol by manufacturing it at the Inglis factory in Canada. This makes the Hi-Power one of the few pistols that was extensively used by both sides during the war. The example in the above photo is a Hi-Power with Nazi proof markings.
9 – Kongsberg Colt 1911 .45
Wait, the German army issued the Colt 1911 during World War II? You bet they did, but they used a different kind of 1911 than the one you’re probably thinking of. Since the mid-1910s, M1911 pistols had been being produced in Norway under license at the Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk factory as sidearms for the Norwegian military.
When the Germans conquered Norway in 1940, they had the Kongsberg factory continue to produce the 1911 for issue to German officers and troops, although its use was limited compared to the other pistols on this list. The gun was given the designation of Pistol 657(n). Kongsberg Colts continued to be issued to the Norwegian military until the mid-1980s, when it was phased out in favor of the Glock 17.
10 – FN Model 1910 7.65mm
The FN Model 1910 was another pistol that was the brainchild of John Browning. The 1910’s blowback operated design, where the recoil spring is wrapped around the barrel, directly influenced the Walther PP that appeared a couple of decades later. Browning originally offered the design to Colt, but when they turned it down, he brought it to the FN factory in Belgium.
When the FN factory was overrun by the German army, they took possession of the Hi-Power pistols as well as the Model 1910s that were being produced. The Model 1910 continued production under German control and was designated as the Pistole 621. It was a good choice for a German soldier or officer who wanted a slim and compact 7.65mm pistol but couldn’t get their hands on a PP or PPK. FN also produced a larger version of the Model 1910 called the Model 1922, which was also used by the German forces.
11 – FEG 37M 7.65mm
Colloquially known as the Femaru, the FEG 37M was a compact Hungarian-made 7.65mm pistol. Hungary was allied with Germany as a part of the Axis Powers throughout the war. The 37M was originally a .380 ACP pistol without a manual thumb safety; the German military requested a .32 ACP version with a thumb safety (like you’ll see in the above photo) and FEG obliged.
Designated in German service as the Pistole 37(u), the 37M had a reputation for being a reliable pistol. It was most widely issued as a sidearm to German Luftwaffe units. Over 150,000 units were produced in total.
12 – Mauser HSc 7.65mm
Introduced in 1940, the Mauser HSc was a 7.65mm pistol with a profile similar to the PPK. Like the PPK, the HSc is a blowback operated pistol, but it has some key differences. The hammer is only semi-exposed and when the slide is locked back, it will automatically close when a loaded magazine is fully inserted. This allowed for a faster reloading process than the PPK, where the locked slide has to be manually pulled slightly to the rear and then released on a loaded magazine to chamber the weapon. Also unlike the PPK, the safety lever does not decock the weapon when lowered; instead, the user has to engage the safety and then manually decock the pistol themselves.
The HSc was issued to all units of the German military, including the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, the Gestapo, and the Waffen-SS. After the war, Mauser resumed production in 1968 until 1977; unlike the World War II-era HScs, a majority of the the post-war models were chambered in .380 ACP.
13 – Mauser C96 9mm
In World War I, the German military commissioned Mauser to deliver C96 pistols in 9mm (rather than the C96’s standard 7.63mm Mauser chambering) to help supplement the Luger P08 pistols that were slow to produce. Over 130,000 C96 pistols were delivered, and several of these were still in use during the Second World War as well. In 1940, the Luftwaffe contracted Mauser for further deliveries of the C96 pistol to be issued to flak and motorcycle crews.
The C96 is immediately recognizable to most people from it being used as a prop for several of the ‘blaster’ pistols in the Star Wars movies; a modified C96 is the gun wielded by Han Solo in the Original Trilogy. The C96 is also notable because it loads with a ten round stripper clip like you see in the above photo, and it can be affixed with a shoulder stock for use as a lightweight carbine.
14 – Sauer 38H 7.65mm
Another 7.65mm pistol that competed directly with the Walther PPK and Mauser HSc during the war was the 38H pistol from Sauer & Sohn. Introduced in 1938, the Sauer 38H was originally intended for the police market, but it also became widely issued to officers in the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. Several high ranking Nazi party officials were also given 38H pistols. The pistol has a safety lever on the top of the slide, and a decocker lever on the side of the frame that would later become a trademark feature of SIG Sauer pistols.
Speaking of which, Sauer & Sohn later merged with the Swiss arms company SIG to form SIG Sauer. This was because SIG could only export firearms under Swiss law if they worked with a foreign partner. It’s somewhat confusing as Sauer & Sohn remains its own entity to this day, and there are several sister companies under the SIG Sauer banner. Over 115,000 Sauer 38H pistols were produced in total.
15 – Steyr M1912 9mm
The Steyr M1912 was an Austrian-made pistol originally chambered for the 9mm Steyr round that was used by the Austro-Hungarian military in World War I. Like the Mauser C96, it feeds via stripper clips that are inserted through the top of the weapon. After Austria was annexed by the German military, the Austrian military was absorbed into the Wehrmacht and the Steyr M1912 pistols with it.
To simplify logistics, the Wehrmacht had tens of thousands of M1912 pistols rechambered for the 9mm Parabellum round. The M1912 was designated as the Pistole 12(o) in German service, and it was still being used by the end of the war. Some versions of the M1912 have an extended magazine that increases the capacity from 8 to 16 rounds, giving it firepower that exceeded the Browning Hi-Power.
16 – Radom Vis 35 9mm
The Radom Vis 35 was a 9mm pistol that became the standard issue pistol for the Polish military in 1935. The pistol was made by combining elements of both the Colt M1911A1 and the Browning Hi-Power. The Vis 35 is today widely regarded as one of the best service pistols of World War II due to its extreme durability, reliability, and accuracy. Almost all were chambered in 9mm but a very limited number were produced in .45 ACP as well.
When Germany conquered Poland in 1939, they took over the Radom factory and began issuing the Vis 35 pistol to their own troops. Over 300,000 Vis 35 pistols were made in total while the Radom factory was under German control, and most of these guns were issued to either German paratroopers or units that were stationed on the Eastern Front. Today, the Vis 35 is highly prized by collectors of World War II firearms. Production of the Vis 35 resumed in 2017.
17 – CZ 27 7.65mm
The CZ 27 was a Czech-made 7.65mm pistol that was issued to German units after the annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938. The CZ 27 had a reputation for being very reliable and was a good alternative to the PPK, FN M1910, Mauser HSc, and the Sauer 38H for a German soldier or officer who wanted a compact .32 pistol.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the CZ 27 is the safety mechanism. Like you’ll see in the above photo, there’s a small lever on the side of the frame in front of the grip. This can be pressed downward only when the gun is cocked to engage the safety. To release the safety, you need to push the button that’s directly under the lever. Designated as the Pistole Modell 27 in German service, over 650,000 units of the CZ27 were produced in total.
18 – MAB Model D 7.65mm
Introduced in 1933, the MAB Model D is a French-made 7.65mm pistol that was heavily inspired from the FN M1910. The gun was issued to the French military as a sidearm until the German occupation began in 1940, at which point it was reissued to German troops. The German-issued Model Ds have German acceptance marks that are stamped into the metal and are prized by collectors of World War II firearms.
After the war, the Model D continued to be used by both French and German police forces for several decades, and they are still being used as surplus pistols for French law enforcement to this day. Over 200,000 units were produced in total.
