Walther P38

The Walther P38 (Pistole, 1938) is a semi-automatic pistol featured in Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 3 multiplayer. In real life, it was designed to replace the Luger P08 pistol, which was considered very expensive, and whose production was scheduled to be ended by 1942. Although it holds the "38" number on its name (due to the fact that it was designed on 1938), it wasn't until 1939 until the first prototypes were built, and the mass production began later on that same year.

Call of Duty 3
The Walther P38 is the side-arm used by the Axis team in Multiplayer. Holding the standard eight rounds, it can be deadly in precise hands, especially in close quarters. It can be used for medium range, though it has enough recoil to throw a player off, especially if fired rapidly, and awkward iron sights. For the Axis Anti-Armor class, the P38 is its only essentially anti-personnel weapon. It has a longer reload than the M1911 to compensate for the higher capacity (8, as opposed to the M1911's 7), but it makes it somewhat inferior as they both have the same power. It is also near impossible to reload cancel with it.

Singleplayer
The Walther is the same as the other non-Magnum pistols except for its appearance and reload times. It has the second slowest mid-magazine reload and the slowest empty reload. This is the weapon that Dimitri Petrenko is severely wounded with by the last German on the "Reichstag" at the end of "Downfall". It is also the weapon that he must use to shoot General Heinrich Amsel in "Vendetta" to get the Gunslinger Achievement/ Trophy. It also has no visible recoil. It's hard to find it anywhere on the map, as the best chance to obtain it its by putting a German soldier into Last Stand, wait for him to pull it out, and then finish him. This must be done also in order to re-stock ammo. Near the start of the mission, Vendetta, when being sniped across the river, there is a Walther P38 on the table next to the sofa. This is a good opportunity to get a good sidearm.

Multiplayer
The P38 is unlocked at level 3. Its damage is identical to the other non-magnum pistols. As such, it is a relatively good choice for a sidearm.Of all the non-magnum pistols of World at War, the Walther P38 has the fastest firing rate.Its reload time is fast in relation to the other non-magnum handguns. This weapon is not frequently seen in multiplayer because most players believe it has less damage than the M1911, though this is not true.

Trivia

 * The P38 fires the 9mm bullet just like the MP40, but the two don't share ammo in-game.
 * When the player picks up the gun in the World at War singleplayer or co-op campaign, the player always cocks the hammer back, while in multiplayer, the player just picks it up. Same goes to the MP-40 and the Nambu.
 * It is possible to obtain the P38 in any Nazi Zombies map by using the "give all" console cheat, yet it can't be Pack-a-Punched in Der Riese.
 * In Call of Duty 3, when the player looks down the iron sights, the hammer falls forward into the safe position.
 * In the Call of Duty: World at War's Create-A-Class screen, the P38 is described as having a high rate of fire, despite being identical to other pistols.