Lot 1256

French Mauser "svw/46" P.38, Vietnam War Trophy with Papers

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French Mauser "svw/46" P.38, Vietnam War Trophy with Papers

Estimate: $5,000 - $7,500

Starting Bid: $4,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 22, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Post-World War II French Occupation Mauser "svw/46" P.38 Semi-Automatic Pistol, with Holster, Extra Magazine, and Paperwork Verifying the Pistol as a Vietnam War Trophy Manufactured in 1946, the "svw/46" Mauser P.38s were manufactured under the guidance of French occupation forces in Germany, who used Mauser's output to meet their own military and police armament needs. Per a series of supplied American and South Vietnamese documents, this pistol was taken as a war trophy in Vietnam by a then-Major Ralph D. Scalzo in 1968 and brought back to the United States. A signed statement dated 1977 provides some details, with others left to speculation. The exact path the pistol took to Vietnam is unrecorded, but given France's almost immediate post-WWII involvement in the First Indochina War, the pistol was most likely material for French Army operations against the Viet Minh while attempting to retain control of their pre-WWII colonial holdings. The First Indochina War would end with the departure of French occupation forces and international recognition of a partitioned North and South Vietnam as independent nations. Large quantities of French weapons would remain in country, either captured during the war itself or abandoned during the French withdrawal, with many winding up in the hands of paramilitary organizations like the Viet Cong. The letter notes that this pistol was found in a weapons cache within 50 miles of Saigon sometime prior to April 25, 1968, with speculation that the cache was planted there by the Viet Cong. Stored at a Republic of Vietnam depot in Cholon, it would be signed out to Major Scalzo, then serving as an Ordnance advisor to the People's Republic of Vietnam, who would bring the pistol home to the States, later consigning the pistol, the documents, and presumably the written information (no mention of the holster or extra magazine) to the letter writer in 1977. Separating from the Army at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Scalzo would work at Lockheed as an engineer in civilian life, passing on in 2014. The pistol follows the traditional pattern for French P.38s, fitted with a set of fixed sights, a single "five-pointed star" inspection mark on the slide, matching numbers on the slide, barrel, locking block and frame, and a correct set of "gray ghost" sheet metal grips. Both of the included magazines bear "eagle/135" proofs, and the included holster is constructed with a brown leather exterior and white leather interior, with the overall pattern matching examples seen on other Vietnamese War-era service pistol holsters.

Manufacturer: Mauser

Model: P 38

BBL: 4 7/8 inch round

Gauge: 9mm Luger

Finish: blue

Grips: metal

Serial Number5424k

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: The Charlie Justmann Collection
  • Condition: Excellent, with 90% plus original blue finish, showing areas of plum and brown patina, edge wear, minor spotting and light scratches. The grips are also excellent, with 97% of the original phosphate finished, some light dings and scuffs. Mechanically excellent. The holster is fine, with some scuffing and lost stitching. A truly unique and exceptional Vietnam War trophy!

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000