DD>I have the P-1 (the East German P-38), steel - not alloy - frame.
DD>I am thinking of asking a gunsmith about the possibility of modifying
DD>it for concealed carry. My idea is:
DD>1. bobb the hammer
DD>2. shorten the barrell & move the sight back
DD>   (but I don't know how a gunsmith can cut out a section and then
DD>        rejoin the two pieces - does he weld?
DD>Is this feasible? expensive? safe?
Dan,
   You need to rethink this whole idea.
   Is this an "original" P-38 or a modern gun made in the same
   pattern?  If this is a collectible item, you do NOT want to go
   messing with it, you'll ruin it's collectibility and value.
   Even if it's a modern made gun on the classic P-38 design, it
   would be sacreligious to alter it.
   Based on the questions you've asked in this thread, it appears
   you still have a bit to learn about armed self-defense and the
   appropriate guns and ammo for that purpose.  I think you have
   put the cart before the horse by saying you will be using a
   P-38 and then searching for the proper load.
   The better method would be to search for the caliber and
   bullet-style FIRST, and then shop for a good carry gun that
   shoots that caliber.
>The reason I got the 147gr Federal Subsonic hollowpts is I assumed:
>
>1. quieter (subsonic)
>2. slightly more armour piercing (eg. able to shoot through a car
>or a solid door)
The above are not serious considerations for concealed carry for
self-defense.  The 9mm 147 grain bullets have also proved less
than satisfactory in real life use.  Their main purpose is for
law enforcement or military use where they need to use a
suppressed sub-machine gun.
The fact that a round is "subsonic" does NOT have much of a
bearing on the loudness of an un-suppressed firearm.  A .45 acp
is subsonic, but it's report is usually much louder than a
super-sonic 9mm round.
And, if you have to shoot through cars or doors, you might have a
tough time making a case for a self-defense shooting.
>What I want is
>
>1. quiet, low flash
Muzzle flash has a lot more to do with the kind and amount of
powder used in the round, and has somewhat to do with barrel
length. You can try different brands of ammo in a given
caliber/style to find the one that gives the least flash.
>2. very piercing (cars, doors)
>3. heavy damage (large hole)
>4. no damage to my P-1
Again, these are conflicting goals in a 9mm Parabellum round.
If you want "very piercing" you go with a round nosed full metal
jacket round.  But, such a round will not cause a "large hole"
nor "heavy damage".  A 9mm FMJ round just slices through. A round
that easily slices through cars is going to slice through people
too. Your bullets are going to end up hitting whatever is
*behind* your target. In my opinion, your goals are not very well
met with a 9mm caliber.
In fact, a while ago, the FBI came up with some similar criteria
as yours for ballistic tests.  They decided on a 180 grain .40"
diameter bullet propelled at 985 feet/sec.  That is exactly what
the .40 S&W caliber does.    (And just to throw gasoline on the
fire, I'll remind everyone that the .45 acp launches a 185 grain
.45" bullet at 1000 feet/sec.)
My recommendation is to go back to step one and rethink the whole
process.  Make a choice between revolver or semi-auto. A 5-shot
or 6-shot .357 magnum or .38 Special +P may well suit your needs.
If you want a semi-auto, are you going to practice enough with
it to know how to clear jams in a pinch?  Are you going to run
200 rounds of (relatively expensive) carry ammo through it to
make sure it functions with the EXACT ammo you will be staking
your life on?
The 9mm is probably the least of the "reliable" stoppers. (Some
people carry a .380 when circumstances dictate an even smaller
handgun for concealment purposes. But it's better than no gun at
all.) If you had to have a small concealable semi-auto, a small
9mm with a single stack (single column of cartridges, as opposed
to staggered or double stack) magazine is a good concealable
choice.  But the P-38 is not a small gun anyway, is it?
If the size of the P-38 does not bother you, then you can get a
bigger and more effective caliber, such as .40 S&W in a similar
size piece.
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