German Luger

[Fyrtwuck]

I'll let you visit it, now and then, and give it a good home.

I’m sure you would, but it sits cozy in my safe with its Austrian friends.

It would be really nice if I could find the three parts I needed with “12” stamped on them. I’m sure there is more than one Luger out there with a serial number that ended in “12”.

I’m still curious about that indentation in the left side. It fits the profile of a round nose 115 grain 9mm bullet really well. Just a guess, but I can’t help but wonder if this gun was struck by a 9mm round and the missing parts went flying off the gun.

Did an allied soldier actually shoot this gun out of a Germans hand with a lucky shot? How did it find it’s way into the US?

With that mystery behind it, do I really want to search for those parts? I’ve been looking for sources of Luger parts. I did find a vendor who makes stamps that look like the original type and font, but I don’t really want to do that.

 

[Erick]

I went over there and joined the site. Haven’t found anything yet.

I'm sure you know by now, but it is a 1941 Mauser made P08. The mismatched parts are consistent with the repair of the damage. It hasn't been refinished so that's good. There is no telling what caused the damage. It may have been struck by a bullet but that would have been a strange angle. I guess anything is possible in war! I think it is a cool piece that holds some mystery. Pricing it's value will vary greatly. I have seen shooter-grade Lugers go for $600-700 between real collectors and have seen people try and sell refinished mismatched shooters for $1,500 at a gun show. Lugers are very difficult to gauge since there are so many variations, manufacturers and good reproductions.
If you ever want to sell/trade it, let me know. I am looking for a shooter.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I’ll put you on the list. So far, I’ve only found three parts that don’t match. Any idea what the numbers with the eagles mean?

 

[scottb42]

I’ll put you on the list. So far, I’ve only found three parts that don’t match. Any idea what the numbers with the eagles mean?

Those are the Waffenamt stamps, government acceptance markings.

Google will return something on the order of 3 billion links, but you can start with these from the always reliable wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffenamt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffenamt_codes

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Thanks, that gives me something to start with.