How to identify P-08
 

Greetings - What is the best way to identify which sub-variant of the P-08 I have? All parts have matching serial numbers and it has never been refurbished. The gentleman who brought it back from WW-1 hid it in his pants as he departed the ship. Thanks for your help!

Your kidding right ??? No pictures, no description ?? .... I mean the guys here are good and you came to the right place but please help us help you. :rolleyes:

What make is your Luger -
1. DWM https://i.imgur.com/HdyocPt.jpg
2. Erfurt https://i.imgur.com/KTJMM7Q.jpg
3. Mauser https://i.imgur.com/FEWflJU.png
4. Simson https://i.imgur.com/LRqvpZ0.jpg?1
5. Kreighoff Suhl https://i.imgur.com/TfWOpRr.jpg

What length is your barrel ?
Does it have a date like this https://i.imgur.com/2eN9dRc.jpg

Answer these questions and try to get pictures up and we go from there OK ??

Not Possible!!

Welcome to the forum. This is the right place to ask your question BUT we need far more information in order to answer with any accuracy.

Clear, sharp pictures of the entire gun from different angles plus pictures of the markings and serial number on the front of the frame should allow us to answer your questions.

Otherwise, details of all marking and where they're located on the gun are needed along with barrel length and sight configuration.

Help us and we'll gladly help you.

Try this as well:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showpost...75&postcount=2

You'll find the reference information in our FAQ document (Gerben posted the link above) to be quite useful.

There are many subtle things about Lugers, so posting well exposed, sharp pictures (taken in shaded natural light - not with flash) will help us help you.

Identifying P-08
 

Thank you for your feedback. Here are some pictures that I hope will be helpful. Thank you again!

There is no date over the chamber?

Judging by the acceptance stamps, it's either a 1917 or 1918 dated DWM.

Thank you for your feedback. The date has been filed off. Would that make the sale value, as I intend to sell it, significantly less? Thank you.

Do you have a photo of that area?

Juris, Unfortunately with the date scrubbed it really does affect the value. From a collectable it drops it to a shooter.

I agree it hurts the value. But I also wonder why anyone would want to remove the chamber date at all.

Then only semi-plausible idea I can come up with is that the pistol simply retained all its military proof markings in lieu of commercial nitro proofs as it was a cottage industry commercial rework post WW1? My post-war commercial's chamber has indications of a date having been scrubbed from it as it was reworked for commercial sale. But it was given nitro proofs and a commercial style SN.

I agree with Quinten - what caliber is it?
Do you see a Germany or made in Germany stamp anywhere?

From what I can see it's a straight military with the date scrubbed and no other indications of commercial sale so far? But as Ed says, caliber and Germany? This info would give some leads..There was a period in time in the USA where misinformation caused owners of Luger's to grind on them. Stock lugs for example. A photo of the ground area would be helpful. Re blued after grinding or no?

Any numbers or stamps on the holster? Is there a date on the front? Can you provide a photo of the front of the loading tool and mag bottoms?

Here are additional photos. Breakdown tool with Symbol; Holster with number stamped; Holster with 5847 stamped; Clip with 5847 stamped; clips' rear view; top of gun date filed. Thank you all for your feedback! Patrick

You have a shooter grade Luger Filing the date pretty much eliminates collector interest in your pistol. We get a lot of "what's it worth" posts, and many new owners are disappointed.

I really can't make out much detail from your photos. They are too small and some lack focus. I'll assume it's been refinished or left ground and unfinished.

In any case, you may expect $900-$1100 for it all. I would expect to see halos on the barrel gauge stamp so it's likely this pistol has been refinished.

The manipulation is unfortunate, since a unmolested original finish pistol like this with original accessories and matching magazines would go for well over $2500...

Bubba done filed off $1,500 worth of metal and bluing.

Unfortunate that the date was filed off. What is number on the other mag?

Thank you all for your valuable feedback. Here are 4 larger photos. I have had this gun since 72 and have never done anything to refurbish it. Al Looker, the original owner told me he had never done anything to "fix it up". I have shot perhaps 10 rounds and it functions beautifully. He told me the soldiers were required to break it down and toss each part into the respective barrel as they departed the ship after WW1. He hid this in his pants and took it home. Thank you again for your feedback.

It looks like it had a black layer of paint over it at some point.

Would be interesting if the filing was done before it came to the US, but it is hard to prove that.

A good restorer could fix it up, though.
Engrave or etch the date back and blend in the bluing. I have seen quite good partial restorations in the past.

Since it has a matching mag it may be worth a restore. Never heard if the second mag was matching also. If so, that would make it even more a candidate for restoration.

That black paint reminds me of the British black paint, but they usually dipped the entire pistol.

Thank you for your appreciated feedback! While I am far from experienced it does not appear to have any black paint on it. I may follow up on getting it restored. I really just want to sell it so it is not sold in my estate one day. Could you recommend someone?

Would I need to go through a licensed dealer to ship to a restorer? Thank you!

You don't need to use a FFL to ship to a restorer because there is no transfer being made.
I don't know if any individual state laws might prohibit this. You should check first... ask your restorer, I'm sure they will know.

I just can't imagine what compelled someone to remove a date stamp?

I'm wondering if someone stamped something else on the chamber.

I remember in the 1960's when the police encouraged all gun owners to etch their SSN or Drive's License onto their weapons.

Very strange.

Restorer..That's a little piece of unobtanium these days. Seems like they have gone by the wayside. Every week I am asked..WHERE can one get a Luger re blued?



My advice since you want to sell this is sell it AS IS. It's a shooter. A shooter doesn't need a date. Economically you won't come out ahead by getting it fixed.

Sometimes its possible to lightly etch the surface and traces of the stampings become visible. An old trick used in the past to reveal filed off serial numbers.

It might reveal if something besides the original year, 1917 or 1918, was stamped on the receiver.

Would be fun if they had removed a Death Head marking ;)

There are left over splotches of black paint on the filed receiver area.

Thank you again. I was going to ask for a recommendation for a restorer but your later posts discourage that. So I guess I will just list it on gun broker. What would be a fair and just price to ask? Thank you! Patrick

I would be very tempted to take to the range and see how it fires.
You don't have a lot to risk.
Knowing it shoots will help the sale.

Since you have a pretty good kit (tool, holster, and magazines) you can probably expect to get $1,000 for the lot.

I would work on getting the rest of the black paint off the chamber.
You photos are pretty good. You will want nice high resolution profile photos of both sides, top, and front, as well as the entire kit layed out. Your close-up photos are good.

Thank you for your awesome feedback! My son and I have shot it and it is a straight dependable shooter. No jams and very accurate. Regards.

I shoot my regular 9mm ammo with this gun. Would I need any additional information as to caliber when I list it for sale?

Can we tell if it was made in Germany from the pictures I posted?

Does the fact that it shoots smoothly change the estimated sale price of $1,000? Thank you!