Nice Finnish Holster for M/23
 

A nice Finnish holster on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Finnish-Luger-Holster_W0QQitemZ6551631676QQcategoryZ13980QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem

FOR SOME REASON THE SYSTEM WILL NOT TRANSFER THE URL FROM THE EDITING SCREEN TO THE PRESENTATION SCREEN. IF INTERESTED, DO AN EBAY SEARCH ON FINNISH HOLSTER. (LUKE)

Unfortunately, it appears to be designed for the 4" (100mm) Finnish Parabellum and not for the 9mm 5" (120mm) Finnish Parabellum which I have. The seller was kind enough to measure the inside depth for me to confirm that it was, indeed, not long enough for the 120mm version of the Tikkakoski barrel Finnish Parabellum.

Anyone out there have an authentic Finnish holster for a 120mm barrel version ? I am still looking. :(

Thanks,
Luke

Luke, I made it not show as a URL, it did the same thing for me, some kind of problem on e-bay?

Ed

No, I don't think it is ebay. It works on Jan's forum where I posted the same message with this URL.

Luke

Another One...
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6215466337

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/sa_holster_1.jpg
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/sa_holster_2.jpg

This one is rigged for stock carry. I wonder? Does the ATF allow a stock on an original 4" Finnish Luger as it originally came with one? Do any of you Finnish collectors know? Jerry Burney

Pete -

Thanks for the heads-up. Nice looking holster, also sized for the 100mm barrel . . . . but the seller in Germany will only accept cash payment.


Jerry -

I would like to expand on your question. Does BATF allow use of a stock with either the 100mm or the 120mm barrel Finnish Parabellums?

Luke

Luke, I am in the middle of my annual move to Yuma AZ, my winter digs so do not have reference to my books and am way too busy to look it up on the internet. I was hoping one of our more knowledgable members could tell us. Would be very interesting to know...Jerry Burney

I received my new C&R llist with my renewal paperwork from the BATF...still do not see Finnish stocks listed...maybe no one ever petitioned to have them considered...?

Luke, The only Finnish made holsters that I've owned for the 5" 9mm rebarrelled model, were the same ones that they issued for the Lahti. This makes sense since the Finnish Lahti was intoduced in 1935 and their rebarrelling to 9mm started about 1940. The German style "SA" marked holsters will all be for the 4", or less, barrel. TH

Hello Tom,

Thank you for the information. I have a repro Lahti holster, and the Finnish Parabellum with the 120mm barrel does fit perfectly.

While I have never seen the actual holster, I have seen pictures of a SA-marked Finnish holster that appears to be about 2.5cm longer than the standard holster made for the 100mm barrel. It is identical in construction to the standard Luger holster, but it has a longer toe.

Luke

Luke, I suppose that it is possible that one of the Weimar commercial holsters for the 120mm barrelled M1900s and M1906s, somehow ended up in Finnish Army (SA) inventory. The standard issue for the M23 with 95 or 98mm 7.65 barrel was the one shown above with the stock straps, although you'll often find the strap cut off. There is a hard shell SA marked holster that appears on Pages 39 & 40 of Bender's "Military Holster of WW2" that will often be found containing a 120x9mm Finnish luger. TH

Hello Tom,

Your comments caused me to rethink my earlier statement. I searched until I found that picture, and I was mistaken. The holster is not SA-marked.

It does appear to have the same construction as the shorter Finnish holsters with the same leather tube for the cleaning rod sewn next to the magazine tube. The rivets also appear to be similar, if not identical, to other Finnish holsters I have seen. I uploaded a picture of the front & back of the holster.

I would appreciate any comments or observations.

Thanks, Luke

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...parabellum.jpg

Luke,
After uploading the picture it looks like you just pasted the url into your post rather than using the IMG button on the ADD REPLY screen. If you edit your post, that screen will come up, then you can use the IMG button, paste in the url when the little pop-up window comes up, click OK and the picture should appear in your post.

Thanks, Ron.

That did it. Now . . . if I can just remember that until the next time. :)

Luke

The main difference between the Finnish made L-35 holsters and the holsters that they made for their Luger pistols is the top of the extra magazine pocket is cut straight across for the L-35 magazine and the top of the pocket for their Luger Pistols is cut with a missing radius.

Alsky -

Do you have a good picture of one of these L-35 holsters?

Thanks,
Luke

I will try to get a picture up of the L-35 holster posted this weekend.

Finnish Luger & Lahti Holster
 

This type of Finnish Luger holster may have also been used to carry the L-35. The L35 holster as can bee seen in the picture has the extra mag pocket cut straight across at the top, which would not allow the Luger mag to set down the whole way. The L-35 holster in this photo is the same type as the one pictured in Benders Holster book on page 40.

Luger / Lahti Holsters
 

Notice the metal "D" rings added to the rear loops of the L-35.

Lahti / Luger Holsters
 

Luke, I have a few additional pics. Let me know if you would like to see them and I will email them to you.

Thanks, Al.

Yes, please email the additional pictures to me . . . . directly at:
lugesm@charter.net

I now strongly suspect that the holster I posted above is also for the L-35 and not a Luger holster after all. I did not have a picture of the holster which showed the top of the mag pouch. The only difference I can note is that your holster has two rivets on the front strap and the holster in my picture only has one rivet. Also, it appears that both of your holsters are SA-marked. The holster in the picture I posted is not so marked.

It appears that both holsters in your pictures are the same length and that both are longer than the standard 4" German Luger holster. Is that correct?

Thanks again for the pictures. Very helpful !

Luke