byf 42 luger info
 

i would like some info on my luger i have had for many years. it is a byf 42 serial is #59 it is in mint condition all blueing is like new, all matching serieal numbers, except for the mags, it has walnut grips and wonder if these are original. should this gun have these bakelight grips? i have the 2 mags, holster and tool and a tag that shows the US soldier that brought it home. the story is his wife brought the gun to a local gun trader after he died, i purchased from this dealer who i have known for a long time and do trust his word. i have never shot this gun as the dealer suggested. any feed back would be great as to anything not original and an idea of current value.

Hi, If you post some photos it would a great help for somebody to give you the information you need.:)
Alf.

swattley,
Fxo magazines with black plastic bottoms would be correct for your 1942 byf. Both wood or bakelite grips would be correct. If the inside of the grips are numbered to the gun than you would know they are definitely original.

According to what I've seen on the market, I would believe certain types of Lugers and Mausers were captured in unissued condition, either in Mauser factory, or in some storage places. Two typical examples are byf 42 Parabellum and Late 1930 Broomhandles. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why so many of them are in mint condition, the percentage of mint rate is way higher than other variations .... all restored? Highly unlikely because of the volume, and because of the relative value. Mint military byf 42 has the correct context, it does not have to be exceptional. For a specific instance, pictures speaks more than words.

i will take some pictures of it later

here are some pictures i took today of my lugar, i do have the plastic mag but before reading some post i thought this would have been the better mag with the metal bottom.

by the way the tag in the one picture has the soldier info from who brought it back, i got it from his wife through a local gun trader.

So far so good. Please note the discoloration on right side of the trigger, that's a very good sign. Any patina or light rust on grip? If I am considering this gun, now I can pay shipping for hand-on inspection :)

Swattley:

In the picture of the right hand side of the Luger, could you please confirm that the discoloring on the tiger is caused by the flash and not a wear area where the bluing is worn?

I would be interested in this Luger if you ever decide to sell.

Regards,

George

that is the flash there is not a flaw anywhere on the blueing. here we will get a couple detail pictures of that side with no flash. has anyone see a tag like this one in one of the other set of pictures. it states the gun is this soldiers gun and gives his name and the airborn group he was with.

OK. Reflection. Happy too early. Pix issue?

It is a very nice Luger, you are a lucky guy to have found it.
And the bring back tag makes it more interesting. Thank you for sharing.

Alf.

explain what you pointing at ?

Sorry, I drunk a little alcohol and went to bed early last night.

German usually fit things well. The gap between the panel and the magazine retainer is big on this pistol, which I did not feel comfortable. Also, the arc of relief cut on the panel is a little bit irregular. The tilt scratches on the trigger look weird, and the edge on the lower side of the trigger is not sharp on the picture. The barrel and frame still look good (so far).

Personally, I don't have byf Luger, could these imperfection be period in 1942? I don't know. Just based on general observation on other German pistols.

anyone else ever post in this forum? i still have not had one idea of current value with the possesion tag. i thought there were alot more people interested in lugars out there that might be members of this forum.
and as far as the last post, the germans built this gun, they are the only ones that have ever touched it as far as i know. if you see imperfections in manufacturing bring them up with HITLER. i am happy with the gun and it will never be for sale. i just wanted to share it with this forum.

The 42byf looks very good from the pictures. As for the tag I find it interesting, others could care less for tags or capture papers. For me personally it would be an added incentive to buy but would not add to value. I have a hard time giving values. I at least would need the luger in hand. A rough estimate anywhere from $1400 to $1800? Please do not be so quick to judge our forum members. Some of the worlds leading experts belong and contribute to it. Sometimes the responses are slow but always worth the wait. Just hang in there you'll be glad you did. Welcome to the forum. Bill

thanks bill,

I can ignore that grip .... wood stuff could shrink a little bit after so many years. It's so hard to ignore that trigger. Any thought? Is it because it's picture, or is it because it's replacable anyway, or is it because it's period? I called Hitler, he said it's not his business.

===

[left pix from Simpson http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_in...ducts_id=3927]

To give a good estimate of a gun one has to have it in hand as Bill has said. Another point to consider is that prices vary from country to country depends on the availability. I agree with Billâ??s estimate, but on the other hand, a gun like yours would bring a bit better price in my country.
Regarding this forum what I can say is that I learned a lot and made some good friends, so hang on, because it is gold mine of information. :cheers:

Alf.

i have a feeling the grips have been replaced, i looked in from under the mag and there are no numbers stamped on the grip. i saw a picture on this site and saw where they stamp the number but those grips were removed. did they stamp all the grips with the serial number? aso one grip moves side to side a very small amount on the top, i am not sure what that is about. i have never tried to remove anything so i dont want to mess with it. anyone know some details of how these grips are held in place?

The grips are held in place by the top edges and the two grip screws. Remove the screws, remove the mag, place your finger inside and carefully push outward near the bottom of the grip. They should come off very easily. Be especially cautious on the left grip it is thin around the safety and prone to breakage. Yes the grips should be numbered. It might be difficult to see the numbers unless the grips are removed. They should be removed since the frame underneath could be rusty. Bill

Hi
Reference serial number 59. Does this pistol have a letter suffix under the serial number on the frame. There is much to be learned by the letter suffix.
Thanks

Did I mis the letter suffix of your Luger, the letter under the frame serial number tells a great story when reviewed.
Don

the letter is h i thought it was interesting that this lugar had only a two digit serial number.

Great 59h
That tells me the gun is getting close to the end of the Mauser Luger production and there is no barrel gauge on the bottom of the barrel. Only the serial number. Thanks
Don

59h
Forgot a couple things, grips can be black plastic or wood, if wood probably marked SE-135, some may be numbered. magazine can be a 6-MM-fxo (black plastic base, fxo with a right side up P 08 and fxo marked) possibly a 5-MM-fxo magazine right side up P 08 mark with a concave pinned aluminum base with no numbers. Most Luger magazines were not numbered after the - u - block of the 41-byf production. Nice looking pistol.
Don

Wlyon
Being a Montana boy, did you know Bill Munis. He was a very close friend.
Don

silver eagle, is it possible the grips might not have a stamp with the serial number?i do not see a number when i look up in the mag well. the gun came with one mag with a plastic bottom, and one mag with a aluminumn bottom and a mismatch stamped serial. it also has the holster with tool.
and i actually have an extra holster a freind gave me a few years ago. both about the same condition

The wooden grips on a 42-byf will usually have a SE-135 acceptance mark. Some were numbered with the last two digits of the serial number; most were not numbered. Most collectors remove the right grip to check the back of the grip panel for an acceptance mark or number. Normally (as someone mentioned) it's not wise to remove the left grip because it's very easy to break the fragile area around the saety lever. The black plastic bottom fxo magazine (6-MM-fxo) is correct for your Luger. If the pistol was equipped with a concave pinned aluminum base fxo magazine (5-MM-fxo) it should not be numbered. If I were to find a 42-byf number 1234h with matching magazines, I would really have very strong second thoughts about these magazines. Mauser severly curtailed the numbering of Luger magazines after the - u - block of the 41-byf Luger production. Describe the aluminum magazine that you have with the gun and I will tell you it's history; color, aceptance marks, serial number and letter suffix. The holster should be dated 42 with a P 08 in the right corner on the back. The tool should be marked SE-135. My opinion. Good luck.

Don
Yes I did know Bill Munis. Also did some luger trading with him. Ed Tinker, John Coe and I attended his funeral. He was one of the good ones. Bill

Bill

Send me an email at drh@oz.net we can talk about our mutual friend Bill M.

Don

silver eagle these are the two mags i got with the gun, the one with the plastic bottom is broken and does not have the fxo stamp. the other is stamped 6673 with an a and a wing stamp. what you thing of these do either match the gun. the 6673 is in real nice shape

anyone else know any details on clips for the luger, i notice a change in how these 2 clips are made, one seems to be of stamped steel and maybe assembled in a press, and the other has an extruded look, i wonder if the one with the cracked plastic is the one that came with this gun, there are proofing stamps with the wing and a number 35 below the wing, i am trying to learn here at this point.
would it be good for me over time to pick up 2 fxo mags to make it more correct?

Folks like the bakelite ones because they weren't "numbered" and thus easier to say it "matches" their luger.

Lugerdoc should have some plastic bases that would fix yours, they are extremly nice examples and hard to tell from the original.


Ed

From 1934 to 1942 the Army had 4 types of magazines.
type 1 1934 to 1936, type 2 1936 to 1940, type 3 1939 to 1941 and type 4 1941 to 1942.
Your Luger I think shouls have type 4 which is fxo and P.08 marked with either aliminum or black plastic
The first two were shaped from sheet metal and the last two were extruded with square bottom plus a zig-zig spring, instead of the coil spring of the first two.
Alf.