LP.08 with sear safety
 

For my first post to the Luger Forum, thought perhaps the members would be interested in this 1917 dated LP.08 with sear safety.
Serial number is 2692l (L), no grip (Police) markings. Magazine (7225e) does not match, all parts of pistol match.
Click on images for higher resolution.

Hi Francis, Welcome to the forum. Thanks for showing your very interesting LP08. I, for one, have never seen one fitted with a sear safety. Regards, Norm

Photographic proof that just about anything can happen with respect to lugers!

It also doesn't seem to have the notch in the receiver for the rear sight blade...Perhaps the 1917's didn't have them???

Good afternoon Rich,

I assume this is the 'notch' you refer to. Yes, it is there on this 1917. I do not know if it is on other 1917's.

If you need more photos or specific views, I will gladly furnish.

Gentlemen, The sight notch, it is on all original Artillery Lugers, the sight will not-can not lay flat without it.

Like Norm, I cannot remember seeing an Artillery pistol with the sear safety. Can you show the bottom of the rivet? The safety is in the way..
Thanks

A very interesting pistol and in fine condition!

Welcome to the Forum! Nice first posting!

Jerry Burney

Thank you Jerry,

Will take some photos of the rivet tomorrow. Until this one came along, I also had not encountered an LP08 with the sear safety.
Will try to get some high resolution extreme close ups. The pups got ahold of my Mavica and did a number on it. Put a major scratch in the lens, that causes a flare with certain angles and light.

Francis, I hade several Mavica cameras..they were really good ones! I finally got a Fuji.


Jerry Burney

Jerry, the old Mavica's were pretty good cameras. The one that I have seems to be my go to unit, a 1.3 mgpixel max and uses 3.5 floppy disks. It is so simple, kind of like me.
I have several more up to date units, such as Fuji Finepix and Nikon digital SLR. But the old Mavica is redneck user friendly, my kind of camera, the 'Kodak Brownie' of digitals.

Thanks for correcting me! The side pic didn't show it... :thumbup:

I like Arty's, and this one looks pretty nice. The proofs show up exceptionally well (I copied that pic for future reference).

While others may already know, I don't...Why is the presence of a sear safety (indicating a police use of this particular Luger) such a rare occurrence??? Why wouldn't the police make use of an Artillery Luger??? (Or a Navy, or a 7.65mm commercial, etc)... :confused:

Hi Postino -

I can't answer your question; however, somewhere I do remember seeing a photograph of police officers, and one of them was indeed carrying an LP-08.

This is the second one that I have seen.

Francis, now it won't be a surprise for our book :(

While others may already know, I don't...Why is the presence of a sear safety (indicating a police use of this particular Luger) such a rare occurrence??? Why wouldn't the police make use of an Artillery Luger??? (Or a Navy, or a 7.65mm commercial, etc)...

The simple answer is standardazation. The Police were training a hundred thousand new Police...Training is better served with the standard pistols. The 4" was easier to carry. The Artillery was also banned by the Allies. Both the Artillery and the civilian carbine were meant to be used with stocks. Without a stock they are somewhat awkward.

I suspect the Artillery was a carryover from the Friecorps. They were pretty popular with the fighters of Communists.

Jerry Burney

Ed,

I am truly sorry and embarrassed :o. It was one of those senior moments and I was bored to death and I did not really want to mow the grass, help Kate around the house or such. At least it will be a surprise to those that do not participate in these Forums.

I guess I do owe Jerry the courtesy of a reply and requested photos of the rivet detail.

oh, don't be embarrassed, you had shown it years ago at Jan's forum, that is how I rememberd "someone" had one!

And this will whet the appetite of some folks hopefully :)


Ed

Francis, Many thanks! Beautiful photo's..great detail. The craftsmanship of this era never fails to amaze me. Beautifully applied steel rivet. Textbook.

I take it this presentation was to be included in Ed's Police book? I look forward to it.

Jerry Burney

It will be, perhaps not in such detail ;)


For those wondering why Jerry asked to see the underside of the sear safety, well...

For what it's worth, this Luger is pictured on p. 190 of HWIS.

Meaning what?!?!?!?!?! A fake or legit..................

Bruce,
It is legit...the bottom of the rivet is "in the white" as it should be.

ratdog, I think Jerry's reply above indicates it is legit.

The answer is simple, gentlemen. This Luger was made for a police SWAT team.

Aaron, I would be very interested in knowing the basis for this statement.

Francis... See the PM That I just sent you...

Marc

Marc,

Thank you, PM received and replied to.

At NAPCA SE Convention, a reunion
 

This past weekend at the NAPCA SE Convention, Chattanooga, thanks to Tim Hawkins, NAPCA member.....the "sear safety" LP.08 was reunited with it's holster.

Tim, thank you for remembering the pistol serial and realizing your holster was the match for it.:bowdown:

Also acquired a correct loading tool and a for real, original cleaning rod to go with the holster. Although the accessories are not Police marked, they are correct for an LP.08.

Francis and Tim,

Outstanding! Glad that things came together... It's a police style holster to boot!

Marc

Marc,

Thank you also, you were instrumental in making the reunion happen. :)

Hi Blind Hog
 

I see you're also a South Carolina guy...Columbia here. This is a long shot, but have you ever heard of what happened to the Luger that Lt.Gov. James Tillman used to gun down the State newspaper editor N.G. Gonzales in 1903? Would make for a great search and story!