Bavarian Cavalry P08
 

Almost all cavalry marked to Bavarian and Wuerttemberg regiments are 1908 first militaries. None of them I have encountered had added hold-opens. This one is marked to the 2nd Bavarian Ulan Regiment, 3. Eskadron. I acquired it some ten years ago with the help of my friend Dave Molchen.

Like the JzP pistol, I found a stable mate for the Bavarian last year. It's a bit of an odd ball as it's dated 1915 and marked to a Regimental staff. Bavarian 2 Ulan Regiment.

Great stuff George, I love that tschapka!
Best regards, Norm

Very nice!

Well, George, this noob is throughly impressed with the marvelous items in your collection (even if I can't fully appreciate what I am looking at).

Really nice photography and great historical pieces

George I have a 1910 8th Dragoon regiment Luger with a hold open installed. I could show you pictures if interested

Always glad to look at photos.

Nice group of Bavarian cavalry items Geo, See you really do need a horse,

Beautiful historical artifacts George, very impressive. These photo's are a real pleasure to look at and indicative of the sophisticated collector. These photo's are why WW1 German Militaria is so interesting compared to 3rd Reich. I appreciate both but the imperial era has real depth.

George My Photography is not quite as good as your but here is the side by side of my field hospital with no hold open and the Dragoon with the hold open installed.

I hope i am not hijacking this thread I just love the 1908's with unit marks and am anxious to hear all that the masters have to teach.

Here is the thread link
http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=29659

Thanks for the link Wayne. As I posted then, they are beauties.

Hi,

No hold open device on a 1915?

Sieger

No hold-open on the 1908. All 1915 P08s have hold-opens.

Perfect photography, Tks! George, would you please explain the significance of a 'hold open' I have heard the term used for years but not sure its' significance~?

Eric, the hold-open lever is the internal part that holds the toggle back on an empty magazine. They were not installed at time of manufacture until 1913/14.

Eric,

That's the little lever on the right side of the inner frame that holds the toggle open after the last shot, or when racked with an empty magazine. They were added later to many early pistols, (around 1913?) and pistols that had the hold open added have a small proof next to the added pin on the outer right side of the pistol frame, above and behind the trigger.

Hold open levers were installed on Lugers around 1914 if I remember properly.

Here is a 1908 that I purchased from George that appears converted!

1913 Was the transition year, some had the hold open from the factory some did not, some added later; by 1914 all were installed at the factory.

Both 1913, DWM #2533a, Erfurt #4857n Each has hold open~

This may be common knowledge here, but I state it anyway.

Wurttemberg had their P08 sent to Erfurt for addition of the holdopen middle 1914. In July 1914, when the war started, they asked them back, holdopen installed or not.

Bavarian P08 were scheduled for holdopen installation in August 1914. By then the war was going on, and nobody knows how many, if any, were sent to Erfurt for holdopen fitting .

Note: Erfurt was supposed to modify 300 pistols a day since May 1913.

Note2: After the first months of war the use of cavalry (an elite troop) was deemed useless in face of the new gruesome face of wars tactics. Incidentally that gave birth to the greatest German pilot of WW-I. Manfred Von Richthofen was a cavalry officer who asked for transfer since he wanted to take part of the action and not be relegated to a secondary role.

George,
You have assembled a first rate group for the pictures. You GOTTA LOVE THAT TSCHAPKA!
Outstanding presention!

George

I've gone back looking at your pictures quite a few times now, you've got an outstanding collection, enough to make any collector dribble...

[QUOTE=kurusu;289595]This may be common knowledge here, but I state it anyway.

Wurttemberg had their P08 sent to Erfurt for addition of the holdopen middle 1914. In July 1914, when the war started, they asked them back, holdopen installed or not.

Bavarian P08 were scheduled for holdopen installation in August 1914. By then the war was going on, and nobody knows how many, if any, were sent to Erfurt for holdopen fitting .

it seems that Bavarian Lugers never got the hold open added, but several altered Württemberg Lugers are known with the hold open added. In German Archives ist a list with all numbers of the Bavarian Lugers which were enumerated with their Units which had to get the hold open added. I have Pictures of about 30 Lugers of this list and non is altered.