Is this really a VOPO
 

Hey Guys,

The serial numbered mag looks VOPO, but it would be a generic refurb:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=314538028

Wow! what a funcky looking serial number on the trigger guard.

serials look vopo, dipped blue looks vopo. doesnt look buffed. grips are vopo but theres no circle in the grips. too bad he doesnt show a pic of the right side. I see no vopo markings or ground off vopo markings but it does look like the real deal.
but what do I know? :) (seriously not much )

ps. I think legacy collectibles is a legitimate knowledgeable company I remember reading somewheres

I woudnt go over 700 shipped and ffled on it but Im jaded with buying lugers

Im curious what does VOPO stand for, and whats the difference between a VOPO and a russian capture luger.

VolksPolizei - the Luger was used by the East German police after WWII.
Technically I suppose a VOPO would be a Russian "capture" since they captured all of East Germany. ;)

thanks! I have been curious about that for a minute now

Nice shooter Luger from a dealer with a very good reputation.

The grips are not VoPo, but rather the bakelite type used at the end of WW-II. Can't tell if they are original or reproduction from the pics.

Marc

Marc,

These are Reproduction "plastic" Grips IMHO. Border is too wide for OEM grips. They are functional, ...but beautiful they "ain't"...

Mixed parts VOPO Lugers always have the parts renumbered to match. This is not a VOPO.

George, not true:
The receiver, if mismatched, is force matched to the frame.
Small parts normally have their original number x-out, and replaced by the 'new' 2 digits.
In many cases, they even didn't bother to renumber certain small parts.

This pistol is put together, using at least part of a Vopo pistol (+ magazine). But the giveaway is the mismatched frame number. If the receiver was matched to the frame, it would have been a VoPo.

Vlim, all I have seen, and that is many, all parts were renumbered.

Perhaps the American VoPo's got this treatment, but the European VoPo's display a different pattern. It is possible that some form of refurbishing was carried out in the 1970s when the first VoPo's made in onto the US market via Interarms.

Of course, the guns that didn't need renumbering are the exception. You can find excellent quality pistols with all original parts (usually sans barrel) still there.

Side plates tend to get renumbered, though.

All in all, describing the VoPo pistol is never an exact science.

Small parts are not re-numbered
 

I have a VOPO which has the frame and upper receiver matching. Toggle is mismatched and all SN's are marked out on the toggle and the trigger mechanism in the upper receiver. None have been renumbered except the sideplate.

Attachment 29870

Attachment 29871

Attachment 29872

Attachment 29873

since the gangs all here.... when and what circumstances did they put a vopo proof marking on the pistol? I take it not all received these marks.
thanks in advance.
your friend in lugers

WoW! Mine has alot of stamps on it but none like that. but Im glad you brought up stampings on these type guns. Mine has a proof stamp on the side that is stamped over with a different proof stamp. Whats your thoughts on that.

Attachment 29875


Also I was just in a gun shop tonight and saw a norenco that actually had VOPO stamped on the side with a "X" marked on it. Wonder if someone facked that or did the russians do that gun that way. Hmm!

i was new to lugers a while back and discovered that i had a VOPO ive attached my previous thread. thanks again for all those who helped.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=28378

james

Skeeter,

Are you saying you saw a Norinco Luger in a gun shop?????

The Police Luger book (which will be available about mid-month) has an extensive section on Deutsche Volkspolizei ("VoPo") Lugers which should answer many of your questions.

--Dwight

The newly made pistols were pressure proof marked at the East German proof house in the same manner as other newly manufactured firearms. The two pix you show are of DDR proof markings and are not Volkspolizei (VOPO) proofs.

The VOPO star marking indicates the pistol went through the Volkspolizei Armory and is not a proof marking. These markings will be found on various East German firearms, not just the P.08 pistols.

I think Dwight's book will point this information out in detail.

Alan,
No not norinco luger, just a norinco. But isaw them VOPO and and "X" mark on the reciever next to the trigger guard. This was in mobile alabama the other night when I stopped there to spend the night. Saw the gun shop and just walked in to see what they had. They also had a swiss made rifle, that I didnt know what it was, neither did they. But it had a ring on the back where you would have a charging handle. But it had the swiss crest just like the swiss lugers. I almost bought it just out of curiousity. They only wanted 200 bucks for it and it was very clean. But I wouldnt think the plant I was workin at would like me bringing in a fifle in my back seat.