New York Police with Lugers
 

Greetings,
I recently picked up this interesting photo. Initially, I purchased it just because I thought the two Lugers in a vintage picture are kind of cool. However, something caught my eye. Take a look at the Luger in the Officer's left hand. Take a closer look at the muzzle. It apprears to me that it is larger than a standard 9mm barrel. Could this be a 45 he is holding?
Also, any idea what the other object is in his left hand?
Mike

I think that the ".45 Luger" is actually an optical illusion where you are seeing the wear on the very edge of the muzzle ring highlighted by the flash, making the muzzle appear larger than it is.
The other object appears to be some sort of leather case with a cover flap and stitched on rings to attach the case to other gear. It is being held upside down, with the flap in the lower right hand side of the object just past the metal ring.

Postino,
Mike is referring to the third object. The one I describe above.

Mike is aware there are two Lugers!:)

Thanks! I see that now... :p

Cool find! WAG: Looks like he was photographed with evidence taken from a crime scene perhaps. Interesting he is not looking at camera - impromptu photo (press?). Note no mag in at least one of the guns. Anything written on the back of the photo or is it Kodak date stamped? Would be interesting to find an expert in police history to date the photo based on the uniform. Most likely mid-50's. At first glance I thought the third object might be a snail drum holster, but it looks more like a binocular case or something probably not luger-related.

Unforunatley, there is nothing on the back. The seller had nothing to add except his/her guess that is an old New York Police uniform.

Mike

He's holding a camera case. Possibly for the camera the photo is being taken with. Probaly an evidence photo taken at the scene.

Darnit Ron, how obvious. I guess I am Inspector Clouseau to your Holmes.

The gun in his left hand is a LP08.

cool photos, I love old photos with lugers in them :)

Clark,

I didn't read the first half of your post completely. Plagiarism isn't my strong suit. I got the phraseology wrong.

Ron

My Take on the photo:

Since the 1911 Sullivan law in NYC would have made possession of these handguns unlawful (and still does) except for the very privileged... these two Lugers were likely war souveniers or collectibles that were confiscated from a residence during a routine police call or investigation... Even bring back papers wouldn't help you if you got caught with contraband weapons in NYC...

"Mid 1950's" isn't that far removed from WW2 and getting returning combat veterans to turn in their war trophies probably wasn't very easy, regardless of the law...

Ron:

Didn't think a thing about it. Still impressed you recognized the third item was a camera case!

Clark

Speaking of old pictures of lugers.

Did anyone see this picture from E-bay of a gent holding a luger with a Ideal Shoulder stock on his belt?

It looks like a still from a early western movie of some kind.
The luger looks like a American Eagle.
Comments?

Bob:cheers:

That may well be a camera case but it reminds me of the old nightwatchman's station clock. For those who are to young to remember a watchman carried this clock, at each place he was supposed to be there was a key on a chain. He would insert the key and a record was made in the clock of when this was done. I know from my small home town that our Policeman also carried one when he made his rounds. I must be getting old!! Bill

Kimberly-Clark guards still used them up until 1981, at least in Niagara Falls. I was a millwright in their NF plant and the clock stations were all over the place. You could occasionally see the guards scurrying about (we got called in at all odd hours) but they never seemed to pay attention to anything...too busy hurrying on to the next station... :rolleyes:

Chesapeake Corp. in West Point, VA used them up until the mid 70's when I worked there on the student college progrom(my father was a millright on the woodyard) then the mill was sold to St, Laurent and they later sold it to Smurfit-Stone which has gone through some tough times lately. No body knows what paper company(by name, if any) they may work for here from week to week.
Now the guards use bar code scanners on there routes.

Hi to all:

The third item looks like the leather case to an LP-08 drum magazine to me.

Sieger

Sieger
The only problem with that is apparently there wasn't such a thing. Just the repro ones sold now. Bill

Now we are whit old photos.
I here have a drawing from a Danish newspaper ”Rosklide Tidende” it is from 1969.
It shows a Luger in the front, and gangsters whit revolvers in the background.
The “story” is: that there are too many private owned pistols in the USA, make it nearly to the dangeroust
place on earth. A little bit funny that the newspaper had used a Luger to illustrate this “story”
I guess that the journalist was a little bit “red”
Is there something about drawings and Denmark "hmm"

Reg. Jes