New byf 42
 

Gentlemen,

I picked up this byf 42 yesterday. It was supposedly "liberated" by a Norwegian resistance fighter in May 1945. It has a dent in the trigger guard and Bubba has been prying on the frame just below the safety lever. The ejector leaf spring also has a little bulge which doesn't seem to affect its function. It came without holster and magazine so I found an fxo Eagle 37 which I believe would be correct.

What makes me a little wary is the fact that the sideplate looks refinished while the rest of the gun appears original.

Comments anyone?

Balder

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100476.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100477.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100478.jpg

I agree that the side plate does sort of jump out at you. Not only unmarked but also a different finish?
Overall it looks pretty honest with a few stories to tell. And it wasn't Bubba, it was Hans and it occurred in the heat of battle...
dju

Balder,

I think the sideplates took the most abuse on the lugers. I have a BYF41 that has a nice original finish on it except for the sideplate that is missing almost all the blue! I can see how it would be tempting for someone to refinish them. (although I wouldn't)
It looks like someone put a phosphate finish on yours.

Bob

it could be a Portuguese sideplate from a byf42... that contract ended up being parkerized or phosphate finish, instead of the standard blue. Some of the last P.08's to come off the assembly line at Mauser.

Balder, Even if the 2 digits on the outside of your side plate match the rest of your PO8, you can tell if it's the original factory one, if the 2 digits inside the plate are one digit off from the first 2 digits of your serial. TH

Tom,

In deed this is the case, I was not aware of that fact. There's always something to learn about Lugers. The sideplate finish does appear quite recent actually, with no wear inside or outside. I'm also surprised by the wear on the grip panels, which does not correlate with the gun's general wear.

The pistol is in the g-block, does anybody know what letter was used for the last byf 42 block?

Balder

Hi Balder, the last suffix for German Contract Lugers was early M-Block. The Portuguese Contract went to about 5000m and the Bulgarian Contract to about 3000n.

There was another group in the W-Block.

Gents,

Thanks for all your inputs and information!

As mentioned above, I think the grip panels show more wear than the gun itself. Would these panels be correct? I would expect black plastic as on my e-block byf 42. I believe the eagle inside the left panel is "655".

Balder

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100480.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100481.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/P1100482.jpg

Balder, Although your grips are not serialized (which is usually the case on 42 BYFs) they appear to appropriate for your luger. Only about 20% of the 42 BYFs had the black plastic grips. I do have both originals & repro BP grips available. TH