Luger Christmas Present
 

Greetings and Happy New Year,
It has been a great Christmas, I was given a family heirloom watch from my Dad and a family heirloom Luger from my Father in law. I was hoping to get some information about this Lugar from the group. My Father in law took the item from a German Officer in 1944 when he was in North Africa and brought it home after the war. He used it very little except to shoot a few rounds off in the air on New Year’s Eve over the years.

I took some pictures of the pistol and holster and attached them for your review. All numbers match throughout the pistol, even the 2 clips that came with it. The pictures do not do the pistol justice, it is in great shape for its age.

I would like some opinions on the holster and how to clean it properly and any other recommendations you might have to offer. Reading through the posts it is clear there are some very Lugar savvy people on this site!

Regards, Jack

Jack, Congratulations on a beautiful Luger and Holster and welcome to the forum.

It's hard to judge finish on photographs, and particularly difficult when the pictures are taken with flash or direct light.

Looks like you have a pre WW-I imperial Luger in very good original condition.

As it's in the original finish and all matching, including the magazines, it's particularly collectible and rather valuable. The matching holster adds even more to your "rig".

Take good care of it by keeping your Luger clean and wiped down with a rust preventative gun oil. Don't store your Luger in the holster. Get one of the silicone "Gun socks" or a zipper case that allows proper air circulation.

If you take off the grips, be particularly careful with the left grip near the safety lever so that you don't chip the grip. Avoid letting oils soak into the grips.

If you fire it and break a part, you'll cut it's value down considerably. It is more risk than I'd take with this grade specimen.

It looks like mold has developed on your holster. Jerry "lugerholsterrepair" has excellent background on restoration of leather holsters. After cleaning it's likely that you'll need to treat it to prevent recurrence of the mold.

I have used "Lexol" (which is commonly available at auto parts stores) in spray form to help restore dried out leather. This is a controversial area with a wide range of experiences. I'm satisfied with the results, but others (including Jerry in particular) have more experience than I do.

Finally, I'm not well versed in Imperial German unit markings, but I think that it's possible that "B.3.J.D." refers to the Third Bavarian Jaeger-Battalion Division HQ. Again, others on this site have much deeper experience.

Marc

Jack, you have a really nice WWI era unit marked luger. It is marked to the Bavarian 3rd infantry division staff. Congrats on a very nice present. I am willing to bet a dollar to a dounought that it spent time along the river Somme under some very unfavorable conditions at one point in its life. Can you make out the ink stamp on the holster? John

Welcome and a Beautiful Luger!!

Not to be smart but I must point out a technicality in the capture story; There were no German officers being captured or surrendering in North Africa in 1944.
The German forces in Africa surrendered in May, 1943

I would like to see close-up photos of the bottoms with numbers of the 2 matching magazines and the numbers on the frame. I'm a born skeptic...
More photos. Lots more photos.
But that does look like an extremely nice Luger.
dju

Thanks for the responses, I am out of town until Saturday and will take more pics then and also get with my Father in Law about where he got the Luger. He is in his mid 90's and the memories come and go.

I want to say the stamp on the inside flap of the holster is 5FAAR, I am not sure about the 3rd digit A but I am about the rest of them. Again I will take a closer look once I return home.

Hi Jack,
the unit stamp in your holster is 5FdAR 1913 that means 5. Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment. All numbers of the Lugers until 1914 are documented in German archive.
I cannot make out/ find your Luger in this list. I think that your Luger was issued to another holster.
But the 5. Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment had a great history in the Great War and I may congratulation you to both items.
I have 2 holsters of the same ragiment but it was made in 1910 and the other 1912.
Thanks for showing your nice items.

You have a really nice Bavarian issue Luger. It is great to see such a well preserved piece, and the holster is equally spectacular. I have its cousin made the year before (1912) and marked to the 4th Bavarian Infantry staff. It is also a WWII bring back captured at Bastogne.

Magazine Pics and More
 

Home from Dallas and mag pics attached.

Jeb, its a very nice heirloom!

i collect stories on bring backs, and if your father in law has any story with this one, I could use it for vol III ?

i give credit to the original author, and it might be a year or so, since vol II is at the publishers now.

if interested, email me at ed_tinker@hotmail.com


Ed

Outstanding!!! Imperial era Lugers are my specilal interest, and this one is right up there at the top of the heap.

Odds are that the subject pistol came back to the States after 1918.

Hi Jack -

This is such an outstanding rig that in my opinion it would be worth contacting Jerry Burney on this Forum and allowing him to clean and preserve that holster for you.

For something this important it is best to trust the work to a professional.

He does outstanding work and I can tell you in advance that you will be very pleased with the results.

Congratulations!

Jack, your Luger is one of a few which are noticed in a 1914 dated list of Bavarian Lugers. You can find your Luger listed as the second in the last line.

Hi Klaus, Are all the guns on the Landau list dated 1913 and are they all no suffix? Regards, Norm.

Norm, I found 11 DWM Lugers matching to the Landau list:
DWM 1910; 3452c with B.l.M.K.D.57.
DWM 1910; 5186c with B.R(script, Reserve).M.G.5.16.
DWM 1911; 260e with B.5.A.r.3.89.
DWM 1911; 348e with B.18.R.2.B.
DWM 1913; 1429 with B.3.J.D.
DWM 1913; 1658 with B.18.R.3.B.16.
DWM 1913; 1734 with B.22.R.M.G.14.
DWM 1913; 2155 with B.22.R.4.20.
DWM 1913; 2714 with B.22.R.11.6.
DWM 1913; 2865 with B.8.R(script, Reserve).6.3.
DWM 1913; 817a with B.5.A.r.3.30.
Regards Klaus

Thanks Klaus, I have 1913 DWM #2544: B.16.J.R.M.G.75. Any chance this is on the list? Regards, Norm

Norm, Lugers of following Bavarian regiments were listed: Infantry No. 18., 22., 23., Res. Inf. Reg. No. 5 II. and III. Battalion and Res. Inf. Reg. no.8 I. and II. Battalion, 1. Ersatz M.G.K. of the II. Bavarian Army Corps, the Ersatz M.G. Detachment and the 5. and 8. Bavarian Landwehr Reg. ; Cavalry: 3. and 5. Chevaliers; Artillery: 5. and 12. Field Artillery Regiment.
The 16. is not on the list.