Need some help identifying this Luger w/ Pictures Included
 

Hey guys,

I received this gun from my grandfather (WW2 vet, pacific theater) who got it from his brother (also WW2 vet, european theater).

My grandpa is 91 and the story behind this gun is a little hazy. All I know is his brother brought it back with him after fighting in Europe. I would like to get a little more history about the gun if possible.

I have taken a bunch of pictures, and can take more if need be.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Pictures:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2501.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2502.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2503.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2504.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2509.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2512.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2510.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2514.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2513.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2515.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2516.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2508.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...r/IMG_2507.jpg

beautiful mauser of 1942. looks original -WOW those grips are mint

A very Nice Mauser Indeed! Treasure that family heirloom. You are privileged to hold your Great Uncle's history in your hand!

welcome to the forum

I collect bring back stories, have two published books, and a third coming out

To help a bit, the byf is the code for Mauser, the 42 is the year, 1942, the P08 on the left is what the Germans designated the luger and only Mauser marked them this way.

Ed

Great info thanks guys! Is there any way to determine what the eagle markings on the side are, along with the little serial number below the symbols?

The rightmost Eagle standing on the Swastika was Proof stamp. Two other Eagles standing on 135 -- Luger collectors call it SE/135, those are inspector stamps. Through decades of observation, collectors found the different tiny numbers on Mauser are related with subvariations, not random. SE/135 SE/135 became common by the end of the no suffix production of early 1942. So your gun match the patterns appear on many other byf 42.

I have a copy of "The Mauser Parabellum 1930-1946", so I just looked up. It's a great book for Mauser fans.

Were these guns just general issue? What sort of soldier might have carried this? (or is that impossible to know?)

Impossible to know. A good guess would be a non-com or junior officer. Branch of service would be a guess. Lugers were no longer unit marked after the Weimar era, so pistols were just issued generally, as needed and the only place a pistol's serial number might be recorded would have been in the individual soldier's "Soldbuch".

Are there any records of Soldbuch's anywhere? Any databases where I could try to look it up?

That question is repeated over and over by folks that would love to know the history of their guns...which is an admirable prusuit. However, the brutal answer is no. There are no archives of individual soldier records that have survived. There are fragments and Soldbuchs turn up from time to time, but there is no organized, catalogued source to search.

I expected as much but it was worth a try!

Ross,

Welcome to the forum. Regarding the story of your Luger, your request is the Holy Graal of Luger collecting - just a dream.

The fact is, your granpa is the last living link to this Luger WWII service. I would try to talk with your grandfather to gather as much information about it as possible, if his health allows it. Explain to him that you are trying to record the family story and its participation in WWII.

Another option is to try to identify your great-uncle unit - then you will be able to find where he fought and MAYBE what German units he was engage against. But bear in mind that it could be a battlefield pick up, something that he collected from a pile of surrendered weapons or won in a poker game while returning home.

Enjoy your heirloom as a remeberance of your family service!

All the best!

Douglas