Question for Don M.
 

Don, on page 111 of "Writ in Steel", you have a PO8 holster listed with unit markings S.D.IV.819., question, where is this holster? You have it, saw it in passing, unit marking reported to you?

Ed

Ed, it was reported in the August 1992 issue of AutoMag, the publication of the National Automatic Pistol Collectors Association (NAPCA).

Thanks.... I asked because I found it's pistol.

I have posted on the NAPCA forum that the pistol exists. If the holster belongs to a current member who is interested in discussing an arranaged marriage, I've asked that he contact me. I'll let you know if anything develops.

Thanks.............I was window shopping and came across it. Been using your book when I come across a unit marked. Saw the match when I looked it up. Helps pass the time with interest.

Here's the link to the luger, although I'd like to have it, I'm on a very strict budget and other desires are ahead of this one.

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_in...72b470690940ca

I am wondering if the pistol on Simpson could be suspect, the rivet on the sear safety appears to be brass. I may be wrong, wouldn't be the first or last time, but I don't think that is correct.

If it is brass (impossible to tell from photo), it may have been a replacement for original steel rivet. I don't think this labels the pistol as "suspect."

At a Great Western Gun Show many years ago a collector from Norway had about 30 or 40 original sear safeties for sale (rivets were not included). They were cheap and some dealers were tripping over each other to purchase them.

Also, many years ago a number of Lugers appeared with sear safeties attached to the Lugers frame with brass rivets. (I doubt that the brass rivet is rugged enough to stand the stress of a lot of firing.) It was the opinion of experienced collectors at that time that these brass rivets were not original.

I have examined many sear safety Lugers and have never observed one with a brass rivet.

Looked at the sear safety Luger on Simpsons List and cannot tell for sure if the rivet is brass or steel. A call to Simpsons should determine that.

Note: the sear safety rivet and the cut at the top of the side plate should be in the white. Also note that the side plate cut is somewhat crude.
See also:
http://luger.gunboards.com/showthrea...ht=sear+safety

http://luger.gunboards.com/showthrea...ht=sear+safety
See fig. 1-13
Jan

The guys name was Jack Martinsen. I remember well that I saw some sear and magazine safeties in Norway in the 1990th. These were spare parts of the German Army which was in Norway during the II W.W.

Klaus
Thanks for the additional sear safety information.
Jan

Called Simpsons and the sear safety rivet on the Luger in question (D 204) is brass!

As Don said "If it is brass (impossible to tell from photo), it may have been a replacement for original steel rivet."

However, in my opinion this rivet replacement was accomplished in the U.S.
Jan

I was at Simpson's today, didn't think to have a closer look at the luger in question, I did find three others though that I put on my wish list.

Jan is probably right. This pistol may have been transferred to the military where the sear safety was removed. Someone in the US may have "restored" it. At least one other S.D.IV. Luger in Table 7-5 of HWIS had the sear safety removed and another is reported as having been captured in a northern Italy POW camp.

There have been earlier discussions on this and Jan's forum about restoring police Lugers by replacing missing sear and/or mag safeties. This pistol is probably an example of how such practices obscure part of a Luger's history.