1937 Latvian; a rare find
 

I don't like to toot my own horn when I acquire a rare or unusual Luger. However, I think this Luger bears some recognition. After a bit of research, I have determined that this is a 1937 Latvian Luger. First it is a 7.65mm, which is uncommon for a Mauser banner. Second, the serial number 5047v fits right in the middle of the range for a Latvian. Third, the front sight and rear sight have been altered in a manner which is common to Latvian Lugers and a few Swiss.
This Luger is all matched including the mag. It is in very good condition. This exact Luger serial number is listed on page 524 of the Luger Mauser book by Don & Joop. I think that this Luger went unrecognized in the latest Rock Island Auction, as I was the winning bidder with a hammer price of $1200.00. I waited patiently for it to hit the block, knowing that I was probably not the only person who recognized it. The word "LATVIAN" did not appear anywhere in their description. Either they did not know what it was, or it was an oversight. According to the Mauser book, there were approximately 2000 of these made in this contract.
Mike

Mike..Great catch! Latvian or not $1,200 is cheap for a 1937 Mauser Banner! In that condition too! Latvian..icing on the cake! Nice...

well done

proper research netted you a rare piece!

All Lavians have a "v" Great Find!

Very nice pickup, toot your horn all you want!

Tom

Great deal for a "v" Mauser!

Even better to get it "under the radar"!

Mike, great find for sure. Looks to be in great condition...and rare. You sure know your Lugers.

Mike, congratulations!

Knowledge is power, especially in collecting.

When you buy and read the reference books (like the excellent book by Don and Joop) you eventually can save or benefit from many times the cost of acquiring it.

Marc

A great find Mike. Well worth the asking price in my humble opinion.

But I have a question, because I have never examined a "Latvian" other than by brother's son-in-law named Karlis, :)

I have never seen original Luger sights like those shown on your new acquisition.

I have never seen an OEM square notch rear or the side profile of the front sight before.

Can anyone substantiate that these sights are original or if they were modified/changed after production? Inquiring minds want to know :D

Latvian sights
 

John,
Thanks for your interest in my Luger. I cannot substantiate the history of the sights. I can say that replacing the front sight is a very simply task. The rear sight is a different story. I took a picture of the rear sight and edited it to exaggerate the metal color. It seems to me that the small area in front of sight has undergone some sort of heat bearing work. Possibly welding or grinding. Any opinion is welcome. BTW: that color is not easily visible to the human eye. Mike

It looks to me like the front sight is unusually high and the rear sight has been cut unusually low with a squared notch.

Raising the front sight, and lowering the rear sight notch would considerably drop the point of aim.

It may be that they had to grind the front face of the sight square to get it notched that low. Finishing that modified area could reflect different surface polish and grinding direction.

Hard to know who did this work, or why without documentation.

Marc

Regardless how or why the sights were modified, I would have to say that it would be a major improvement in the sight picture...