My latest Erfurt - 2021 Show of Shows find
 

As promised, here are some quick photos of my latest Erfurt. This one turned up at the 2021 summer edition of the Show of Shows. It's an interesting and well-marked pistol. It started its life as an LP.08, had some modifications/updates in 1918, and was inventoried under the Weimar regime, then made its way to the Oppeln Schupo (S.Op.IV.178) Numbers match, but the scrubbed and renumbered Mauser magazine has a different letter suffix. There's also an interesting punch mark on the frame, to the right of the serial number, the relieved sear, and unusual roll pin in the hold-open. It also missed out on the police safeties. Anyways.... enjoy. (And as always, comments are welcomed.)

Well crap!. I can't quite figure out why my photos aren't oriented properly. My apologies. (If any mods know how, I'm all ears... Bueller? Bueller?)

Bill, what is the suffix letter on the frame? I can't make it out for certain. The 1914 Erfurt LP.08 run made it into the low b suffix range.

Looks like a Q to me, on second thought maybe a G, pictures are okay maybe I need glasses
Jim

Bill,

This is an extraordinarily interesting pistol.

The 1914|18 date stamp indicates that the receiver itself was manufactured in 1914, but not assembled into a completed pistol until 1918. This marking protocol is specified in the 1910 pistol marking specifications. The receiver notch indicates that this receiver was indeed intended for an LP08 (the requirement that all Erfurt receivers include the notch dates from 1916), but was for some reason put aside until 1918.

In 1918 the German army issued a requirement that a Prussian Imperial Eagle be stamped on all pistols’ trigger guards (not just P08s) as an indication of army property. The applied stamp itself was one of the various Imperial rifle factory’s proof stamps. These markings are very seldom seen. In fact, as of Jan Still’s “Central Powers Pistols” in 2007, only one Erfurt P08 with such a stamp had been reported. Your pistol with the trigger guard eagle is virtually unique.

The holdopen pin is a much later replacement. One might guess that it replaced an original damaged pin. It appears to be a hollow, split expansion pin pressed into plce.

--Dwight

I 2nd Dwight's motion ... What a fabulously interesting pistol ... my kind of gun

Congradulations Bill :D

Nice, I have only seen the more common 1917/18 or 1918/17. Interesting being 1914/18.

Neat gun!
 

I agree, what a history this luger must have had! It has more dates on it then my kitchen calendar, all with a history...:eek:... pretty neat gun... Gotta like it... best, til...lat'r....GT...:cheers: