41 byf ????
 

My father past away recently, He has left me a luger. Your sight has helped me identify some of the markings. Great sight by the way! The gun has the markings 41 byf and a serial number of 18xx. It looks and resembles a black widow, but it has white grips! Are the grips original? Also I need to register it and would like to know of an estimated value? It has two clips with the wood bases. The serials don't match the gun. It also has a holster. The gun is in greattt!! shape. Any Help would be appreciated. It looks as though I am on my way to collecting lugers!!!

Bear,

Your Luger is a 1941 made by Mauser. Look and see if it has letter under the 18xx. This is the full serial number. The white grips are not original. The magazines (cliips) pre-date your Luger. They switched from wood to a metal base during the 1920's. Price depends on the condition, but since it's non-matching, I'd say max would be $500 - $600.

Thanks, tracyp. Let me refrase the description. The serials on the gun all match, but the magazines serial do not match the gun. Can I find grips that would match the originals. Also the letter is an "a". Any additional info would be appreciative.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by tracyp:
<strong>Bear,

Your Luger is a 1941 made by Mauser. Look and see if it has letter under the 18xx. This is the full serial number. The white grips are not original. The magazines (cliips) pre-date your Luger. They switched from wood to a metal base during the 1920's. Price depends on the condition, but since it's non-matching, I'd say max would be $500 - $600.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

Hi Bear, welcome to the Luger Forum! Regarding you Luger, the value depends on condition!! Also on the acceptance marks which are found on the right side of the pistol. If you have an "A" suffix, the chances are the acceptance marks are dual eagle-over-135 followed by an eagle-over-swastika. The latter is the proof mark. If this is the case add about $200 to $400 to the previous estimate, depending on the condition. Too bad you don't have the original grips.

Frank, Bear sent me this via PM:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">On the right side parallel with the year 41 is a proof mark No. 46 & 47 the same mark is also on the right side of the barrel. Also, on the right side right next to the proof mark is two other markings that look like it was double stamped with the eagle and appears to be the number 135 under both.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

Thanks Ed!! Bear there are about 4000 byf 41 Lugers that were marked with at least one Eagle-over-135 Acceptance Mark. That is estimated in about 126,000 byf 41 pistols. That fact brings up the value of the pistol. Now if we could establish that all internal & external parts are properly marked and the condition, the true value can be established!!

The "white" grips will certainly detract from the value!

Condition, condition, condition.

Mt friend Frank and Bill have hammered that into my head :D <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Look on fleabay for some proper grips, better than "fake" ones.

Ed

Thanks Frank and Ed, I will try to take a few photo's and put them on the site tomorrow for you to look at. What is a fair price to pay for some proper grips?

They can get fairly expensive for original nice ones on e-bay. I have seen them go from $50 to $200.

I would be tempted to put some Hugh grips on them for looks (he takes the ill fitting ones and makes them wonderful).
If you are looking for original, then place a want ad here on the forum or write or call Tom Heller.

Bear, I have a 41 byf Luger close to yours in production -- the SN is 960a, and both waffenampt proofs are Eagle-over-135. After some book research and several discussions with the gurus here, I believe mine was manufactured in January 1942. Yours is close enough in number that it probably was made then as well.

For what it's worth, mine also has been in the family for 50-odd years and also never had the original grips (though my replacements weren't white!). Because I shoot it regularly and it hasn't been "mint" since the 1960s, I use a set of nice reproduction Black Widow grips.