LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - BYF- 41

11-08-2001, 11:47 PM

I recently inherited a Luger from my father. He aquired it during the war while fighting in France as a infantryman. His squad captured a machine gun crew and the Luger was taken from the sergeant that was in charge of the crew. The pistol was new, wrapped in a piece of heavy oily paper and stashed with two magazines inside of the sergeants pack. Without inspecting them, my father gave one magazine to his friend who carried a Luger and wanted a spare. Dad said it was probably the magazine with the matching serial number that he gave away since the magazine number is different from the pistol. All of the numbers on the pistol itself match. The pistol was mailed home still wrapped and sat gathering dust in my aunts closet until 1959 when she graduated school and left home. My grandfather reminded my dad about the pistol and returned it to him. Delighted to be reunited with his long forgotten Luger, dad shot several boxes of shells thru it and then cleaned it and put it away.. About once a year he would break it out and run a few rounds threw it. He took great satisfaction in shooting tomato paste cans at 25 yards with it. The pistol has not been fired since about 1975 and has only had about 200 rounds fired in it.

I am hardly an Expert on Lugers and was wondering what this one is approximately worth for insurance purposes. I would never sell it since it is a piece of family history.

It is a typical P.08 model. Judging by its BYF markings, it appears to have been made at the Oberndorf (sp?) Mauser Works in Germany. There is a 41 (probably the year of manufacture) stamped on the receive and the serial number appears to be 974, but it also has 74 stamped in several places. I was told this is common and is simply the last two numbers of the serial number. There are no import stamps or any other stamps other then the expected P.08, NAZI eagles and the proof marks. The magazine is steel with an aluminum base. The finish has some very minor wear signs, the bore and all of the moving parts are in excellent condition.

11-08-2001, 11:47 PM	#1
Chris Condor Guest Posts: n/a	BYF- 41 I recently inherited a Luger from my father. He aquired it during the war while fighting in France as a infantryman. His squad captured a machine gun crew and the Luger was taken from the sergeant that was in charge of the crew. The pistol was new, wrapped in a piece of heavy oily paper and stashed with two magazines inside of the sergeants pack. Without inspecting them, my father gave one magazine to his friend who carried a Luger and wanted a spare. Dad said it was probably the magazine with the matching serial number that he gave away since the magazine number is different from the pistol. All of the numbers on the pistol itself match. The pistol was mailed home still wrapped and sat gathering dust in my aunts closet until 1959 when she graduated school and left home. My grandfather reminded my dad about the pistol and returned it to him. Delighted to be reunited with his long forgotten Luger, dad shot several boxes of shells thru it and then cleaned it and put it away.. About once a year he would break it out and run a few rounds threw it. He took great satisfaction in shooting tomato paste cans at 25 yards with it. The pistol has not been fired since about 1975 and has only had about 200 rounds fired in it. I am hardly an Expert on Lugers and was wondering what this one is approximately worth for insurance purposes. I would never sell it since it is a piece of family history. It is a typical P.08 model. Judging by its BYF markings, it appears to have been made at the Oberndorf (sp?) Mauser Works in Germany. There is a 41 (probably the year of manufacture) stamped on the receive and the serial number appears to be 974, but it also has 74 stamped in several places. I was told this is common and is simply the last two numbers of the serial number. There are no import stamps or any other stamps other then the expected P.08, NAZI eagles and the proof marks. The magazine is steel with an aluminum base. The finish has some very minor wear signs, the bore and all of the moving parts are in excellent condition.