LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Your Favorite P-08 Luger

JonS/42 · 08-09-2003, 03:14 AM

My favorite is my 1938 Mauser S/42; it was a WWII Russian capture piece stored for over 50 years in a Soviet arms storage facility in the Ukraine, discovered after the Russian withdrawal. One of 1400 hand-picked by a US importer invited in, it was arsenal-refinished (I'm imagining in the former DDR), import-stamped and brought to the US. All matching parts, except for the grips and magazine. There was a minor dent in the left side of the receiver-an imaginative person would think "battle damage;" the former Army officer in me thinks "PFC with a crowbar." Had many pleasant talks with John Martz about it-I told him my intention was to shoot it in steel plate matches, and wouldn't it be fun to have a 60 year old weapon take on some of the latest high-tech wonders? John gleefully got into the project, and what we decided to do was to have fun, and make a beautiful, highly functional weapon(what Thor would term a "Total Doll Job"), but one where asthetics would be given an upper hand over total historical accuracy. Accordingly, John TOTALLY went through the gun mechanically, removed the dent in the receiver, performed an action job, and made sure that everything was up to snuff. It then went to Charles Danner in Tennessee for a hot rust blueing, small-parts strawing, and charcoal blueing on several other small parts. George Sarkissian hand carved the grips out of English Presentation Circassian walnut, hand checkered English Circassian walnut, with a smooth border in the style of the 1898/99 Borchardt-Luger Transition model. Jerry Burney supplied a reproduction of the German military lanyard, and El Paso Saddlery provided a replica of the holster made for the 1900 US military trials of the Luger, lined to protect the finish (I also have one of the German military reproduction holsters, but prefer the El Paso holster)I have a absolute fun time shooting it in our league steel plate matches; on Wednesday, for example, I successfully campaigned against Kimbers, Glocks, S&W Performance Center revolvers, etc. (and no, I didn't win(held my own for quite a while though), but someday...After several thousand rounds, the only repairs needed have been replacement of the L-shaped spring that retains the take-down lever, and my rear toggle piece developed a hairline crack, so John replaced it out...and that's been about it. Despite some minor inner pitting in the grooves, I decided to keep the original barrel-John gave it a safe bill of health, and the lands are crisp and clean...if it isn't broken, why fix it? Whenever I shoot it, there's a very high level of spectator interest to say the least...especially when I win a heat! For cleaning, I use Hoppe's #9 or Shooter's Choice; for lubrication I use Tetra or FP-10; for awhile, I used Tetra Grease or TW-25B grease on reciprocating parts, but decided that it was generally unnecessary. Okay, now that I've bored everybody....

08-09-2003, 03:14 AM	#16
JonS/42 User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Auburn, WA USA Posts: 32 Thanks: 4 Thanked 19 Times in 4 Posts	My favorite is my 1938 Mauser S/42; it was a WWII Russian capture piece stored for over 50 years in a Soviet arms storage facility in the Ukraine, discovered after the Russian withdrawal. One of 1400 hand-picked by a US importer invited in, it was arsenal-refinished (I'm imagining in the former DDR), import-stamped and brought to the US. All matching parts, except for the grips and magazine. There was a minor dent in the left side of the receiver-an imaginative person would think "battle damage;" the former Army officer in me thinks "PFC with a crowbar." Had many pleasant talks with John Martz about it-I told him my intention was to shoot it in steel plate matches, and wouldn't it be fun to have a 60 year old weapon take on some of the latest high-tech wonders? John gleefully got into the project, and what we decided to do was to have fun, and make a beautiful, highly functional weapon(what Thor would term a "Total Doll Job"), but one where asthetics would be given an upper hand over total historical accuracy. Accordingly, John TOTALLY went through the gun mechanically, removed the dent in the receiver, performed an action job, and made sure that everything was up to snuff. It then went to Charles Danner in Tennessee for a hot rust blueing, small-parts strawing, and charcoal blueing on several other small parts. George Sarkissian hand carved the grips out of English Presentation Circassian walnut, hand checkered English Circassian walnut, with a smooth border in the style of the 1898/99 Borchardt-Luger Transition model. Jerry Burney supplied a reproduction of the German military lanyard, and El Paso Saddlery provided a replica of the holster made for the 1900 US military trials of the Luger, lined to protect the finish (I also have one of the German military reproduction holsters, but prefer the El Paso holster)I have a absolute fun time shooting it in our league steel plate matches; on Wednesday, for example, I successfully campaigned against Kimbers, Glocks, S&W Performance Center revolvers, etc. (and no, I didn't win(held my own for quite a while though), but someday...After several thousand rounds, the only repairs needed have been replacement of the L-shaped spring that retains the take-down lever, and my rear toggle piece developed a hairline crack, so John replaced it out...and that's been about it. Despite some minor inner pitting in the grooves, I decided to keep the original barrel-John gave it a safe bill of health, and the lands are crisp and clean...if it isn't broken, why fix it? Whenever I shoot it, there's a very high level of spectator interest to say the least...especially when I win a heat! For cleaning, I use Hoppe's #9 or Shooter's Choice; for lubrication I use Tetra or FP-10; for awhile, I used Tetra Grease or TW-25B grease on reciprocating parts, but decided that it was generally unnecessary. Okay, now that I've bored everybody....