BCC

Patrick, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I am interested as to why opinions and perhaps even information seem to be so conflicting on P.08 use in WWII. I can only reference what I have observed in many photos (perhaps around 4000-5000). The GrossDeuschland division, probably the premier Army unit of WWII was carring a high percentage of Luger pistols well into late 1944, this can be born out in many photos that I have. I agree with your overview of W-SS arms issue and feel that for this very reason that the W-SS did in fact get a high percentage of 1941 and 42 made Lugers ( I have seen quite a few well documented Vet obtained SS pedigree byf's) I know that this association is often over stated to the point of having become a joke among collectors, however there is a bit more than a kernal of truth to the byf/SS connection. As far as Lugers being stored, I would ask what percentage or quantity do you believe were put into storage during the war? I believe that there some numbers of almost every type of pistol that were never issued and held in reserve stocks or just did not make it into soldier hands due to logistic gliches, this also applies to k98k's MG-42's etc.. but my understanding is that Germany never had enough small arms to warehouse anything firing standard service ammo in any large numbers...that is why things like last ditch 3rd series Radoms were made until the plants were overrun. As far as what the Russians siezed, I have no knowledge of any large quantities of stored P.08s siezed by them. I have seen many more minty P.38's on the import market than Lugers. There is really no doubt in my mind that the Russian origin import P.08s that we were seeing came from massive troop captures during the last year of the war and some from perhaps Stalingrad. I respect your opinion, however I really don't think that the average German really saw much difference (life and death) between the P.38 and the Luger...most pistols spent 99.9 of the time in their holsters.