"41 Coded" P08 Luger
Hi everybody. I am brand new to this site and am looking for some information.
A friend of mine from church has asked me to find out some details on a P08 Luger that his father brought back from Europe after WWII. I have it in my possession so I can provide pictures if anyone needs additional info.
It looks just like your stereotypical luger, black with brownish grips. finish is a little worn but no rust or pitting. The action is smooth with no binding and the trigger is amazingly light. The bore is clean and bright with no pitting, and the safety functions properly.
It is coded "41" on top of the receiver. All serial numbers match (last two digits of pistol serial # are stamped on all exposed parts) with the exception of the number on the magazine base. The proof marks are Eagle/655 followed by another Eagle/655 followed by an Eagle. There is a smaller Eagle stamped on the barrel just forward of the receiver. The pistol serial number is also stamped on the trigger guard with a lower case cursive "m" stamped below it where the trigger guard curves. The letters "byf" are stamped just forward of the nuckle.
It also has with a holster that is worn but intact and has an integral magazine pouch and one magazine as mentioned above.
The story is typical. He says that his father brought it back from Europe after the war and got it off a German who "didn't need it anymore."
He'd like to get an approximate value for the pistol. He also would like to know the viability of using it as a personal defense weapon. How do these older P08s hold up under modern ammo (specially +P, etc...)? I don't want to test fire it before I get some answers to these questions.
This is absolutely the first P08 I have ever handled, so I haven't got the first clue as to how to field strip it for further inspection, so if someone could give me some info as to how to do that or point me in the direction of those resources I would appreciate it.
Best regards,
Kevin
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