P-08 with an uncertain past

[Feamane]

Hi all,

This one has also been seen here on the forum before since I bought it from another member. It's a refinished parts gun, but it may have been put together and refinished at the Mauser plant (does that put it a step above a bubba parts gun?). The barrel has the KK/6 in a circle mark. The consensus on the Luger Forum seems to be this marking is Portuguese. But I have also seen on the P.38 forum and the Luger Forum the minority opinion that this is an Austrian mark. On page 125 of "P.38 Magazines and Grips" de Vlieger, Clarin, and Roth put forth the theory that this marking is indeed of Austrian origin. If so, then it would seem that this pistol was rebuilt postwar by Mauser under French control and was issued or at least intended for the French Gendarmerie. It would have then been sent to the Austrians. Since it has no Bundesheer markings I think it would have been issued to police instead of the army. Be that as it may, it's my first and only Parabellum and I think it's a very cool pistol. I hope you enjoy the pix.

Regards,
DJ