Need information on this Luger

christopher08 · 04-01-2016, 01:12 PM

I'm new to Lugers and got my first one a few days ago

. I've been reading quite a lot on the web an on the forum here, but cannot draw any conclusion for know. I'm a bit puzzled and hope someone will be able to help by providing more information on my gun. Any info is very much appreciated.

The Frame is marked L. Kg on the grip, which probably means : Landjägerei Königsberg.

Upper parts marked : Mauser 42 / 1940. Waffenamt 655 markings, eagle with swastika punched out !

No VOPO marks. Haven't seen any Russian capture X, except for the X on one of the grips.

Grips seem to be different one from another, one is blacker, the other one is redder.

The frame probably comes from the Weimar era, while the upper parts are all ww2.
Upper and lower parts don't seem to match.

Question : when and where could this gun have been assembled like this ?

High resolution pictures are here : https://app.sugarsync.com/iris/wf/D8...5260933_902686

Thank you very much for your help,

christopher

ithacaartist · 04-01-2016, 01:59 PM

Welcome to the forum, Xtian,

I think it could have been assembled in somebody's garage, probably anytime after WWII. To the best of my Knowledge, reworks by any governmental/military program or process do not end up like this. It's apparently a parts gun. The frame, at the very least, has been re-blued over pits and other damage, including its interior--which would have been in the white if properly rust blued. I think someone may have gotten lucky going through one of those famous barrels of parts and fished out some matching numbers. There's most of an "X" on the trigger guard..? We hope you paid shooter grade price for it! Unless the bore is complete toast, it should make a great shooter.

christopher08 · 04-01-2016, 02:21 PM

Hello thank you for your reply, actually it's not an X it's clearly a Y. The barrel is actually in good condition.

Edward Tinker · 04-01-2016, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christopher08

Hello thank you for your reply, actually it's not an X it's clearly a Y. The barrel is actually in good condition.

Well, there would be NO reason to put a 'Y' in that location, it is much too low and much too big to be a suffix.

I'd say its a partial 'X" also

Desperado · 04-02-2016, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Well, there would be NO reason to put a 'Y' in that location, it is much too low and much too big to be a suffix.

I'd say its a partial 'X" also

Picture #29 of 33 shows a proper sized suffix in the proper location, also eliminating the partial X as a suffix. I *think* it is an "i" which could be correct for a 1940 Mauser, but the angle and glare is to bad to be certain. From what can be see, the size and style seem to match the 1940 "i" as shown in Hallock & vande Kant's book (Appendix B, page 654).

Edward Tinker · 04-01-2016, 02:31 PM

Christopher, welcome to the forum!

I lean more towards that most parts were either matched (very obvious '7' there) or perhaps frame was in worse shape and they swapped parts. As it is unlikely that that police unit marking would be on a 1940/42 (very unlikely)

Ed

ithacaartist · 04-01-2016, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

... unlikely that that police unit marking would be on a 1940/42 (very unlikely)

Also very unlikely for a '40/42 without the Mauser hump!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

I'd say its a partial 'X" also

Heh. I almost wrote "most of an X"

Sergio Natali · 04-02-2016, 07:48 AM

christopher08

First off welcome to this Luger forum.

I'm not an expert but with all the respect to me it looks a bit like a mixmaster, some sort of parts gun assembled sometime after the last War.

Best.

alanint · 04-02-2016, 01:07 PM

There is odd battering to the frame under the takedown lever as well as the bottom of the side plate.

I can't think of any explanation for this, unless somebody removed a VoPo or other mark mark from the frame at that location.

christopher08 · 04-04-2016, 03:58 AM

Got the following informations on another forum :

All together makes sense somehow

, reworked VOPO Luger, assembled from different parts immediately after WWII, scratched VOPO marks when the gun was sold.

1) It appears that the serial number suffix on the front of the frame is "t" which indicates it is what is known as a 29 DWM, produced by BKIW in about 1929. It almost certainly is one of the P08s manufactured and issued to the Prussian Landjägerei in 1929-30. The frame is drilled for a Walther magazine safety and it appears that the slot cut in the frame for this device was nicely filled in when it was removed in 1937. Certainly, the left grip panel is a replacement or else it would have had the upper left corner removed to accommodate this device.

2) On the place concerning your Luger normaly was the star with a number from the Volkspolizei from the former GDR located...
There was the regulation in the GDR that these marks have to be scratched out when selling...
I think your Luger has the upper part from a so called Vopo-Luger, a reworked Luger from the East-German Police immediately after WWII...

04-01-2016, 01:12 PM	#1
christopher08 New User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Europe / Luxembourg Posts: 3 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Need information on this Luger I'm new to Lugers and got my first one a few days ago . I've been reading quite a lot on the web an on the forum here, but cannot draw any conclusion for know. I'm a bit puzzled and hope someone will be able to help by providing more information on my gun. Any info is very much appreciated. The Frame is marked L. Kg on the grip, which probably means : Landjägerei Königsberg. Upper parts marked : Mauser 42 / 1940. Waffenamt 655 markings, eagle with swastika punched out ! No VOPO marks. Haven't seen any Russian capture X, except for the X on one of the grips. Grips seem to be different one from another, one is blacker, the other one is redder. The frame probably comes from the Weimar era, while the upper parts are all ww2. Upper and lower parts don't seem to match. Question : when and where could this gun have been assembled like this ? High resolution pictures are here : https://app.sugarsync.com/iris/wf/D8...5260933_902686 Thank you very much for your help, christopher

04-01-2016, 02:31 PM	#6
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,974 Thanks: 2,072 Thanked 4,608 Times in 2,123 Posts	Christopher, welcome to the forum! I lean more towards that most parts were either matched (very obvious '7' there) or perhaps frame was in worse shape and they swapped parts. As it is unlikely that that police unit marking would be on a 1940/42 (very unlikely) Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

04-02-2016, 07:48 AM	#8
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,087 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	christopher08 First off welcome to this Luger forum. I'm not an expert but with all the respect to me it looks a bit like a mixmaster, some sort of parts gun assembled sometime after the last War. Best. __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

04-04-2016, 03:58 AM	#10
christopher08 New User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Europe / Luxembourg Posts: 3 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Got the following informations on another forum : All together makes sense somehow, reworked VOPO Luger, assembled from different parts immediately after WWII, scratched VOPO marks when the gun was sold. 1) It appears that the serial number suffix on the front of the frame is "t" which indicates it is what is known as a 29 DWM, produced by BKIW in about 1929. It almost certainly is one of the P08s manufactured and issued to the Prussian Landjägerei in 1929-30. The frame is drilled for a Walther magazine safety and it appears that the slot cut in the frame for this device was nicely filled in when it was removed in 1937. Certainly, the left grip panel is a replacement or else it would have had the upper left corner removed to accommodate this device. 2) On the place concerning your Luger normaly was the star with a number from the Volkspolizei from the former GDR located... There was the regulation in the GDR that these marks have to be scratched out when selling... I think your Luger has the upper part from a so called Vopo-Luger, a reworked Luger from the East-German Police immediately after WWII...

04-01-2016, 01:59 PM	#2
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,400 Thanks: 7,555 Thanked 2,643 Times in 1,393 Posts	Welcome to the forum, Xtian, I think it could have been assembled in somebody's garage, probably anytime after WWII. To the best of my Knowledge, reworks by any governmental/military program or process do not end up like this. It's apparently a parts gun. The frame, at the very least, has been re-blued over pits and other damage, including its interior--which would have been in the white if properly rust blued. I think someone may have gotten lucky going through one of those famous barrels of parts and fished out some matching numbers. There's most of an "X" on the trigger guard..? We hope you paid shooter grade price for it! Unless the bore is complete toast, it should make a great shooter. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

04-01-2016, 02:21 PM	#3
christopher08 New User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Europe / Luxembourg Posts: 3 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Hello thank you for your reply, actually it's not an X it's clearly a Y. The barrel is actually in good condition.

04-02-2016, 01:07 PM	#9
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	There is odd battering to the frame under the takedown lever as well as the bottom of the side plate. I can't think of any explanation for this, unless somebody removed a VoPo or other mark mark from the frame at that location.