Simson P08 Replacement Barrels

[Don M]

As some of you may know, my research has led me to the conclusion that the Prussian Landj�¤gerei had unmodified LP08s until they were replaced in 1929-30 with newly manufactured P08s. Surviving documents indicate the old LP08s were to be returned to the Polizeischule f�¼r Technik und Verkehr (PTV) in Berlin where I believe they were reworked to become P08s and reissued to various police units including the Schupo, Gemeindepolizei and Landj�¤gerei. Since the Landj�¤gerei did not mark its pistols until after the 1929 rearming, the only police markings on these reissued P08s are those of their new owners.

Most of the reissued P08s seem to be 1918 DWMs but other dates are also seen. They have the receiver cut for an LP08 tangent sight and PTV/E stamps on their replacement barrels. Many of the replacement barrels were apparently purchased from Simson and have one or two Simson E/6 stamps as well as a single-digit number such as 3, 4, 5, etc. stamped on them. These numbers have been discussed on the forums and, to my knowledge, their meaning has been unknown. I think I may have the answer.

I have not studied this in depth but in every instance I can recall where these barrels also have the bore measurement stamped on them (8,83, 8,84, etc.), the single digit matches the last digit of the bore diameter. I have drawn the tentative conclusion that these numbers reflect the barrel bore dimension.

I will appreciate information from forum members with Simson replacement barrels that will either confirm or refute this theory.