Strange sights

[Ed Ross]

I recently bought my first Luger, a 1936, S/42 which has an unusual front sight, unlike anything shown in the few Luger books I have, and I'd like to know what it is. I know I should post a picture of it, but I don't have that capability right now so I'm going to describe it in hopes someone will recognize it.

The base of the sight, and the dove-tail pin that holds the sight blade, look normal, although the pin has some marks on it and looks as if it had been removed and replaced sometime in the past. The front and rear edges of the sight blade are straight and vertical, not curved in the front and sloped forward in the rear as most Luger sights seem to be. The front of the blade is 5/32's of an inch tall, measured from the top of the base, and the rear is 3/16's of an inch so the flat, top of the blade slopes slightly upward, from front to rear. The corner, where the front of the blade meets the top, is rounded off slightly. Where the rear edge of the blade meets the top, it is not rounded and makes a sharp point. At the bottom, where it meets the base, the blade is 1/8th of an inch wide. At the top, the blade is 3/32nds wide so it tapers slightly from bottom to top. On the left side, the blade is stamped with a capital "O," or the number zero, followed by a period which is even with the bottom of the letter, or number.

The rear sight may have been modified too. It is "U" shaped and is 3/32nds wide at the top. There is no blueing inside the sight and it looks as if it may have been filed out to that shape.

The collector I bought this from said he thought it had been modified to a "Navy" sight. He may be right, but I've never seen anything like it. Does anyone have any ideas about what it may be? TIA for any information.

Ed Ross