Bakelite (Plastic) Grip ID

[mrerick]

Hi,

I recently acquired a 1939 Mauser Luger that had been sold by <a well known Luger dealer> as a "Black Widow". Per Hallock and van de Kant, bakelite (or plastic) grips did not appear on Lugers until the next year.

These grips had been painted black with lacquer. I have since cleaned them and removed this lacquer.

Under the lacquered Left Grip, I found a HK (Krieghoff) Coarse grip (as identified by Gibson's study). The first four pictures show this grip - two pictures per grip side from different lighting angles.

The Right Grip appears to be a Mauser type 4 grip (per the Dave Molchan study in Hallock and van de Kant "The Mauser Parabellum"). The next five pictures are of this grip. Per Gibson's study, the Right Grip is not as finely made as the HK grip.

Some of the areas of the right grip, particularly the area near the bottom right (closeup) where the grip screw area is, show areas where the molding was not sharp, and where areas protrude along the boarder.

Gibson describes these Mauser grips as much more crudely made. Is this softness of the checkering typical of these grips? Both grips are hard bakelite and not the thermoplastic seen in reproductions. The holes in the back are threaded.

Do they both appear original and genuine Luger grips from WW-II?

Marc