Lessons Learned and Applied

waffen · 04-12-2007, 08:57 AM

One thing I'd like to impress upon readers who are new to Lugers; acquiring your first pistol doesn't cure the itch at all. It's just the beginning of a long and happy obsession. Even if, like me, you are resolved to have just one Luger, you will soon find yourself searching the world for a correct holster, magazines, loading tool, .22-cal conversion kit, etc. The list of possible accessories seems endless.

Again, the experienced people on this site have already provided much of the information you need before you buy. Just put on a pot of coffee, lock the door to your study for a couple of hours and invest some time in reading. Indeed, I can't think of a more pleasant occupation while a bleak Wisconsin winter hammers away at the shutters and shingles. (Well, to be truthful I guess there are a few more pleasant activities, which explains our unusually high August-through-October birth rate here in the Badger State).

Let's start with the holster. Authenticity was important to me, so I read nearly every word that Jerry Burney has written about how to distinguish reproduction holsters from the originals. Ron Wood was also a big help to me in this area. Unfortunately my experience was that quality, original Luger holsters dated 1939 or 1940 that I found for auction on e-bay or for sale through other on-line vendors were priced much higher than the "around two hundred dollars" figure often bandied about on this site. However, when this holster came up for sale I was in a position to buy it, and did;

What I learned from the experienced collectors here is to look carefully at the stitching on the back of the holster;

Note that the top and middle rows of stitching extend right across the magazine pouch to the edge, and that the belt loops are mounted at an angle rather than straight across. The stitching at the bottom of the lower belt loop extends a little bit in order to attach the bottom part of the pull strap to the inside of the holster. In this close-up of the Waffenampt you can distinguish the original linen thread;

I did check Third Reich Lugers to confirm the maker's mark and code before I bought the holster, and though I paid more than $200 it was still quite a bargain compared to other 1939 and 1940-dated holsters I've seen for sale in recent months, especially in this condition. I admit that I was nervous about not being able to do the "sniff test", but happily all that arrived in the mail was a hunk of musty old leather with a hint of long-ago cigarette smoke.

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04-12-2007, 08:57 AM	#3
waffen User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	One thing I'd like to impress upon readers who are new to Lugers; acquiring your first pistol doesn't cure the itch at all. It's just the beginning of a long and happy obsession. Even if, like me, you are resolved to have just one Luger, you will soon find yourself searching the world for a correct holster, magazines, loading tool, .22-cal conversion kit, etc. The list of possible accessories seems endless. Again, the experienced people on this site have already provided much of the information you need before you buy. Just put on a pot of coffee, lock the door to your study for a couple of hours and invest some time in reading. Indeed, I can't think of a more pleasant occupation while a bleak Wisconsin winter hammers away at the shutters and shingles. (Well, to be truthful I guess there are a few more pleasant activities, which explains our unusually high August-through-October birth rate here in the Badger State). Let's start with the holster. Authenticity was important to me, so I read nearly every word that Jerry Burney has written about how to distinguish reproduction holsters from the originals. Ron Wood was also a big help to me in this area. Unfortunately my experience was that quality, original Luger holsters dated 1939 or 1940 that I found for auction on e-bay or for sale through other on-line vendors were priced much higher than the "around two hundred dollars" figure often bandied about on this site. However, when this holster came up for sale I was in a position to buy it, and did; What I learned from the experienced collectors here is to look carefully at the stitching on the back of the holster; Note that the top and middle rows of stitching extend right across the magazine pouch to the edge, and that the belt loops are mounted at an angle rather than straight across. The stitching at the bottom of the lower belt loop extends a little bit in order to attach the bottom part of the pull strap to the inside of the holster. In this close-up of the Waffenampt you can distinguish the original linen thread; I did check Third Reich Lugers to confirm the maker's mark and code before I bought the holster, and though I paid more than $200 it was still quite a bargain compared to other 1939 and 1940-dated holsters I've seen for sale in recent months, especially in this condition. I admit that I was nervous about not being able to do the "sniff test", but happily all that arrived in the mail was a hunk of musty old leather with a hint of long-ago cigarette smoke.