Gustloff-Werke

MarkC · 07-23-2007, 12:21 PM

David,

I'm not sure there is much about the gun out there as it never really went into production. Here is a little history.

This pistol was developed in 1939 before the beginning of the war at the instigation of Fritz Sauckel, the Gauleiter of Thuringia. Sauckel was the founder and patron of the Gustloff-Werke, formerly the Simson-Werke, in Suhl. The weapon combined elements of the Walther PP and the Sauer & Sohn Model 38. It was supposed to replace the Walther PP as the service pistol of the NSDAP and the SS. However, due to a shortage of material it never progressed beyond the experimental stage, although Hitler as well as Himmler each received a prototype. The few known authentic pieces were all produced with differing technical equipment and in various materials like cast zinc, stainless steel etc.

Sauckel was hanged Oct 1946 for war crimes with the part he played in the slave labor project. He planned on using slave labor from Buchenwald to produce this pistol.

Mark

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07-23-2007, 12:21 PM	#6
MarkC User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 482 Thanks: 1 Thanked 126 Times in 29 Posts	David, I'm not sure there is much about the gun out there as it never really went into production. Here is a little history. This pistol was developed in 1939 before the beginning of the war at the instigation of Fritz Sauckel, the Gauleiter of Thuringia. Sauckel was the founder and patron of the Gustloff-Werke, formerly the Simson-Werke, in Suhl. The weapon combined elements of the Walther PP and the Sauer & Sohn Model 38. It was supposed to replace the Walther PP as the service pistol of the NSDAP and the SS. However, due to a shortage of material it never progressed beyond the experimental stage, although Hitler as well as Himmler each received a prototype. The few known authentic pieces were all produced with differing technical equipment and in various materials like cast zinc, stainless steel etc. Sauckel was hanged Oct 1946 for war crimes with the part he played in the slave labor project. He planned on using slave labor from Buchenwald to produce this pistol. Mark