Visit To KrauseWerks...

[Johnny Peppers]

There has been rumors for years of the existence of other .45 Lugers, but I know of no knowledgeable collector that has even come close to uncovering one of the pistols. E.S.Meadows mentions the possible existence of other .45 Lugers in his book "U.S.Military Automatic Pistols", but after doing extensive research never came close to finding one of the pistols.

I thought I still had the copy of the article in Guns & Ammo by Garry James on the .45 Luger, but cannot find it. I wrote Mr. James three different letters trying to make him aware of the other .45 Luger at Norton Gallery, but he wouldn't even extend me the courtesy of answering my letters. I was later told that Mr.James figured prominently in the sale of the .45 Luger prior to the article in G&A, and that he helped promote the idea that only one of the pistols existed. There was no way that he would make known the existence of another of the pistols. Supposedly Michael Zomber was the owner of the pistol, but word was that it had been sold to an Indonesian banker and Mr.Zomber was the front man. The pistol never left the US and when the economy started south, the pistol again came up for sale. Last word was that it was in the possession of Richard Ellis.

Maybe someone else on the forum has later information on the whereabouts of the .45 Luger in the article.