My first luger; need help identifying

Pete Ebbink · 03-31-2004, 12:59 PM

Hello Marcus,

The "f" is the serial number suffix for military issued lugers.

During WWI, each year they started with pistol # 1 and went up to pistol # 9999 or # 10000. After that they went to # 1a # 2a,...# 9999a, etc. They would continue right through the A-Z alphabet for that year. The next year, they would start with # 1, again...

During the 3rd. Reich period, they would start each year where the last year left off...not automatically restart at # 1.

Your "f" suffix indicates that year they went through at least the "f" suffix block...and probably more beyond that.

Jan Still in his TRL book on page 16 indicate the 1938 S/42's ran from 400b through 4500n; with ~ 113,800 lugers made by Mauser in that year.

Best Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

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03-31-2004, 12:59 PM	#13
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Hello Marcus, The "f" is the serial number suffix for military issued lugers. During WWI, each year they started with pistol # 1 and went up to pistol # 9999 or # 10000. After that they went to # 1a # 2a,...# 9999a, etc. They would continue right through the A-Z alphabet for that year. The next year, they would start with # 1, again... During the 3rd. Reich period, they would start each year where the last year left off...not automatically restart at # 1. Your "f" suffix indicates that year they went through at least the "f" suffix block...and probably more beyond that. Jan Still in his TRL book on page 16 indicate the 1938 S/42's ran from 400b through 4500n; with ~ 113,800 lugers made by Mauser in that year. Best Regards, Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />