Luger Serial Number, etc.

Jim, To fully describe your pistol all of the following is required: 1940/42 (Mauser) PO8 (incidcates military issue with 4"x9mm barrel) s/n 5a. Since the serialization of the 1940/42 code started at about 7700z (according to Still's "Third Reich Lugers") your PO8 was about the 10,305th one made by Mauser in 1940 (300 more in z block, 10,000 in no suffix block and 4 before yours in the a suffix block). Many collectors prize these single digit PO8s regardless of the suffix letter. Too bad that it's been reblue, but perhaps Thor can bring it back to near original finish. Tom h