newbie,s1938 s42 marking

stewy · 01-11-2003, 04:15 PM

going throughout the tech info on this site i can't seem to find the matching signs to properly ID my newly acquired dad's Luger. HELP!!! By the way all numbers are matching including magazine thanks...stewy

Roadkill · 01-11-2003, 06:54 PM

Sir, welcome to the forum, but the experts need a little more to work with. Were lack of technical
knowledge reference Lugers a virtue my entry into heaven would guaranteed many times over.These guys can read a Luger like Webster could the unabridged dictionary but you have to work with them, pictures are great if possible.Just describe it in as much detail as possible.

rk

Edward Tinker · 01-11-2003, 09:47 PM

As Roadkill said, if you can give good descriptions and details of where and what the proof or markings is, that helps very much.

Year stamped on it?

Toggle marked what? (on top marking?)

Ensure that all numbers are matching, that includes many small parts such as the firing pin.

Ed

stewy · 01-12-2003, 08:46 PM

Thanks for your reply guys.I haven't learned how to dismantle it yet, so I see a bunch of numbers that are the same. I'll check with my local gunsmith on how to do it. Is it here that I should give out the serial # and photos ??? I've got a digital camera,and may try to send pictures of the marking.
Being a newbie I'm not sure how it will turn out.please be patient... Thanks, Stewy

Edward Tinker · 01-12-2003, 09:03 PM

Stewy, there is a short "how to on photos" here:
http://forums.lugerforum.com/cgi-bin...;f=11;t=000072

Also, we are patient and understand how it is learning something new. On your left, provided you came into www.lugerforum.com are sections on Technical Info and General information. Both have lots of good info for you. If you have trouble uploading a picture, e-mail me.

RockinWR · 01-12-2003, 09:05 PM

Stewy
* As you probably know already, your Luger was made in 1938. The "S/42" marking was the Mfg. code assigned from 1934-1938 to the Mauser Oberndorf Plant which made this pistol. Some few 1939-S/42 luger examples are known...likely assembled from manufactured overrun components produced during the Mauser plant code change to "42" which appeared on later pieces. The Germans wasted little, the Army needed pistols and Mauser was in the business to make a profit.
* Jan Still's book Third Reich Lugers estimates 113,800 of these were made in the S/N range 400b-4500n. Looking @ an unloaded pistol, toggle locked back & mag removed to be safe, the small lower case suffix letter will be found on the grip frame ahead of the trigger guard and below the barrel. A matching # mag. will also display this small suffix letter on the Aluminum base plug of the mag.
* Without more description/pictures to go by, I trust you've received the "Help" you're looking for.
Respectfully,
WR

Roadkill · 01-12-2003, 09:08 PM

Let's see: "You can't miss it", "like riding a bicycle", "tastes like chicken", "hold my beer and watch this", and "they aren't that difficult to take apart", all are precursors to memorable occasions. I've never had as much trouble getting a gun apart as getting it back together,P38s cause me more aggravation than a Luger.

rk

Heydrich · 01-13-2003, 05:16 AM

You left one out RK, “I bet you can’t…” (fill in the blank there.) One of my co-workers once related a incident that involved this. Back in the 80s, he read in a Phoenix newspaper about two guys who were drinking heavily in a local bar. It seems the topic of the Phoenix area zoo came up, with all the various wild animals there. These included Rhinos. One of the guys started acting tough, and the other one dared him, “I bet you can’t ride the Rhinos there.” The tough guy took up this challenge, they left the bar, and then proceeded to break into the local zoo in the middle of the night. They found the Rhino compound, the tough guy proceeded to climb over the fence and into it, and did his best to ride one of the Rhinos. They found his dead body the next morning.

Mark A · 01-13-2003, 10:04 PM

And his estate never ponied up for the bet!

stewy · 01-14-2003, 12:10 AM

well guys,some say my Luger has a nice serial #,2020 and what seems to be an L marking.By browsing on your site i found out my magazine has a + on ,it making it a spare?I also tried to upload photo but i think there gone???? Oh!ED,I looked up what you suggested on lugerforum and found nice stuff to learne,thanks!!!Got a bunche of not to bad photos to put up ,any tips how to???

stewy · 01-14-2003, 12:19 AM

Ed, minutes after I posted my previous message I found your tutorial about the photos .Seems excellent,I'll try it

Edward Tinker · 01-14-2003, 12:31 AM

Sounds good, if you have problems, just e-mail me.

Ed

stewy · 01-14-2003, 11:39 PM

My Dad purchased this Luger in 1947 from a policeman that had been overseas and had it since. He used it as his companion in northern Ontario for 15 years being a wood-scaler, fish, game, & fire-warden. My Dad had a carry-use permit at the time. Over these years in the woods he used it mainly for his safety, downing 1 moose, 5 bears and many partridges, once saving his life from a sping hungry female with bear cubs. That is my little story of my Luger. Trying to transfer from dad to me is an other one!!!!! Hope you enjoy. thanks, Lane (stewy)...

Edward Tinker · 01-14-2003, 11:56 PM

3 more pictures of Stewy's

stewy · 01-15-2003, 12:12 AM

wow!!!neatto, nice job ED, I like it ,thanks... let me know what you think of it as for its markings etc...as for its value I know its pretty rough showing its second life use but having shot with it when I was 12 makes it the BEST for me!!! stewy

01-11-2003, 04:15 PM	#1
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	newbie,s1938 s42 marking going throughout the tech info on this site i can't seem to find the matching signs to properly ID my newly acquired dad's Luger. HELP!!! By the way all numbers are matching including magazine thanks...stewy

01-11-2003, 09:47 PM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,932 Thanks: 2,032 Thanked 4,528 Times in 2,091 Posts	As Roadkill said, if you can give good descriptions and details of where and what the proof or markings is, that helps very much. Year stamped on it? Toggle marked what? (on top marking?) Ensure that all numbers are matching, that includes many small parts such as the firing pin. Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-12-2003, 09:03 PM	#5
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,932 Thanks: 2,032 Thanked 4,528 Times in 2,091 Posts	Stewy, there is a short "how to on photos" here: http://forums.lugerforum.com/cgi-bin...;f=11;t=000072 Also, we are patient and understand how it is learning something new. On your left, provided you came into www.lugerforum.com are sections on Technical Info and General information. Both have lots of good info for you. If you have trouble uploading a picture, e-mail me. __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-13-2003, 10:04 PM	#9
Mark A User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wheat Ridge, CO Posts: 105 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	And his estate never ponied up for the bet! __________________ Mark

01-14-2003, 12:31 AM	#12
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,932 Thanks: 2,032 Thanked 4,528 Times in 2,091 Posts	Sounds good, if you have problems, just e-mail me. Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-11-2003, 06:54 PM	#2
Roadkill User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,632 Thanks: 1 Thanked 28 Times in 17 Posts	Sir, welcome to the forum, but the experts need a little more to work with. Were lack of technical knowledge reference Lugers a virtue my entry into heaven would guaranteed many times over.These guys can read a Luger like Webster could the unabridged dictionary but you have to work with them, pictures are great if possible.Just describe it in as much detail as possible. rk

01-12-2003, 08:46 PM	#4
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for your reply guys.I haven't learned how to dismantle it yet, so I see a bunch of numbers that are the same. I'll check with my local gunsmith on how to do it. Is it here that I should give out the serial # and photos ??? I've got a digital camera,and may try to send pictures of the marking. Being a newbie I'm not sure how it will turn out.please be patient... Thanks, Stewy

01-12-2003, 09:05 PM	#6
RockinWR User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: D/FW, Tx Posts: 279 Thanks: 109 Thanked 31 Times in 16 Posts	Stewy * As you probably know already, your Luger was made in 1938. The "S/42" marking was the Mfg. code assigned from 1934-1938 to the Mauser Oberndorf Plant which made this pistol. Some few 1939-S/42 luger examples are known...likely assembled from manufactured overrun components produced during the Mauser plant code change to "42" which appeared on later pieces. The Germans wasted little, the Army needed pistols and Mauser was in the business to make a profit. * Jan Still's book Third Reich Lugers estimates 113,800 of these were made in the S/N range 400b-4500n. Looking @ an unloaded pistol, toggle locked back & mag removed to be safe, the small lower case suffix letter will be found on the grip frame ahead of the trigger guard and below the barrel. A matching # mag. will also display this small suffix letter on the Aluminum base plug of the mag. * Without more description/pictures to go by, I trust you've received the "Help" you're looking for. Respectfully, WR

01-12-2003, 09:08 PM	#7
Roadkill User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,632 Thanks: 1 Thanked 28 Times in 17 Posts	Let's see: "You can't miss it", "like riding a bicycle", "tastes like chicken", "hold my beer and watch this", and "they aren't that difficult to take apart", all are precursors to memorable occasions. I've never had as much trouble getting a gun apart as getting it back together,P38s cause me more aggravation than a Luger. rk

01-13-2003, 05:16 AM	#8
Heydrich Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Oregon Posts: 181 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	You left one out RK, “I bet you can’t…” (fill in the blank there.) One of my co-workers once related a incident that involved this. Back in the 80s, he read in a Phoenix newspaper about two guys who were drinking heavily in a local bar. It seems the topic of the Phoenix area zoo came up, with all the various wild animals there. These included Rhinos. One of the guys started acting tough, and the other one dared him, “I bet you can’t ride the Rhinos there.” The tough guy took up this challenge, they left the bar, and then proceeded to break into the local zoo in the middle of the night. They found the Rhino compound, the tough guy proceeded to climb over the fence and into it, and did his best to ride one of the Rhinos. They found his dead body the next morning.

01-14-2003, 12:10 AM	#10
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	well guys,some say my Luger has a nice serial #,2020 and what seems to be an L marking.By browsing on your site i found out my magazine has a + on ,it making it a spare?I also tried to upload photo but i think there gone???? Oh!ED,I looked up what you suggested on lugerforum and found nice stuff to learne,thanks!!!Got a bunche of not to bad photos to put up ,any tips how to???

01-14-2003, 12:19 AM	#11
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ed, minutes after I posted my previous message I found your tutorial about the photos .Seems excellent,I'll try it

01-14-2003, 11:39 PM	#13
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My Dad purchased this Luger in 1947 from a policeman that had been overseas and had it since. He used it as his companion in northern Ontario for 15 years being a wood-scaler, fish, game, & fire-warden. My Dad had a carry-use permit at the time. Over these years in the woods he used it mainly for his safety, downing 1 moose, 5 bears and many partridges, once saving his life from a sping hungry female with bear cubs. That is my little story of my Luger. Trying to transfer from dad to me is an other one!!!!! Hope you enjoy. thanks, Lane (stewy)...

01-14-2003, 11:56 PM	#14
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,932 Thanks: 2,032 Thanked 4,528 Times in 2,091 Posts	3 more pictures of Stewy's __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-15-2003, 12:12 AM	#15
stewy User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	wow!!!neatto, nice job ED, I like it ,thanks... let me know what you think of it as for its markings etc...as for its value I know its pretty rough showing its second life use but having shot with it when I was 12 makes it the BEST for me!!! stewy