First time P08 owner

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by HerrKaiser

Nooooo. Side plates are also specifically fitted to each pistol. Though they have a higher probability of being interchangeable, they often aren’t and having a poorly fitted side plate can cause a myriad of issues relating to trigger functions and operation of the sear bar as well.

Do not count on that. A proper "replacement" part, as it seems to be the case, was fitted to gun by an armourer. There are no drop in sideplates anything short of a small miracle.

[HerrKaiser]

I didn’t say they were “drop ins” just that my observations of shooter grade Lugers has been that most just have a mismatched side plate. Logic dictates that since they are most often the mismatched part, they must therefore be the most easily replaceable part.

[John Sabato]

Easily replaced means only that you can probably mount them on the pistol, not that they will function reliably... that is what the hand fitting is all about. The 1936 Mauser that my Dad captured during WW2 has a mismatched sideplate, and it took some gunsmithing to get it to function reliably when I inherited it. My Dad probably only fired it a couple of times after he brought it home just to demo it to family members. It now rests comfortably in my safe... even mismatched, it is priceless to me.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by HerrKaiser

I didn’t say they were “drop ins” just that my observations of shooter grade Lugers has been that most just have a mismatched side plate. Logic dictates that since they are most often the mismatched part, they must therefore be the most easily replaceable part.

Logic fails in this case, perhaps all it means is that people "lose" the side plate more often! JMHO.

Some times the side plate will "fit", but the take down lever won't move to its upper position; then if it does the trigger won't fire the weapon, and if it does, then maybe it does not re-set.

It can take an hour or more to fit a side plate and get it functioning; and some times after even longer it will still not function!
If it has been previously "fit", it may be too small in important dimensions to tighten up!

Better not to speculate and mislead someone into buying a "drop in" part that won't(I know you didn't say it would, but it is implied in your observation).

[tphilly88]

Originally Posted by mrerick

Your numbered magazine is an armorer's replacement (indicated by the "42" stamped on the base).

I don't see a thing in your pictures that would want me to replace the side plate.

Lugers were all hand fitted at great expense. The trigger linkage was probably the most critical part to get right.

Your side plate is also a "42" marked armorer's replacement likely done in the field or a unit level armory. I would not consider changing it. "42" was Mauser's military supplyer concealment code after S/42 in about 1940, followed later by "byf" and (on P.38 pistols) "svw". Their armorer replacement parts were numbered with the 42 concealment code.

Your holster is a police style holster, and similar in appearance to the P.38 holster. I cannot makeout details from the pictures, but Jerry Burney on this site (lugerholsterrepair) can do a nice job of repairing stitching with original materials and refreshing it if you choose to.

I particularly like these 1936 pistols because they were rust blued and the finish quality was often nice and deep black like this one.

This is great information, I really appreciate it. The likelihood of the the magazine and sideplate being armorer's replacements makes me MUCH more comfortable with the price I paid for this example.