Greetings and a few newbie questions.

A good friend of mine presented me with a P.08 as a wedding present and so now I'm trying to get my feet wet and find out what I can about the peice and its related accessories.


The pistol itself is an S/42 1938 stamped production, which I've read is a 1938 military production Mauser. All the parts match in serial numbers but the finish is very worn - though I'm not sure exactly how to judge the 'amount' of wear - since 60% seems to be a line of demarkation. I'll be cleaning up the wooden grips soon enough.


First, the mags do not match in numbers. Is this the norm for military production models and is there any way to track down the matching magazines?


Second, what is the proper holster for this pistol? The holster that was with it, I'm thinking might be a P.38 holster. It has a strap on the bottom that goes up over a pin on the top flap. The magazine storage is on the front-outside edge and not the front face, and the bottom opens up with a back flap folding back and away. I've picked up '3rd Reich Lugers' - the big red book - and could not find any images of this holster. It is stamped 43 behind the strap and I've seen some P.38 holsters that look similar - so I'm thinking its not the right one. I'd like to get the correct holster for the purpose for which it was issued.


Three - likewise on the loading tool and other accessories - what should I be looking for to complete the 'issued' set? How hard is it to find a 1938 and/or S/42 loading tool? The cleaning rod - I assume they were not marked -or where they? Is there a good marketplace to find such things or does one just stumble around and wait?


Four- on the big red book '3rd Reich Lugers' - I noticed that one of the pages in it is BLANK - there is nothing on it. Its somewhere in the back or middle - I forget the exact page number it should be - but the page numbering system indicates its supposed to be there - a page number is also skipped. Before I complain to Amazon.com and request an exchange, I'd like to verify if this is the norm or if its a fluke, considering its not a normally published book with ISBN, printing info, etc inside the front.


I guess thats it for now. I'll try to learn what I can.

[Kyrie]

Hi Thomas,


Welcome to the forum, and double congratulations! Firstly upon your recent marriage and secondly upon having a wonderful friend!


Concerning your questions...


Yes sir, "S/42" and "1938" would indicate a Luger produced by Mauser, for the German military, in 1938. It should also have a series of inspection and acceptance marks, and a firing proof, on the right front of the barrel extension. The same firing proof should be found on the barrel and breechblock. Check out the "Owners' Corner" of this site for photographs, and the "Technical Information" section for inspection/acceptance and proof markings


Mismatched magazines are not unusual. There is about zero chance of ever finding the original magazines.


The holster sounds like a P.38 holster. Reproduction holsters may be found from any number of sources, as can reproduction loading tools. If you want an original holster, be braced to pay a minimum of about $150 for it. You will need a spare magazine for the holster. Current production Luger magazines run about $25 - an original and proper magazine will run over $100. The proper holster did not have a cleaning rod compartment, so that's one expense you may not have.


If the P.38 holster is original and in good condition you may be able to sell it for almost enough to buy the proper, original, Luger holster


Your copy of "Third Reich Lugers" is defective - it should not have a blank page. By all means return it to Amazon. Rather than having Amazon send a replacement, you may want to deal directly with the author. Jan Still's URL is:


http://www.alaska.net/~jcstill/


And his e-mail address is:


jcstill@alaska.net


I hope this helps some, and welcome once more to the Luger Forum. It's always a pleasure to meet another fan of the Pistole Parabellum!


Best regards,


Kyrie

[Thor]

I think mine has blank sheets too, NOW I know where all the answers MUST have been for test #3, JEEZ!

[John Sabato]

[John Sabato]

Well, well, you just can't let sleepings dogs lie, huh!!

Actually I was sleeping......like a dog!! I had been up all night experimenting with the new rust bluing SWISS formula and other Luger eforts! I knew when I went to bed I that the test was a non event for me. Honestly after looking at the questions, I could have aced only 1/2 the test and flunked the other 1/2. a LOT of the stuff I had never seen or read before! When the answers come out, I would like to see references to where they came from as I would like to purchase the books I am obviously missing and learn more about the Luger Pistol. Right now, my concentration is learning the bluing techniques and nuances.

Like Colonel Hessler said the "Battle of the Bulge" "We must measure what we might gain against what we might loose"

I am gaining on the bluing but missed out on the test. Right now I am PASSIONATE about the bluing and this clouds everything else. Thor

[John Sabato]

YOU SURE DON'T SEEM TO KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT YET!! (LOL)


No, really Ted, we just missed you Saturday... I can't wait until I can afford for you to work your wonders on my "FrankenArtyLuger" 1914 Erfurt...


I keep putting my pennies in the jar, but it ain't getting higher fast enough to please me...


Back to the swiss bluing books young man, by the time I have the money I want the best rust bluing you can do!


-John

[Thor]

Well, this seems a speciality area I have stumbled on and I just dont want to rest on my laurals, I surely have been pleased by all the postivie comments from my clients which is just what I need to push me to do more. The drive to offer my exact copies of bluing is my effort right now. If I can get the Swiss and DWM blues down I will be happy (for a while) I just want to offer more versatility and as always I will always add my signature rework mark to TRY and eliminate any hanky panky at the dealers table, I actually hope my clients like the guns enough to want to keep them for themselves. Thor

[Big Norm]

Welcome Tom,

I too am looking for matching mags. Finding a matching mag is like finding a needle in a haystack. Very diufficulat but possible. Once, I found one and I really got excited. The I found out that it was a repro and I was down for a long time. If your mags are wood bottom, then do not use them to go shooting with. They are valuable to someone. One may actualy match one of my guns.(crossed fingers). The wood dents easy and can become less valuable with time. Use repros for just shooting. For a good source of seaarching for a matching mag try:


Don Hallock


P.O. Box 370


Hobart, Washington 98025


(245) 432-6665


Every so often he publishes a list of authentic mags for sale or trade. I think the list is $7 or $10. He also has a book of previously reported mags. I think that that might go for $40. But ask him about it. He's a nice guy.


I hope to use the classified want list on this web site to help me find a treasure. Every luger collector has a few authentic mags sitting in a drawer someplace. Maybe, just maybe, you might hit. But searching for a matching mag is part of what collecting is all about. Thats part of the fun.


Big Norm

Shucks. I got stuff like butter dishes and salt and pepper shakers for wedding presents.

[BILL]

Mike T., that's because you let your bride fill out the gift registry.

Thanks. I'd gotten the impression that not having matched mags was a rather common thing, especially with military P.08's.


The page that is blank is page 262 in my book. Page 261 has a huge table in landscape mode on it - where 262 is is totally blank and then 263 is printed on the other side. I'll contact the author directly to let him know.

The leather is darker and the strap that snaps over the pin is torn where the hole is in it, so the top half of the strap is missing. Would there be any point in trying to sell this holster as is or if I replaced the strap with a remade new piece of leather (which I can do as I've done some leatherwork)? At least I might be able to recover 'some' of the cost of having to purchase a P.08 holster and loading tool. Now at $130 or so, its high, but not that bad. I'm used to dealing with prices on new Heckler and Koch parts where a rifle forearm costs $150 and a scope mount $300+.


I can understand the issues related to the manufacturing of matching magazine bases - my thinking was that with that many folks out there with mismatched mags or baseplates, there might be a chance to swap them out for matching ones - but with the quantity and distribution across the planet of the plates, thats obviously a pipe dream.


So now I go in search of a proper, authentic 1938 era P.08 holster and an S/42 loading tool.....


Anyone have one to sell me?


And along those lines, does someone know where I can find a source of 'feldgrau' wool or wool-like material to make a uniform for reinacting? I've always been interested in getting a whole uniform for doing the reinacting stuff and now that someones gotten me started with the most important part of the kit, I'm going to persue it more.


Also, thanks everyone for the kind welcome. I hope over time I too will have things to contribute.

I feel that this website, internet thing is just the ticket for doing this sort of work. There should be an online database where folks can enter thier magazine numbers for what they have with an email address and others can search to try and find the right ones. I'll get photos taken of my gear and post them here and get some feedback on what I'm holding. I know the 2 mags are of two different styles, based on the fact that the sides are different on the two of them.

Sorry.

[Frank]

Tom, mine is the same way!!

[Hugh]

Got a reply from Jan Still, and he indicates that all of the books should have a blank page 262 - that is the way they were printed.


He would be very interested in seeing a copy of any page 262 anyone may have in thier books. ;-)