Dream Fulfilled

[mauro]

Hello friends,
Let me say that I have fulfilled a dream that I have since 1997.
In fact in 1997 I moved in France for the fist time for business purposes. At that epoch I have spent 6 months in Paris. I remember that I have kept in touch with some guys working for the important French magazine â??La Gazette Des Armesâ?�.
This was the fist time I have seen a P08 and LP08 made under French control.
For me was something completely new because these models are quite unknown on the Anglophone books. They show me pictures and articles.
In 2000 I moved in France for 5 years and then it was easier to keep in touch with French collectors and experts that provided to me plenty of information about this production.
In that period I have discovered that the French used the P08 (P08) for around 25 years and that they assembled in France the P08 (LP08) using both tools and spare parts moved from Oberndorf.
Now I have collected information, pictures and documents related to this production, the last think was to have a French Luger.
Now, thanks to our friend Pat, I have one of the scarce LP08s currently reported in France with the *.
Hereafter some pictures of the LP08 in his context, with some stuff from the Indochina and Alger war.
I have added also some pictures of some other P08 (LP08) made under French control.
So far 5 different variations are described but the most interesting for me is the model with the * (the serial number of my pistol is *456).
The French used this proof mark for a while not only for the P08 but also for the P38, K98 and others guns made in Mauser before the end of 1946.

These guns are quite scarce because they were used in Indochina and Alger where the French Army lost soldiers and guns.
Usually the LP08 reported, it means not lost in action, are quite in new condition because they where mainly used for not operational activity. For example the Spahis acting as personal guard of the General Koening in Germany carried LP08 made under French control.

Note in the picture the holster and the special attaching item that works perfectly with the belt USA-like used by the French army in the Indochina and Alger war.

I am really happy and I hope you can share with me this happiness.

Have fun
Cheers,
Mauro


All the accessories are absolutely original, used in the Indochina and Alger war. Note the attaching item used to fix the LP08 holster to the belt.
The two manuals are related one to the P38 and the other one on the Pistols used by the French army around 1950. Of course the P08 use and maintenance is described in this official manual. I am still looking for one of the 5000 manuals, like that one for the P38, printed out by the French army in 1950.







Beautiful set extracted from the magazine "La Gazette des Armes". It is possible to see the LP08 *400 with related stock. The P08 *366 and *367.
All in beautiful condition.

[Heinz]

Awesome Mauro! Quite a find.

[the gunman]

I never even knew one of these existed. That sure is one find.
Congratulations Mauro just beautiyful. The condtion just blows
me away.

[George Anderson]

Very nice Mauro.

[laoshi75]

Hi Mauro, congratulations ! these French LP08s are very hard to find.
I recently acquired a rare french arty holster on Ebay.fr; the sewing is so beautiful that I suspect it was made by a german craftsman at the end of ww2...this kind of arty holsters have been made also during the nazi period: look "Weimar and nazi Lugers" by Still p. 172.
can you post more detailed photos of your "french" arty holster please ?
encore bravo mon ami !!

[laoshi75]

pic1

[laoshi75]

pic2

[laoshi75]

3

[laoshi75]

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[laoshi75]

4

[Don M]

Mauro,

A type I never knew existed. Congratulations on fulfilling a 10-year old wish!

[Ron Smith]

Mauro,

Congratulations on a very very nice Artillery rig. I'm envious...

Ron

[wlyon]

Mauro

Very nice. I have never seen one. More pictures would be great. Bill

[Big Norm]

Mauro,
very nice, congradulations. I have a few questions that I would like to ask of you.
1) No pull out tab on the holster. Is there a maufacturers stamp or other mark on the holster? Is the holster dated?

2) Are the normally strawed parts on the WW1 LP-08's blued on the French LP-08 or is that the picture quality and lighting?

3) Is there a chamber date?

4) Are there French manufacture markings anywhere on the gun? Does the middle toggle have any markings or is it bare?

5) Does the rear sight have a windage screw or is it like the late 1917 LP-08 rear sight?

6) Are all parts numbered like the standard German Lugers?
Big Norm

[Jamka]

Mauro,

A great find and a nice presentation too!
You know that I am very busy researching the Mauser commercial Luger production, including the period that the French Authorities under General Le Lattre de Tassigny started the production of weapons at Oberndorf in August 1945.
Of course you know too that the French merely used the parts that were found in the factory when it was captured in April 1945. A few thousands Lugers were made.
August Weiss, present at the factory during this period, has estimated the arms which were produced under French control between August 1945 and May 1946:
- 47,696 Rifles K98
- 6,375 Carbines .22LR
- 3,500 Pistols P.38
- 20,000 Pistols HsC
- 2,560 Pistols P.08 (Luger)

It is known that some 10-35 LP.08 were made; again by using the last barrels and sights that were found in the inventory. Most have been sold by the French authorities directly to interested military personnel back in 1945-1946.
Known Serial Numbers having the * are: 260, 400, 450, 456 (the last one is now yours)!
Other LP.08 having the E/N proof are: 696, 842, 854, 1649, 2562, 2584.

It is confirmed that the French took all machinery out of the Mauser factory when they where obliged (by the Russians) to stop weapons manufacture on German soil by mid 1946.

I have not yet found any documentation confirming the assembly of P.08 (or LP.08) on French soil after 1946.

Congratulations Mauro, you have one of the four known LP.08 proofed with the French Star...

[lugerholsterrepair]

Mauro, Congratulations on a spectacular rare find! A fine thing to see...

Norm, You will notice the holster is not sewn at the left side. The stitching stops and does not proceed up. This would leave a flap and enough room to insert the hand and grasp the pistol. No need for a lift strap.

Jerry Burney

[mauro]

Hello Friends,
Let me say that I am really happy to see the big interest about the French production (read assembly).
For sure these variations are not really known, mainly in USA. I know that at least one collector in USA has both a P08 and LP08.
I am working hard to collect information and pictures from the French authorities about these variations.

For example, to reply to Joop, thank you to active French collectors and experts, now we have documents that trace that P08 where assembled after 1946 in France.
Recently has been discovered that a new simplified type of magazine has been produced in France to fulfill the request of spare magazines from the Army and Police (the blue print of this magazine are available as well as one example)

I guess that the easier think to satisfy the interest about these guns is to write something (a few articles or a short booklet). I am working on this idea not only with French collectors but also with some German historical experts that are interested in clarifying the Mauser production when Oberndorf was under French control; also the Mauser Museum in Oberndorf is working on this matter and, just to let you know, the only LP08 shown in the Mauser museum in one of this French model.

Coming back to the question of Big Norm, it is difficult to reply to all these questions with a short text therefore I will try to summarize:

Holsters: In the beginning the holsters for the French LP08 where made directly in Germany. Then, when the production (read assembly) was moved in France, several kinds of holsters where produced. Let me say that, looking at the pictures available on the Indochina and Alger wars, the French soldiers carried holsters for others pistols (mainly USA Colt and some others French pistols) customized to fill P08. As far as I know the holsters are not marked.

Bluing: All the parts are blued but the firing pin and the safety lever; the final result is a nice bright black.

Chamber: The 4th variation (among 5) has the chamber dated 42. This because the French in the last phase of assembling re-uses spare chamber previously dated. No LP08 are reported in the range of numbering where the chamber dated 42 have been used. Therefore all the chamber of the LP08 reported so far are w/o number.

Numbering: The numbering doesnâ??t use any letter because the complete production planned was less than 5000 pistols. For sure the French use a different numbering and proofing wrt the Nazi production. The complete serial number is reported on the receiver and on the front of the frame. The last two digits on the side plate, dismounting lever, the side plate the middle and rear toggle parts. The magazine is numbered with the complete number on the bottom. The proof mark could be a star or an eagle/n in accordance to the different numbering range.

Toggle: All the toggle of the French P08 and LP08 have the Mauser Banner.

LP08 Barrel: The French re-uses the barrels available in Mauser for the previous LP08 contracts (Stoeger, Persian and Siamese) therefore no fine adjusting screws are available.

I hope this info could help but I repeat I am working in a complete document that should cover the production and the use from 1945 up to 1970.

Christian: congratulation for the nice find. Notice that your holster is made to be carried with all kind of belt, mine only with that specific military model. Interesting difference.

Cheers,
mauro

[Edward Tinker]

Mauro, never heard of this, so thanks much and mucho congrats!!


Ed

[thegundude]

Wow, amazing find... I'm envious...

[Ron Wood]

I have always been fascinated with the rarer examples of Luger production. This one is right near the top. Congratulations on an exceptional acquistion and the realization of a dream. You have done very well.
Ron