Erfurt 1914 P.08 Luger 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol & WWI Dogtags, MFD 1918 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,450

LSB#: 191030SN07

Make: Royal Arsenal at Erfurt

Model: 1908 Military Luger

Serial Number: 9795o

Year of Manufacture: 1918

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Action Type: Toggle Action Single Action Semi-Auto, Removable Magazine.

Markings: The sear bar, sear bar safety, left sideplate, locking bolt, the left side of the trigger, the back of the rear toggle link, extractor, the top of the front toggle link and the inside surfaces of the grip panels are marked “95”. The left side of the frame under the sideplate is marked “8”. The sideplate, sear bar, locking bolt, the left rear of the barrel, the front of the trigger guard, the tops of the extractor and front and rear toggles and the right sides of the trigger, ejector and magazine release are marked with crowned scripted characters. The front of the frame under the barrel is marked “9795 / o”. The left side of the receiver at the chamber is marked “9795” and the underside of the barrel is marked “9795 / 8,82”. The front toggle is also marked with a large “Crown / ERFURT” and the top of the receiver at the chamber is marked “1918”. The right side of the receiver is marked with three crowned scripted characters and an eagle, resembling the first four characters shown on line 12, pg. 234 of “Luger Variations” by H.E. Jones, for an Erfurt military pistol. A sideways eagle, the 5th character on line 12, is stamped on the right rear of the barrel. The left side of the frame in front of the safety is marked “GESICHERT”. The left side of the breechblock is marked with a winged Imperial Eagle (very faint) and the right side with a crowned character. There are crowned “RC” rework marks on the right  side of the receiver, the left rear of the barrel and the tops of the front and rear toggles.

Barrel Length: 4”

Sights / Optics: This pistol is mounted with a “V” notch in the back of the toggle and a serrated ramped blade front sight in a dovetail on the base on the front barrel band. The rear face of the base is also ramped and serrated.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut that show light oil staining. There is moderate wear in the checkering with heavy wear around the bottom edges. There is a large marred spot near the back edge of the right grip. The grips are tight on the frame. There are no cracks noted. The grips rate in about Very Good to Fine overall condition.

Type of Finish: The finish is blued. The ejector, trigger, safety and locking bolt have a straw-colored finish and the pins holding the front and rear toggles have a fire blue finish.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 75% of its metal finish. There are a few spots of solid erosion on the right edge of the front strap. There is finish loss on the edges with thinning on the breechblock, front toggle, front strap, trigger guard, backstrap and the barrel band. The left sideplate shows finish loss and has developed a coppery patina. There are bruises on the front corners of the frame and tool marks around the right side of the locking bolt. There are light handling marks scattered over the surfaces with several scratches through the finish in the front strap. The straw colored parts are slightly faded. The serrations/knurling on the toggle knobs show moderate wear with the serrations on the left toggle knob distressed. There is light wear in the safety serrations and the magazine release knurling, and moderate wear in the locking bolt knurling. The grip screws are sharp. The markings are mostly clear except for a few inspection marks we can’t make out, and the Eagle acceptance mark on the right rear of the barrel is crisp. Overall, this pistol rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The receiver is tight to the frame.  We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a total of four magazines, a brown leather top flap holster and a pair of WWI US dog tags. One of the magazines is tin plated with a wooden bottom piece marked “9795 / v / 1” and with a crowned scripted “F”.  The serial number may have been stamped over another number. The body shows thinning with verdigris growing around the bottom piece. The bottom piece shows a few deep dings on its left side, a ding on its right side and shallow bruises on its bottom surface. It is in about Very Good condition. Two of the magazines are tin plated with aluminum bottom pieces. The lower spine on one is marked “406 / N” and the other is marked “452 / N”. They are both in Very Good to Fine condition. A fourth magazine has a blued body with an aluminum bottom piece. Its left side is marked “fxo”, with an “Eagle / 37” Waffenamt (Made by Haenel in WWII) and “P08”.. The magazine shows light wear and is in Fine Plus condition. The outside of the holster unter the top flap is marked “SVR / AWM / 9 / 14” (AWM Artillery Workshop, Munchen, 1914). There is a leather patch across the magazine pouch on the front of the holster and the buckle is missing from the strap that secures the top flap. There is a tool pouch under the flap and an intact pull strap on the inside of the holster. The leather is worn through at the muzzle, but the stitching is intact and there are no cracks in the top flap’s leather hinge. Please see our photos for more detail. The holster is in about Good condition. The dog tags are  round and aluminum, and are marked “WALLACE S. RICKER / USA” on one side and with a serial number on the other side.

Our Assessment: The Royal Arsenal at Erfurt was established in 1862 to meet the increased demand for arms and to locate production toward the center of Prussia where it would be less vulnerable. In accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, the Erfurt arsenal was privatized and demilitarized to retain the jobs. This Erfurt Model 1914 Military Luger was made in 1918, and was one of about 160,000 pistols made at Erfurt that year. The serial numbers are matching on all the parts including the grip panels, and the pistol is correctly proof marked with inspection marks on just about every part. The pistol comes with a total of 4 magazines, a leather WWI top flap holster and a pair of US dog tags from WWI. This pistol is in about Very Good condition with about 75% of its original finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion and the receiver is tight to the frame. This is a very nice package for the discerning collector. We don’t see than many Erfurt pistols and it’s always nice to see one with an original finish and matching numbers.