WWII German Mauser 42 Code P.08 Luger 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1939 C&R
SOLD FOR: $2625
LSB#: 230114JD015
Make: Mauser
Model: P.08 Luger
Serial Number: 486y
Year of Manufacture: 1939
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Toggle Type Striker-Fired Semi-Auto, Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated blade dovetailed to a base at the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut. The grips have minor handling wear with only a few scattered small marks and a couple of spots of discoloration. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the grooves. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There is some handling wear in the fronstrap with spots of wear on the sideplate, at the muzzle on each side and the front of the frame rails on each side. There are a few other scattered minor marks and infrequent spots of minor surface oxidation. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are mostly clear, there are a couple of inspection marks applied before final polish and finish which are more shallow. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good-plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is barely perceptible play between the barrel assembly and 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 single 8-round magazine. The magazine’s floorplate is not matched to the pistol.
Our Assessment: The Luger (Pistole Parabellum or P-08) is perhaps the most aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing of all autoloading centerfire pistols. It is also one of the strongest, most accurate and most recognizable service pistols ever made. Georg Luger developed his famous pistol in 1898-1899 (starting with the Borchardt/Luger transitional pistol). The Luger is, essentially, a much improved Borchardt type pistol, which was itself based on the toggle action concept used by Sir Hiram Maxim in the world’s first practical machine gun. The Luger was so reliable and well liked that it was still being made and issued to German troops well after the P38 was adopted by the army. The largest percentage of Lugers were made by DWM, which was transferred to Mauser in 1930. During the war, the Germans used codes to disguise the manufacturer of their weapons, and the toggle links changed from DWM to S/42, 42 and finally byf.
This 42 code example was made in late 1939, just after the outbreak of WWII. The pistol is in Very Good-plus condition, showing wear in its blued finish which is minor given the era in which it was issued. It has serial matching parts, though the magazine is a replacement, and a surprisingly nice bore. This pistol will be great for those wanting a piece of German history and for those collectors with an interest in German weaponry and 20th Century small arms. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
