Mauser Banner Police Luger 9mm P.08 4″ Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1942 C&R

SOLD FOR: $3,693.00

LSB#: LSB250729OS024

Make: Mauser-Werke A.G. Oberndorf

Model: P.08 “Banner Police”

Serial Number: 2622

Year of Manufacture: 1942 (per chamber date and reference data)

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum (9×19 mm)

Action Type: Semi-Automatic, Toggle-Locked, Recoil-Operated Pistol

Markings: The chamber is dated “1942.” The toggle bears the Mauser Banner trademark. The left frame, sideplate, and internal parts are numbered “2622,” and the magazine base is likewise stamped “2622.” Commercial proofs of the Eagle over N type appear on the right receiver and barrel. The frame is drilled for the police sear-safety but not fitted—typical of the late E/L acceptance series documented in Hallock et al. The safety lever is marked “GESICHERT,” and the bore, toggle, and receiver markings remain crisp throughout.

Barrel Length: 4 inches

Sights / Optics: Blade front sight dovetailed to a raised base; rear sight is a fixed V-notch integral to the rear toggle link.

Stock Configuration & Condition: Finely checkered walnut grip panels with bordered pattern. Checkering remains mostly sharp with light flattening from age and service. No cracks or major chips; grips fit tightly to the frame. Condition — Fine.

Magazine / Accessories: Two magazines are included. The primary magazine is all-matching to the pistol, numbered “2622” with a police acceptance mark and aluminum base (“Type 1 Police,” per Hallock fig. 26). The second is an “fxo”-coded Haenel magazine with eagle/37 inspection and “P.08” marking — an arsenal-supplied spare typical for police issue. Also included is a 1935-dated brown leather police holster by Fritz Cober, Berlin, bearing the sunburst police stamp and showing honest wear with tight stitching and intact belt loops.

Type of Finish: Hot Salt Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: Bright bore with sharp rifling and minimal fouling at the muzzle. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9/10.

Overall Condition: Approximately 90% plus of the original blue finish remains. High edges show light holster wear, the front strap shows mild thinning, and there are scattered handling marks consistent with gentle service. All numbered parts match, and the mechanical surfaces remain crisp. The Mauser Banner and 1942 date are clear and well-struck.

Mechanics: The toggle locks properly, the safety and magazine release function as intended, and trigger operation is smooth. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Includes two magazines (one matching) and an original 1935 Berlin police holster.

Our Assessment:

This Mauser Banner Police Luger, serial 2622, is a textbook example of the final E/L acceptance block of German police-procured P.08 pistols, manufactured in 1942 at Oberndorf. According to Hallock, James, Rousseau & Costanzo (P.08 Mauser Banner Police Procurement and Variations, pp. 142–143), the E/L block comprised an estimated 5,550 pistols with only 110 examples documented today. These late variants were drilled for the police sear safety but left unfitted—a transitional feature between the fully equipped wartime police models and Mauser’s shift to military production. The Mauser Banner toggle and commercial proofs testify to their dual civil-police provenance, bridging the old craftsmanship of pre-war Mauser with wartime necessity.

Of particular significance is the matching-numbered magazine, a survival almost unheard of among wartime Lugers. Contemporary accounts tell that officers entering command buildings or meeting high officials were required to clear their weapons and deposit magazines into communal baskets outside the door for security. In the chaos of service and war, matching magazines were lost to mixing and replacement. That this example still wears its original, numbered magazine strongly suggests it remained in the custody of a trusted officer—perhaps one who was not subject to the same restrictions as the rank and file. Such details lend this piece an aura of personal history and authority that cannot be replicated.

The included 1935 Fritz Cober, Berlin police holster predates the pistol slightly, but is wholly appropriate for the era and type of issue. Together, pistol, magazine, and holster form a complete, authentic set that embodies the precision, discipline, and bureaucratic rigor of German police armament on the eve of World War II. The Banner Lugers stand as the last of the hand-fitted, commercial-grade P.08s, built by craftsmen at Mauser Oberndorf even as the world around them was descending into total war.

KF