WWII German Mauser byf 41 P.08 Luger 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1941 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,624.00
WOA#: WY240526BJ033
Make: Mauser (byf)
Model: Luger P.08
Serial#: 6852z
Year of Manufacture: 1941
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by Detachable Magazines
Markings: The front of the frame is marked “6852 / z”, the left frame flat is marked “P.08”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “6852 / 8,83”, the right-rear has an eagle clutching globe and the left has an eagle over “655” waffenamt. The left of the barrel extension is marked “6852”, the chamber ring with “41” and the right with two eagle/655 waffenamts and an eagle clutching globe. The top of the front toggle is marked “byf”. The magazine is marked “fxo”, eagle/37 and “P.08” on the left of the body, the floorplate is marked “7394”. The sideplate is marked “01”, found again on the toggle pin, rear toggle, front toggle, extractor, bolt, firing pin, sear bar, trigger, and safety bar. The takedown lever and bolt stop are not marked.
Barrel Length: 4″
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is serrated blade dovetailed to a banded base fixed to the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered black synthetic. The inside of each panel has a threaded hole to secure the screws when the grips are removed. The grips have light handling wear. The left panel has some compressed checkers toward the bottom. There are some light nicks and scuffs. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The takedown lever and bolt stop are likely replacement parts.
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and some minor pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 5 or 6 out of 10.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 70% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is scattered finish wear, primarily on the left and in the grip areas. There is some scattered light surface erosion. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows light-moderate operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine with non-matching alloy floorplate.
Our Assessment: The Parabellum-Pistole 1908, commonly referred to as the Luger, was designed by Georg Johann Luger. Luger was an unlikely gun designer, born in 1849 he was the son of a surgeon and while attending university he served as a One-Year Volunteer with the 78th Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army. While in the military Luger proved himself a skilled marksman and he began to develop an interest in the small arms technology. Following four years of service Luger worked a number of jobs in Vienna, in the 1870s Luger met Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher who recruited him as a sales representative for Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik AG (DWM). One of the company’s weapons that Luger marketed was the Borchardt C93 (named after its designer Hugo Borchardt) which was criticized for being too heavy and poorly balanced. Luger decided to rework the design and eventually secured a contract for his new pistol with the Swiss Army which dubbed it the model 1900. After some minor reworking Luger introduced the Pistole 1904, chambered for 9mm cartridges, which was adopted by the Imperial German Navy, the pistol was henceforth referred to as the Luger. A slightly altered version of the pistol with a smaller barrel was adopted for service by the Prussian Army in 1908, hence the designation P08. The P08 would become one of the most iconic weapons of the 20th century. His pistol would continue to serve the German military during WWII (although the P38 was the Wehrmacht’s standard issue sidearm) and saw service in a number military and police forces after the war.
This particular specimen was made in 1941 and retains most serial-matching parts, though the takedown lever and bolt stop are unmarked. Mauser used the code “byf” on its output beginning in early 1941 and continued to use that code until the end of WWII, which aligns with the waffenamts and date code on the slide. 1941 would prove to be the most decisive year of the conflict. On June 22nd, a German led coalition invaded the Soviet Union and initially made massive inroads into Soviet territory. The Red Army took massive losses in the early months of the invasion, millions of Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner (where they would be starved to death by their captors) and the German military appeared poised to capture Moscow by the end of the year. What German High Command had not foreseen was a massive Soviet counteroffensive. On December 5th, under the leadership of General Giorgy Zhukov, Red Army units which had been stationed in the Far-Eastern portions of the Soviet Union were transferred to Moscow and launched a massive counterstroke which repulsed the German advance and secured the imperiled capital of the Soviet Union. Also, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States which only further complicated Germany’s position.
This pistol shows wear consistent with its age and service, but retains a fair bore and strong mechanics. If you are a fan of German military arms and WWII history then this is the handgun for you. Good luck on your bid!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
