Pre-WWII German Mauser S/42 Luger P.08 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1937 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,575.00

LSB#: WY240714LP024

Make: Mauser (S/42) 

Model: Parabellum-Pistole, Luger Model P.08 

Serial#: 3307a 

Year of Manufacture: 1937

Caliber: 9mm Luger 

Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by a Detachable Magazine 

Markings: The chamber ring is marked “1937” and the front toggle is marked “S/42”. There are waffenamts and inspection marks on the barrel, barrel extension, and bolt. The serial number or a portion of the serial number is marked on the frame, bolt-stop, barrel extension, barrel, trigger, takedown lever, sideplate, safety bar, sear bar, each toggle, bolt, extractor, striker, and the inside of each grip panel. The magazine floorplate is marked “3307”, but has letter suffix “m”. The toggle pin is not serialized. There is an Interarms import mark on the bottom of the barrel. 

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 walnut. The right panel has a couple of notable bruises, the left has a tiny loss at the rear edge toward the top. There is some scattered discoloration. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished, likely refurbished for export.

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and minor pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6 out of 10. 

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 96% of its current metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There is infrequent edge-thinning. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches with a cluster of nicks on the bottom of the barrel at the muzzle. There are a few marks and infrequent minor erosion under the finish. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are generally clear, the bore gauge marking is worn. The import mark is through the finish. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good-plus condition as refinished.   

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 requirements.  

Box Paperwork and Accessories: The pistol comes with a reproduction leather flap-holster, Luger tool and a single magazine with aluminum 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, Bartholomaeus von Luger, 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, 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 which was chambered for 7.65mm Parabellum cartridges. 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 P.08. The P.08 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 Luger was manufactured 1937 by Mauser. Mauser took over production of the Luger P.08 for the German military in 1934 and first year production P.08s were marked with a “K” rather than a formal date code to conceal Germany’s rearmament which was in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany had never fully conformed to the provisions of the treaty, but following the NSDAP assumption of power it began to accelerate its military development. This was initially done in secret, but by 1935 the charade was no longer needed as the country began to openly accelerate its remilitarization. This Luger was made in 1937 after date codes were instituted, Germany no longer feared an Allied invasion as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain pursued  a policy of appeasement, and it was clear the Western powers were militarily ill-prepared for a conflict themselves. The pistol has matching numbers on the gun itself, while the magazine is either force-matched or from a later alphabet series. The pistol shows light wear since being refinished, likely having been refurbished for export. This is a neat example of a 1937 S/42 Luger, 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

Pre-WWII German Mauser S/42 Luger P.08 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1937 C&R
Pre-WWII German Mauser S/42 Luger P.08 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1937 C&R