Any luger specialists on here?

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Lugers were made in an era where guns were hand fitted. Frequently, parts were matched marked with a part of the serial number. It is an indication if parts have been replaced on the hand gun.

My Luger is a "mixmaster" having some miss matched parts.

I'm not sure what the "proof marks" with the digits "655" indicate.
 
Thanks for posting your luger pictures. As someone else has written, it would appear that you have a "Mauser 42 Code, Four Digit Date," according to the Standard Catalog of Luger. It even has a matching magazine. Once again, according to Aaron Davis' book, it is considered "common," with 85,500 being produced with the 1939 date. However, the matching magazine makes it a little less common. But on the other hand.... that little "X" on the receiver just behind the serial number causes a little concern. That "X" is commonly an indication that it was captured by the Soviets and stored in case of future need. Then when you start looking closely at the serial numbers, there is cause for a little more concern. The serial numbers don't look like the typical serial numbers found on this model. For example, the number "1" on the receiver has no bar at the bottom, while the "1" on the toggel has the bar. Generally these are the same. Then when you look at the take down lever, there appears to be more than normal "wear" on the leading edge of the checkered button, which might suggest to some that someone was a little heavy-handed with a buffing wheel. Of course that could all be the result of production issues with a luger this late in production. In order to get a clearer view of these potential issues, you might try comparing your luger to some of the same model listed on Simpson's Ltd. website. You can compare the various serial numbers, etc. and see how they stack up against yours. Best of luck and let us know what you find. Thanks again for posting.
 
In the 1st picture, isn't that a third reich symbol stamping? If so, wouldn't it have been restamped or ground off by the soviets?
 
kcofohio said:
In the 1st picture, isn't that a third reich symbol stamping? If so, wouldn't it have been restamped or ground off by the soviets?
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The Germans applied Waffenamt inspectors stamps on many parts all over their guns (including magazines).

If the Russians had wanted to take the time to remove them from the hundreds of thousands of German weapons they captured, they would probably still be at it today. Lol.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
The Germans applied Waffenamt inspectors stamps on many parts all over their guns (including magazines).

If the Russians had wanted to take the time to remove them from the hundreds of thousands of German weapons they captured, they would probably still be at it today. Lol.
Click to expand...


Now thats a good point. Many of these firearms were stored for emergencies. So how much time do you spend sanitizing them. Even the Nazi firearms that Israel purchased and used as their front line arms still kept many of the German markings. Also lots of those rifles went through a full fledged caliber conversion and lots of them still were not fully sanitized.
 
indy1919a4 said:
Now thats a good point. Many of these firearms were stored for emergencies. So how much time do you spend sanitizing them. Even the Nazi firearms that Israel purchased and used as their front line arms still kept many of the German markings. Also lots of those rifles went through a full fledged caliber conversion and lots of them still were not fully sanitized.
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I once saw a really rough Mauser at a pawn shop with Waffenamts, Arabic Syrian markings, AND a Star of David on the receiver. To top it off, someone had managed to fit it with a RIA '03 Springfield barrel. :what:

I almost bought it for the sheer bizzarro factor, but no two parts had matching numbers and the bolt had alot of slop in it.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
I once saw a really rough Mauser at a pawn shop with Waffenamts, Arabic Syrian markings, AND a Star of David on the receiver. To top it off, someone had managed to fit it with a RIA '03 Springfield barrel. :what:

I almost bought it for the sheer bizzarro factor, but no two parts had matching numbers and the bolt had alot of slop in it.
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Darn I almost wish you did. Those arms that change hands like that are so neat.
 
drk1 said:
The serial numbers don't look like the typical serial numbers found on this model. For example, the number "1" on the receiver has no bar at the bottom, while the "1" on the toggel has the bar.
Click to expand...

Also looks to have possibly been ground on that receiver side before the new-old number & *X* was applied/re-applied.


Todd.
 
I knew the "x" signified Russian capture. But everything on the receiver and magazine looks off. Impossible to tell if it was done by the Soviets or in someone's basement.
 
I am not saying it is forced or not..

But on my own logic. The Russians would not have forced them. Would they really care.??

So someone would have had to buy the gun. Wipe all the parts clean then remark, then reblue or color the pistol. So a question why not remove the russian capture mark also???

Also some of the linked pistols from the gunbroker had similar markings??
 
So wanted to look at some 1939 Mauser Lugers, and these had some ones in the serial numbers, and you can see the 1's can have some striking issues for the bottom of the number. Also you can see how the serial numbers were struck in about the same location of the OPs

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/837370677

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/843064239

To the OP does yours have a block number. Should be the letter stamped with the serial number under the barrel

How about for fun, break the Luger down and check the interior numbers..

 
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Jeff olson said:
Barrel number does not match. Somewhat disappointing.
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Nothing to be disappointed in, it is what it is, not like its garbage now. Also that ends pretty much any worries if it was forced. The forcer would have fixed that..

You know its legit now.. A good clean nice Mauser Luger, that some German officer took with him into the Old USSR and then, after some disagreement, left it with his Russian hosts for safe keeping.. Heck of a tale. Heck of a nice pistol. My guess is you will find the Importer name in the frame under the grip.. If that is true then I think it was imported in this country in the 2000s
 
I really appreciate all the feedback from you great guys. I'm still unearthing a lot of dad's stuff and I am constantly coming across things that baffle me(not hard to do) so please bear with me as I'm sure I will have a lot of questions.
 
The Russians “force matched “ large quantities of German weapons. They generally used stamps , not electro pencil. The fact that the barrel number does not match does not mean that the gun is not force matched as suggested in the post above. Internal arts were not usually restamped ; too much work. As to waffenamts , the Russians did not scrub those. I have seen numerous P.38s that were force matched , waffenamts intact. I own one , in fact.

The op has a shooter grade Luger in very nice condition. It still retains significant value , and is nothing to be ashamed of.
 
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