My new P.08 Luger

Dumb me thought that Otto vetted all members to make sure they were honest. Seems I am the only honest one here ! I am going back to my more than fair offer of $35.

An "honest" side question. The checkering is wrapped over the wood. Usually, guns are bordered so the checkering stops at the borderline. As one who has failed at many attempts to checker that looks labor intensive for a military gun. Being an early model before the crush of war vastly increased production may explain it but it seems as difficult as it is beautiful. Very nice to see a fine example here.

Gaines

 

Don't you fellas know your history? Everyone knows that Hitler shot himself 17 times in the back with a baby Nambu! Then he drove over himself with Tiger Tank just to make sure.

 

I believe the checkering stops at a border on the edges of bakelite grips. On wood grips, it wraps around the edges. Take a look on google images of byf 41 Lugers and you can see the difference in the two styles. In 1941 both materials were used for grips ;-)

 

As Zep said, they started using molded Bakelite for grips and I'd bet the checkering was molded in. These plastic grips were started as a production short-cut. I took another look at mine (wood) and like Zep's grips, mine showed a very high order of workmanship. So good is the workmanship that I have to wonder if it was done by some machine process. Interestingly, the "byf" lugers with the black Bakelite grips now go for higher prices than ones with the wooden ones. They're referred to in collector circles as "Black widows". Naturally, these grips are now faked like so many things Luger.

 

As a southern gent, you should know better than the question a man's honor. Them is fighting words!

In regards to the checkering, Lugers are not my primary area of interest but I have seen the following variations. I can attest to the checkering extending to the edge of the grips as leading to weak spots. The grip extension below the safety lever in particular is prone to damage, and I have seen many Lugers where this 1/4" x 1/4" piece has snapped off. I have not seen this same issue when checkering does not extend to the edge of the grips.

1. Walnut with checking to the edges of the grip (standard for the German military series, i.e. P.08, P08 Lange, P.04, and most other foreign contracts)
2. Walnut with checking to the edge of a smooth border along the edges of the grips (border size 1/4" of so). These were on some of the early Swiss Lugers (1900, 1906 series).
3. Bakelite with checkering to the edge of the grips. These were on the late Swiss Lugers (1929 model), as well as some earlier Lugers (likely fitted during refurb).
4. Bakelite with checking to the edge of a smooth border along the edges of the grips (border size 1/4" or so). As noted previously, these are the late production German Lugers (variations in both brown and black, with the latter having the moniker "Black Widows")
5. Bakelite with diagonal grooves only (no checkering) to the edge of a smooth border along the edges of the grips. These are uncommon and are apparently postwar Soviet production to replace damaged grips on captured Lugers.

 

There was also the post war VOPO grips on East German Police reworked Lugers ;-)

 

Absolutely. I believe these are identical to the "black widow" grips other than a small circular feature in the upper-center. BTW: I hate the invented post-war marketing name "black widow" but its convenient terminology to use for these guns.

 

Yep, looks like a small bullseye. Haha, I got where your coming from. Kind of makes it sound like they are ultra-rare Luger's used by the SS....

 

Hand checkering on firearms has always interested me, not the exceptionally fancy show kind but rather the skill of a fine hand and the function of the piece. I agree the Luger above appears to be almost machine done and in any case no small feat. , a beautiful piece of work. . Bakelite makes infinitely more sense but nothi9ng replaces .wood for me, especially walnut.

Alan, I would never impugn our fellow member's reputations, well maybe just a bit to ensure zepp got a fair price which my offer clearly was!! I do yield to my colleagues being more clever in spite of their nefarious tendencies! Learn from the best I say!. As you your knowledge of the Lugar you are being far too modest !!!

Gaines

 

zeppelin5000, what a great post. A beautiful presentation gunwise and photographically, much fun and entertaining sorely needed in this our world, and now the generation of historical insights. Hard to beat that ! A huge welcome to the forum if I have failed to do so.

Gaines

 

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the photos!