Luger Like Finland P38 holster

01-20-2002, 05:22 AM

HI;

My friend in Finland has sent me a holster that is brown

made in Vienna and marked P38 on the inside Outside it looks like a Luger holster and bear the Finnnish army Property Mark Anyone know anything about finland buying P38s

in 1938-1940?

John

Lonnie Zimmerman · 01-20-2002, 02:55 PM

They made some P-38"s for Sweden in that time frame butnone that I know of for Finland.

Lonnie

G.T. · 01-20-2002, 04:12 PM

Hi John, Finland was a co-belligerent with Germany against Russia. Germany pumped tons of stuff into Finland, before and thru most of the war, Finland eventually used this same equipment to oust the Germans, after they, Finland, came to terms, (Russian terms!), with Russia......anything is possible, and most likely probable! till...later...G.T.

01-20-2002, 07:31 PM

John, can you let me know exactly what the markings are?

Terry Foley

01-21-2002, 01:52 AM

The Finns did purchase 5000 commerical 7.65mm lugers from DWM in 1923 with LPO8 stocks. Most of the Finnish holsters that I've seen from this period were hard shells and with straps on the back for the stock to fit into. See pages 79-83 of "luger holsters --" by Gene Bender. Excellent reference book. Tom h

01-21-2002, 02:28 AM

No record of Finland buying in the time frame you are talking about.However Buxton states in Volume 3 (page 123)of his book that many P.38's were left behind by the Germans and some may of been used by some Police in a limited unofficial roles after WWII but not by miltary units in Finland .However, P.38s were supposely standard issue to Finnish troops engaged in United Nations Police or Peace keeping duties through out the world until at least the early 1980's. Your Holster may have been used in one of those roles. Hope this helps.

01-21-2002, 02:21 PM

Dear Tracy/Robert - apropos the comment that some Finnish UN personnel were issued with the P.38. I spent much of the 70's in Cyprus, where we were regularly thrashed in shooting competitions by both the Swedish and Finnish UN contingents with their Husqvarna/Lahti issue weapons. At least in Cyprus I never saw anything else. The tables were turned when we got the chance to shoot their pistols snd they had to shoot ours - then we thrashed them. Out pistol was the venerable Browning HP35, or as we called it, simply the Browning.

regards

Terry Foley

01-20-2002, 05:22 AM	#1
john kaler Guest Posts: n/a	Luger Like Finland P38 holster HI; My friend in Finland has sent me a holster that is brown made in Vienna and marked P38 on the inside Outside it looks like a Luger holster and bear the Finnnish army Property Mark Anyone know anything about finland buying P38s in 1938-1940? John

01-20-2002, 02:55 PM	#2
Lonnie Zimmerman User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 523 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster They made some P-38"s for Sweden in that time frame butnone that I know of for Finland. Lonnie

01-20-2002, 04:12 PM	#3
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,507 Thanks: 1,318 Thanked 3,653 Times in 1,004 Posts	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster Hi John, Finland was a co-belligerent with Germany against Russia. Germany pumped tons of stuff into Finland, before and thru most of the war, Finland eventually used this same equipment to oust the Germans, after they, Finland, came to terms, (Russian terms!), with Russia......anything is possible, and most likely probable! till...later...G.T.

01-20-2002, 07:31 PM	#4
Terry A de C Foley Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster John, can you let me know exactly what the markings are? Terry Foley

01-21-2002, 01:52 AM	#5
tom h Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster The Finns did purchase 5000 commerical 7.65mm lugers from DWM in 1923 with LPO8 stocks. Most of the Finnish holsters that I've seen from this period were hard shells and with straps on the back for the stock to fit into. See pages 79-83 of "luger holsters --" by Gene Bender. Excellent reference book. Tom h

01-21-2002, 02:28 AM	#6
Tracy Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster No record of Finland buying in the time frame you are talking about.However Buxton states in Volume 3 (page 123)of his book that many P.38's were left behind by the Germans and some may of been used by some Police in a limited unofficial roles after WWII but not by miltary units in Finland .However, P.38s were supposely standard issue to Finnish troops engaged in United Nations Police or Peace keeping duties through out the world until at least the early 1980's. Your Holster may have been used in one of those roles. Hope this helps.

01-21-2002, 02:21 PM	#7
Terry A de C Foley Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Luger Like Finland P38 holster Dear Tracy/Robert - apropos the comment that some Finnish UN personnel were issued with the P.38. I spent much of the 70's in Cyprus, where we were regularly thrashed in shooting competitions by both the Swedish and Finnish UN contingents with their Husqvarna/Lahti issue weapons. At least in Cyprus I never saw anything else. The tables were turned when we got the chance to shoot their pistols snd they had to shoot ours - then we thrashed them. Out pistol was the venerable Browning HP35, or as we called it, simply the Browning. regards Terry Foley