Mauser Grips

Mike · 02-14-2012, 08:54 PM

Hi, new member here. I have just gotten started in collecting by purchasing my first luger. A 1940 42 655 stamp Mauser ser#3881a all matching numbers with one matching mag. I just recently fired it, and upon stripping it down for cleaning found all numbers do match with one exception. The grips, which are wooden, have no numbers stamped on them. I have read where they will have either the last 2 numbers, as everthing else does,, or the 655 stamp. I have also heard that some have no markings on them at all. The only thing i see is what looks like a "W" or possibly an "M' on one of them. Is it true some are not stamped at all??? They appear to be as old as the gun and look just like all the other grips I have looked at on the guns i was looing at before I purchased this one. Any help, thoughts or ideas would greatly be appreciated. Thanks,,, Mike

Norme · 02-14-2012, 11:06 PM

Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum! Grip numbering at Mauser was erratic, some years they did, some years they didn't, and some years they did both. You find original grips with large numbers, small numbers, no numbers and inspection marks like SE/655. If the condition of the grips on your 1940 42 is consistent with the rest of the gun, they're probably original. Regards, Norm

Mike · 02-15-2012, 08:28 AM

Thanks Norm. Puts my mind at ease now. Thanks, Mike

FNorm · 02-15-2012, 02:03 PM

Also the E/655 or E/135 can be VERY small. I thought I had unmarked grips until I got out a 10X glass.

FN

freshy · 06-16-2012, 05:09 PM

mine has a K with a sun stamped on the both insides

Frank · 06-17-2012, 11:00 AM

Mike, Welcome. While most of the late 1939 Military Mausers didn't have numbered grips, I believe that grip numbering began again in 1940. I think that your Luger left the plant with numbered grips.

Norme · 06-17-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank

Mike, Welcome. While most of the late 1939 Military Mausers didn't have numbered grips, I believe that grip numbering began again in 1940. I think that your Luger left the plant with numbered grips.

I don't know, Frank. Here's a near mint 1940 42 (with matching mag) that has unnumbered grips marked SE/655. I have no reason to believe that they are replacements. Regards, Norm

Frank · 06-17-2012, 08:41 PM

Norm, nice Luger. It's very difficult to know for sure. There are many instances of replacement grips on Lugers. Who knows for sure where and when any grips were replaced and by whom.

There are groups of Lugers that had MOSTLY numbered grips and the rest had MOSTLY unnumbered grips. That is from the present data.

Most, if not all, 1940 Lugers had numbered grips when they left the factory IMHO

Regards, Frank

dsk · 06-17-2012, 11:00 PM

The ones on my 1940 S42 are not numbered either:

Frank · 06-18-2012, 10:21 AM

dsk, thanks for the pictures! Your grips have Waffenamt Marks (E/655). This means they are most likely armorer replacement grips. These are quite common.

Norme · 06-18-2012, 10:40 AM

Hi Frank, I don't follow your reasoning. My 1940 42 has SE/655 Waffenamt marks as does Mike's, does this mean that they are armorer's replacement guns? My gun has seen little if an use, it appears to be unfired, why would the grips have to be replaced? I stand by what I wrote in post #2. Regards, Norm

dsk · 06-18-2012, 02:32 PM

I'm not a Luger expert by any means so I have no bones in this fight, but an experienced collector told me he's seen way too many otherwise original Mausers with grips like these to believe that they were all armorer replacements. I guess the debate continues.....

Frank · 06-19-2012, 08:49 AM

Okay Norm, It appears we are just going to agree to disagree!!

Norme · 06-19-2012, 10:00 AM

Hi Frank, The topic of grip numbering has interested me for a while, but on Imperial Navy Lugers, and I included it in the Navy List survey (which now has 1,200 guns listed). I have found that almost exactly 50% had unnumbered grips over all. However, only 32% of the 1906 and 1908 models, that were made before the war, had unnumbered grips while the figure for 1916 and 1917 dated guns is 84%. This leads me to conclude that grip numbering was not a priority at DWM and became even less so once hostilities started. Perhaps it was the same at Mauser? While I have not formally surveyed Erfurts (where numbering was a priority), I have examined a number of them over the years, and almost all of them had numbered grips. This leads me to believe that instances of armorers actually having to replace grips were quite rare.
Best regards, Norm

Jan C Still · 06-19-2012, 03:38 PM

Norme
" This leads me to believe that instances of armorers actually having to replace grips were quite rare."
Well stated!
Jan

02-14-2012, 08:54 PM	#1
Mike New User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Easton PA Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Mauser Grips Hi, new member here. I have just gotten started in collecting by purchasing my first luger. A 1940 42 655 stamp Mauser ser#3881a all matching numbers with one matching mag. I just recently fired it, and upon stripping it down for cleaning found all numbers do match with one exception. The grips, which are wooden, have no numbers stamped on them. I have read where they will have either the last 2 numbers, as everthing else does,, or the 655 stamp. I have also heard that some have no markings on them at all. The only thing i see is what looks like a "W" or possibly an "M' on one of them. Is it true some are not stamped at all??? They appear to be as old as the gun and look just like all the other grips I have looked at on the guns i was looing at before I purchased this one. Any help, thoughts or ideas would greatly be appreciated. Thanks,,, Mike

02-14-2012, 11:06 PM	#2
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,603 Times in 933 Posts	Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum! Grip numbering at Mauser was erratic, some years they did, some years they didn't, and some years they did both. You find original grips with large numbers, small numbers, no numbers and inspection marks like SE/655. If the condition of the grips on your 1940 42 is consistent with the rest of the gun, they're probably original. Regards, Norm

02-15-2012, 08:28 AM	#3
Mike New User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Easton PA Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks Norm. Puts my mind at ease now. Thanks, Mike

02-15-2012, 02:03 PM	#4
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	Also the E/655 or E/135 can be VERY small. I thought I had unmarked grips until I got out a 10X glass. FN

06-16-2012, 05:09 PM	#5
freshy User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 10 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	mine has a K with a sun stamped on the both insides

06-17-2012, 11:00 AM	#6
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Mike, Welcome. While most of the late 1939 Military Mausers didn't have numbered grips, I believe that grip numbering began again in 1940. I think that your Luger left the plant with numbered grips.

06-17-2012, 08:41 PM	#8
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Norm, nice Luger. It's very difficult to know for sure. There are many instances of replacement grips on Lugers. Who knows for sure where and when any grips were replaced and by whom. There are groups of Lugers that had MOSTLY numbered grips and the rest had MOSTLY unnumbered grips. That is from the present data. Most, if not all, 1940 Lugers had numbered grips when they left the factory IMHO Regards, Frank

06-17-2012, 11:00 PM	#9
dsk User Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 5 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The ones on my 1940 S42 are not numbered either:

06-18-2012, 10:21 AM	#10
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	dsk, thanks for the pictures! Your grips have Waffenamt Marks (E/655). This means they are most likely armorer replacement grips. These are quite common.

06-18-2012, 10:40 AM	#11
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,603 Times in 933 Posts	Hi Frank, I don't follow your reasoning. My 1940 42 has SE/655 Waffenamt marks as does Mike's, does this mean that they are armorer's replacement guns? My gun has seen little if an use, it appears to be unfired, why would the grips have to be replaced? I stand by what I wrote in post #2. Regards, Norm

06-18-2012, 02:32 PM	#12
dsk User Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 5 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I'm not a Luger expert by any means so I have no bones in this fight, but an experienced collector told me he's seen way too many otherwise original Mausers with grips like these to believe that they were all armorer replacements. I guess the debate continues.....

06-19-2012, 08:49 AM	#13
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Okay Norm, It appears we are just going to agree to disagree!!

06-19-2012, 10:00 AM	#14
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,603 Times in 933 Posts	Hi Frank, The topic of grip numbering has interested me for a while, but on Imperial Navy Lugers, and I included it in the Navy List survey (which now has 1,200 guns listed). I have found that almost exactly 50% had unnumbered grips over all. However, only 32% of the 1906 and 1908 models, that were made before the war, had unnumbered grips while the figure for 1916 and 1917 dated guns is 84%. This leads me to conclude that grip numbering was not a priority at DWM and became even less so once hostilities started. Perhaps it was the same at Mauser? While I have not formally surveyed Erfurts (where numbering was a priority), I have examined a number of them over the years, and almost all of them had numbered grips. This leads me to believe that instances of armorers actually having to replace grips were quite rare. Best regards, Norm

06-19-2012, 03:38 PM	#15
Jan C Still User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Box 240188, Douglas, Alaska, 99824 Posts: 463 Thanks: 0 Thanked 52 Times in 32 Posts	Norme " This leads me to believe that instances of armorers actually having to replace grips were quite rare." Well stated! Jan