Need a little help with 1937 S/42

10-26-2001, 12:28 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new to both this forum and Lugers in general, so please excuse the overwhelming stench of "novice" coming from your computer. I spent some time yesterday examining an S/42 in pretty good shape. The guy told me it was made in 1937. I do know that '42' is the code for Mauser-Werke AG, Oberndorf on the Neckar, and was later replaced by the 'byf' code, but what does the 'S' stand for and what is the correct letter code for 1937? I would appreciate any and all info (or links) concerning S/42-marked Lugers as it may become the first one I buy. Does $425 soung like too much? It was refinished professionally and has all matching numbers, good grips, shiny bore and deep rifling. I want to start with something I can spend quality time with on the firing line. Thanks in advance for any help you may have. My profile and bad photo are up for viewing, thanks for letting me be a part of this group. Take care....Denny

John Sabato · 10-26-2001, 12:50 PM

It is a great shooter because Mauser never made any junk. The fact that somebody has prettied it up for you makes the price that much more attractive.

42, S/42, and byf, were all used by Mauser as war-time production codes and any of them are correct. I don't have specific knowledge that the codes really meant anything, and perhaps someone else has some documentation to show what they might mean, but I think they were just random codes to hide the origin/location of where weapons were being produced during the war to keep the bombers away.

I know for certain that your's is fine because it is just like the one that a vet I know brought home and it has never been modified (he is still with us and still has it -- and it is kept loaded by his bed too). I usually clean it for him when I visit...

Just as a little insurance, I would buy yourself some spare parts if you plan on extensive shooting. These are the parts that would be most likely to break and require replacement. You might also consider a new mainspring to help protect those parts from undue pounding.

Firing pin, firing pin retainer/spring guide, extractor, ejector and a good set of range grips and put the originals away for a rainy day. The wood on the grips that old would probably shoot loose after a while. An inexpensive set of grips can be had -- look for the plastic ones with the bullseye on the side - these were issued to east german police and are plentiful. I think they are around $30 or so. Check with Tom Heller in links and resources to the left...

Even though your shooter was refinished, it is still all matching parts and you can keep it that way even though you intend to shoot it.

Welcome to the forum, please open a user profile to lock your user ID, and visit often...

regards,

John Sabato

Thor · 10-26-2001, 01:01 PM

Hi Denny, congrats on a great Mauser Military Model Luger. Just wondered what the subscript (the small letter that follows and is under the serial on the frame) it is in German Script and is located on the front of the frame just above the trigger guard viewed from the front (make sure the Luger is safe and unloaded) and if the gun has black or gold colored trigger, ejector, safety lever, take down bolt and magazine release. Thanks! ~Thor~

BILL · 10-26-2001, 01:39 PM

$425 is an excellent price to pay for what you have. Consider yourself really fortunate. People pay way more than that for a mismatched shooter that they end up having refinished for several hundred dollars more. Enjoy it.

10-26-2001, 02:40 PM

John, Thor, Bill: Thanks for your quick replies and warm welcome. The infor you sent is very encouraging. I am going back to purchase the gun as soon as I get off duty this weekend. Bill: I will send the marking info as soon as I have the gun in my possession. Also, mu profile should be up, if it's not, let me know so I can fix it. Thanks again... Denny

John Sabato · 10-26-2001, 02:43 PM

BUY it. Give him a credit card deposit if necessary because it would be a shame to miss out on a deal like that one...

-John

11-13-2001, 04:35 PM

Hi all. For those who remember me, I joined the Forum a few weeks ago while I was contemplating my first luger purchase. Since then, I have been out of the net and unable to give an update (Ah, the life of a soldier). Anyway, I purchased the S/42 1937 for a total of $469. It is all matching as far as I can tell. I broke it down according to the disassembly instructions given on this site. The only important parts I found not carrying the last two digits of the SN# were the firing pin spring guide (unmarked) and the extractor (marked "geladen"). Is this normal? The seller told me it had been refinished but I'm unsure. How do you tell? The magazine is not matching, but is marked with the appropriate WA stamps. The front of the frame is marked with the German script letter "r". None of the parts have been strawed, which I think is correct for this gun. The grips are black plastic, unmarked and without the bullseye found on the East German post war replacements. I'm sure they are repros, but from where? I've attached two photos to help anyone who may be able to give me some info on my new pride and joy. The link below the picture is a photo of the other side. Keep shooting! -Denny

http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/myluger2.jpg
http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/myluger1.jpg

Thor · 11-13-2001, 04:50 PM

According to Jan Still's Third Reich Lugers, you Luger SHOULD have strawed parts as originally issued, serial range between 4500p-1500t. The magazine also is not proper as it is one that was issued from 1939-1941, a type 3 Army Magazine a term coined by Still. Your Luger would be proper with a type 2 Army-Blued tube, aluminum bottom with a single retaining pin NOT through the center of the bottom but to one side. The price you paid was commensurate with the Luger you have IMO. ~Thor~

Thor · 11-13-2001, 04:56 PM

Thor · 11-13-2001, 04:56 PM

Also, the extractor should have the two digit serial on top and the spring guide will be unmarked! Thor

11-13-2001, 05:09 PM

Cool! Looks like an alright gun!

Except you shouldn't name the .jpg, myluger, since that is what I named one of my pictures! (Just kidding, heh, heh).

Overall the price is very much in range for a shooter, which I am guessing is the case, as it might have been reblued.

You can check the inside part of the bore, where the magazine goes, etc. If it is blue, that is one indication it has been reblued. Thor is the one to comment on these kind of indications tho, that is for sure.

The fnish looks pretty blued all over, and there are a few slight nicks. Look where any slight pitting is and see if it is the same blueing, if so, then for sure it has been retouched up or reblued.

Ed

11-13-2001, 05:57 PM

Thanks for the info guys, I was hoping I didn't get ripped off. Since this gun is going to send rounds down range (hopefully often), I was wondering what parts I should replace to avoid wear and tear on the originals. Also, the toggle and bolt carrier lock to the rear when the gun is charged and the magazine is in place. It releases and slides forward when the magazine is removed. Is this the way they work, or do I have a mechanical problem? P.S Ted, what kind of a wait do you have for restrawing and spot bluing? And what is the cost of those services and a pair of wooden grips? I figure she should look as good as I feel about owning her! Thanks again - Denny

Thor · 11-13-2001, 06:30 PM

Denny please see my site link in the "links and resources" section, prices are in there and right now I can do the work pretty quick! Thor

11-13-2001, 07:21 PM

Perfectly normal with your Luger, there are some that don't hold open, but I think that is in the small minority! Most stay open after the last shot.

Ed

11-13-2001, 07:31 PM

Ed, Thanks a bunch! I'm spending my first night home from the field cleaning and oiling my new baby. I hope to throw lead before the end of the week. I'll let eveyone see how she shoots with a pic or two. When you go to the range, how many rounds do you fire in a session? I would hate to overdo it and break something. Also, Do 124 grain CCP Blazers sound right? From everything I've read here, they sound like a safe, reliable and economical round. Thanks again and take care....Denny

Thor · 11-13-2001, 07:36 PM

Denny, the Winchester FMJ are a good place to start as are the UMC, I recommend NOT depending on the BLAZERS to be reliable, they tend to stick in a lot of chambers and dont eject right! Some Lugers they work in and some they dont! Thor

11-13-2001, 07:56 PM

I purposely bought a box of blazers and they weren't reliable. The Remingtons and the Winchesters were all the same price at Wal-Mart, in fact they have a 100 economy of the UMC (remington) for less than $11.00. They fed really nice in mine.

ed

John Sabato · 11-13-2001, 10:35 PM

When an empty magazine is removed? If so, that is NOT how they are supposed to work and your Luger may need some minor work or a part replaced.

The toggle should remain open if locked back on an empty magazine even if the magazine is removed. It should not close unless you pull back the toggle and let it go with either no magazine or a loaded magazine.

Let us know exactly what is happening under these conditions and we can better diagnose whether or not you have a problem... hopefully not.

regards,

John Sabato

11-13-2001, 11:26 PM

Good catch John!

I am pretty sure that is what Denny meant, and I saw the first part and missed the 2nd!

John is right, the toggle / bolt should not close when you pull the magazine out.

Ed

11-13-2001, 11:26 PM

Hi John, Sorry I was unclear, but I'm still learning the lingo. The bolt locks back with an empty magazine and stays back when the magazine is removed. It releases and slides forward (pull it back and ride the bolt forward)only after the empty magazine has been removed. It will not lock in the back position without a magazine. As for operation with a loaded mag, I'll have to let you know tomorrow after I pick up ammo. From your instructions, I think it is operating okay. I'm just a little nervous with my new baby.

10-26-2001, 12:28 PM	#1
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	Need a little help with 1937 S/42 Hi everyone, I'm new to both this forum and Lugers in general, so please excuse the overwhelming stench of "novice" coming from your computer. I spent some time yesterday examining an S/42 in pretty good shape. The guy told me it was made in 1937. I do know that '42' is the code for Mauser-Werke AG, Oberndorf on the Neckar, and was later replaced by the 'byf' code, but what does the 'S' stand for and what is the correct letter code for 1937? I would appreciate any and all info (or links) concerning S/42-marked Lugers as it may become the first one I buy. Does $425 soung like too much? It was refinished professionally and has all matching numbers, good grips, shiny bore and deep rifling. I want to start with something I can spend quality time with on the firing line. Thanks in advance for any help you may have. My profile and bad photo are up for viewing, thanks for letting me be a part of this group. Take care....Denny

10-26-2001, 12:50 PM	#2
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	Welcome. You have found a good Luger at a reasonable price Denny. It is a great shooter because Mauser never made any junk. The fact that somebody has prettied it up for you makes the price that much more attractive. 42, S/42, and byf, were all used by Mauser as war-time production codes and any of them are correct. I don't have specific knowledge that the codes really meant anything, and perhaps someone else has some documentation to show what they might mean, but I think they were just random codes to hide the origin/location of where weapons were being produced during the war to keep the bombers away. I know for certain that your's is fine because it is just like the one that a vet I know brought home and it has never been modified (he is still with us and still has it -- and it is kept loaded by his bed too). I usually clean it for him when I visit... Just as a little insurance, I would buy yourself some spare parts if you plan on extensive shooting. These are the parts that would be most likely to break and require replacement. You might also consider a new mainspring to help protect those parts from undue pounding. Firing pin, firing pin retainer/spring guide, extractor, ejector and a good set of range grips and put the originals away for a rainy day. The wood on the grips that old would probably shoot loose after a while. An inexpensive set of grips can be had -- look for the plastic ones with the bullseye on the side - these were issued to east german police and are plentiful. I think they are around $30 or so. Check with Tom Heller in links and resources to the left... Even though your shooter was refinished, it is still all matching parts and you can keep it that way even though you intend to shoot it. Welcome to the forum, please open a user profile to lock your user ID, and visit often... regards, John Sabato

10-26-2001, 01:01 PM	#3
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Re: Need a little help with 1937 S/42 Hi Denny, congrats on a great Mauser Military Model Luger. Just wondered what the subscript (the small letter that follows and is under the serial on the frame) it is in German Script and is located on the front of the frame just above the trigger guard viewed from the front (make sure the Luger is safe and unloaded) and if the gun has black or gold colored trigger, ejector, safety lever, take down bolt and magazine release. Thanks! ~Thor~

10-26-2001, 01:39 PM	#4
BILL User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 826 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Need a little help with 1937 S/42 $425 is an excellent price to pay for what you have. Consider yourself really fortunate. People pay way more than that for a mismatched shooter that they end up having refinished for several hundred dollars more. Enjoy it.

10-26-2001, 02:40 PM	#5
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	John, Thor, Bill - Thanks for the replies John, Thor, Bill: Thanks for your quick replies and warm welcome. The infor you sent is very encouraging. I am going back to purchase the gun as soon as I get off duty this weekend. Bill: I will send the marking info as soon as I have the gun in my possession. Also, mu profile should be up, if it's not, let me know so I can fix it. Thanks again... Denny

10-26-2001, 02:43 PM	#6
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	Your profile is up Denny...but call the seller and tell him you will BUY it. Give him a credit card deposit if necessary because it would be a shame to miss out on a deal like that one... -John

11-13-2001, 04:35 PM	#7
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 Hi all. For those who remember me, I joined the Forum a few weeks ago while I was contemplating my first luger purchase. Since then, I have been out of the net and unable to give an update (Ah, the life of a soldier). Anyway, I purchased the S/42 1937 for a total of $469. It is all matching as far as I can tell. I broke it down according to the disassembly instructions given on this site. The only important parts I found not carrying the last two digits of the SN# were the firing pin spring guide (unmarked) and the extractor (marked "geladen"). Is this normal? The seller told me it had been refinished but I'm unsure. How do you tell? The magazine is not matching, but is marked with the appropriate WA stamps. The front of the frame is marked with the German script letter "r". None of the parts have been strawed, which I think is correct for this gun. The grips are black plastic, unmarked and without the bullseye found on the East German post war replacements. I'm sure they are repros, but from where? I've attached two photos to help anyone who may be able to give me some info on my new pride and joy. The link below the picture is a photo of the other side. Keep shooting! -Denny http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/myluger2.jpg http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/myluger1.jpg

11-13-2001, 04:50 PM	#8
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 According to Jan Still's Third Reich Lugers, you Luger SHOULD have strawed parts as originally issued, serial range between 4500p-1500t. The magazine also is not proper as it is one that was issued from 1939-1941, a type 3 Army Magazine a term coined by Still. Your Luger would be proper with a type 2 Army-Blued tube, aluminum bottom with a single retaining pin NOT through the center of the bottom but to one side. The price you paid was commensurate with the Luger you have IMO. ~Thor~

11-13-2001, 04:56 PM	#9
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 (EOM)

11-13-2001, 05:09 PM	#11
66mustang Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 Cool! Looks like an alright gun! Except you shouldn't name the .jpg, myluger, since that is what I named one of my pictures! (Just kidding, heh, heh). Overall the price is very much in range for a shooter, which I am guessing is the case, as it might have been reblued. You can check the inside part of the bore, where the magazine goes, etc. If it is blue, that is one indication it has been reblued. Thor is the one to comment on these kind of indications tho, that is for sure. The fnish looks pretty blued all over, and there are a few slight nicks. Look where any slight pitting is and see if it is the same blueing, if so, then for sure it has been retouched up or reblued. Ed

11-13-2001, 05:57 PM	#12
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 Thanks for the info guys, I was hoping I didn't get ripped off. Since this gun is going to send rounds down range (hopefully often), I was wondering what parts I should replace to avoid wear and tear on the originals. Also, the toggle and bolt carrier lock to the rear when the gun is charged and the magazine is in place. It releases and slides forward when the magazine is removed. Is this the way they work, or do I have a mechanical problem? P.S Ted, what kind of a wait do you have for restrawing and spot bluing? And what is the cost of those services and a pair of wooden grips? I figure she should look as good as I feel about owning her! Thanks again - Denny

11-13-2001, 06:30 PM	#13
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 Denny please see my site link in the "links and resources" section, prices are in there and right now I can do the work pretty quick! Thor

11-13-2001, 07:21 PM	#14
66mustang Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I finally got it! , 1937 S/42 Perfectly normal with your Luger, there are some that don't hold open, but I think that is in the small minority! Most stay open after the last shot. Ed

11-13-2001, 07:31 PM	#15
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks for the help! Ed, Thanks a bunch! I'm spending my first night home from the field cleaning and oiling my new baby. I hope to throw lead before the end of the week. I'll let eveyone see how she shoots with a pic or two. When you go to the range, how many rounds do you fire in a session? I would hate to overdo it and break something. Also, Do 124 grain CCP Blazers sound right? From everything I've read here, they sound like a safe, reliable and economical round. Thanks again and take care....Denny

11-13-2001, 07:36 PM	#16
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Re: Thanks for the help! Denny, the Winchester FMJ are a good place to start as are the UMC, I recommend NOT depending on the BLAZERS to be reliable, they tend to stick in a lot of chambers and dont eject right! Some Lugers they work in and some they dont! Thor

11-13-2001, 07:56 PM	#17
66mustang Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Thanks for the help! I purposely bought a box of blazers and they weren't reliable. The Remingtons and the Winchesters were all the same price at Wal-Mart, in fact they have a 100 economy of the UMC (remington) for less than $11.00. They fed really nice in mine. ed

11-13-2001, 10:35 PM	#18
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	Denny are you saying that the toggle/bolt closes When an empty magazine is removed? If so, that is NOT how they are supposed to work and your Luger may need some minor work or a part replaced. The toggle should remain open if locked back on an empty magazine even if the magazine is removed. It should not close unless you pull back the toggle and let it go with either no magazine or a loaded magazine. Let us know exactly what is happening under these conditions and we can better diagnose whether or not you have a problem... hopefully not. regards, John Sabato

11-13-2001, 11:26 PM	#19
66mustang Guest Posts: n/a	John, I think a good catch! Good catch John! I am pretty sure that is what Denny meant, and I saw the first part and missed the 2nd! John is right, the toggle / bolt should not close when you pull the magazine out. Ed

11-13-2001, 11:26 PM	#20
Denny Cox Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Denny are you saying that the toggle/bolt closes Hi John, Sorry I was unclear, but I'm still learning the lingo. The bolt locks back with an empty magazine and stays back when the magazine is removed. It releases and slides forward (pull it back and ride the bolt forward)only after the empty magazine has been removed. It will not lock in the back position without a magazine. As for operation with a loaded mag, I'll have to let you know tomorrow after I pick up ammo. From your instructions, I think it is operating okay. I'm just a little nervous with my new baby.