1918 S/42 Luger

Hi folks, I've never been here, but was hoping maybe someone could help me. I inherited this gun from my father, and am interested in finding out more about it. Where it came from / how it differs from other Lugers / how to care for it / etc. I just don't know where to start. Any tips on good books to start with, or do's and don'ts for handling the gun? I took pictures and uploaded them to my web site...they're a little big, so I didn't want to post them here. http://www.matthoffman.cc/luger/luger.html


Thanks!


Matt Hoffman

you have a mix & match gun mauser toggle marked S 42 that just happens to have the right # 33 Charlie


(restamped mag )

[Dok]

Hi Matt, Welcome to the Luger Forum, we hope you'll be a regular. As noted above your pistol is not "matched" although the numbers certainly match. At some point someone has swapped the toggle. The toggle that you should have would be marked with the DWM logo and not the S/42 marking, which is the Mauser code and therefore would place it somewhere between 1940-1945, not 1918. It is impossible to tell when this may have been done or why. I can't believe that someone swapped this in order to make it "all matching" because anyone who knew enough to know about "all matching" would also know that the S/42 was glaringly wrong. In its present state your pistol has no collector value, but would have an intrinsic value of between $400 and $600. I hope this helps.


Dok (Webmaster)

[Thor]

(Where it came from) The reciever was made either by DWM or Erfurt in 1918 both firms were located in Germany during WWI my Guess is by ERFURT because the acceptance stamps on the right reciever and the receiver is grooved for an Artillery barrel which ERFURT did in 1918 on ALL both standard barrel lengths and Artillery models, The toggle with the S/42 was made by Mauser in Germany during WWII (how it differs from other Lugers) Both variations that your Luger came from were PROBABLY both Military and very common as far as Lugers go (how to care for it) Field strip occasionaly and apply a modern oil sparingly to metal surfaces, DONT store it in a holster After firing, clean all powder fouling from the gun when field stripped and also the barrel from the breech end with powder solvent on a patch! Get a book on gun care as a minimum (Any tips on good books to start with, or do's and don'ts for handling the gun?) Most books are set up for collectors specifing how the different variations were marked, how many made, etc. You can learn a lot from this forum if hang around here a while. The first thing to do is go shooting with some one familar with Lugers and SAFETY first, you really need to know how these guns work to be SAFE with it. LUGERS CAN FIRE WHEN BEING DISSASSEMBLED, so always take it apart when you are darn sure it is unloaded! Take care and I hope you are not too discouraged that your Luger was made from different parts of different guns, it is still very cool and a great gun to shoot and keep, after all, you dad thought a lot of it! Thor

[Thor]

Matt, the magazine for your Luger appears to be a type 2 Army magazine (blued tube, aluminum bottom with single side pin at the bottom) which would be WWII vintage being issued to Lugers from part of 1936 to early 1940. The red looking extractor (the part on top of the breechblock) was common on Salt blued Mauser made Lugers caused by the extra hardness of the part. Lugers also have a neat feature in that this extractor will pop up above the gun when a round is in the chamber and the side of this part typically reads GELADEN or loaded. Learn as much as you can about these guns, they are truly fascinating. Thor

Do you know when and where your father obtained this Luger?

I would recomment that you check all the parts for Third Reich era markings like such as S/42 replacement codes and the various 30's-40's style eagles that are pictured on this site. Also look at the proofs on the barrel as these were often replaced on older Lugers during WWII era.

It is obvious that the pistol (less the toggle assembly) as been reblued over a pitted frame and receiver and that the magazine has been re-numbered to match....the question that the examination above could answer is WHEN it was done. It is certian and widely understood that many WWI era pistols were refurbished during the Third Reich period by both the Army and Police (yours is not Police due to the lack of a sear saftey). I have personally examined examples that have been period and officially re-blued (both rust and salt) over such pitting as is apparent on your example.

IMO and the opinion of many other collectors that I know, such examples are certainly legit collectors pistols as opposted to post-war restored shooters. Futher investigation on your luger is in order.

Thanks for the helpful responces everyone. I looked for more symbols on the gun, and only found some on the barrel and breech lock(?). I put took pics of them and added them to the page with the others...I tried to compare them to some in the technical info section and they didn't seem to be Third Reich.


If that's the case, I'm glad to find out that it's a shooter rather than a collectible. It was my dad's, so I'd keep it either way, but I'd like to appreciate it by firing it as well. I've also got a Beretta 92FS that I'll be learning how to shoot by taking some classes at the local gun range, and I have a friend who's a former Sheriff's deputy who said he'd help. After I get more familiar with handling that weapon, I'll spend some time with the Luger. I've got a shop in mind that I think could be helpful in making sure it's safe to fire. They have lot of different types of guns there and plenty of older ones.


Thanks again for the info, and if you think of anything else, please speak up...I'll definitely be sticking around and reading this forum. This is a beautiful weapon and I look forward to using it someday soon.


Matt