P.08 byf 42 vet bringback rig

[Hambone]

Matching pistol, holster, spare mag a numbered spare (not matching pistol), fxo black resin bottomed mag with pistol (original, these were unnumbered by 1942) with capture papers. This Luger was brought back by a Tec.4 Glenn O. Sine with the 133rd Field Artillery, an organic unit of the 36th Infantry Div. that hit the beach at Salerno, Southern France, fought up through and into Germany. They were truck pulled 105 howitzers, hit the beach at Salerno and had to direct fire open sights to keep German tanks from pushing them back into the sea.
133d F.A. Batt.:
North Africa/Salerno/Anzio/Southern France/Vosges: After staging in North Africa, the 133 Field Artillery Battalion unit was assigned as direct support for the 143d Infantry and landed in the assault at Salerno 9 September, 1943. The 133d fought the bloody battles up the boot of Italy until relieved, retrained and committed to reinforce the Anzio landing on 22 May, 1944, participating in the liberation of Rome on 5 July 1944. Later the unit made a third amphibious landing in Southern France, 15 August, 1944, and fought with the 36th during the later months of the war, ending the war on the German-Austrian border area. The unit was returned to the United States and demobilized in December, 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia.
http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/36division/archives/133/133lin.htm

[Hambone]

more pics of P.08

[Hambone]

and more pics of P.08

[Col.Klink]

That is stunning.... :hail:

[Peter U]

Beautiful set Hambone, congratulations.
:thumbsup:

Peter

[Hambone]

Thanks guys. Below are 105s used by the 133d. The first pic could actually be the 133d as the pic was staging in Tunisia.

[Caflashbob]

I am a newby with a "u" block 1941 byf Luger and it is interesting to note the detail in the milling on yours versus mine. Mine has no or very little tooling marks. By 1942 they were working faster it seems. Or different machinists than before which would match the way the war was going by 1942?

Beautiful condition original.

Bob

[RyanE]

Can't go wrong with a Luger especially in that condition. :thumbsup:

I like seeings these late Lugers with the wood grips. Maybe its is just all of the annoying "Black Widow" crap, but I've never been a fan of the synthetic grips.

[George R.]

Ham, that is a nice rig, capture papers to boot, excellent history thanks for sharing. GR

[Hambone]

Thanks George.

I've seen these humorously referred to as "Brown Recluse" Lugers :facepalm: Ryan, I like these better as well. There is no question that the grips are original to it and not replaced. That whole "Black Widow" thing was a marketing concept from a surplus dealer to get more interest in the black resin gripped P.08s when wood grips were preferred. The marketing took off and now it seems like that's what is favored. I'm sure a few wood gripped original P.08s have been "upgraded" to "Black Widow" status. :facepalm:

[Bigdibbs88]

HB that is one of the most fantastic rigs ive seen. Rarely do you see markings that crisp on a holster.

I happen to like "black widows", but I agree with the comments that the hoopla seems to have gotten carried away...

[Hambone]

I like the black grips too Bigd. Had it been one of those I would have been just as happy. This was a walk in at a show by the heir of Tec.4 Sine, who brought it back. The "capture papers" were folded up in the holster. What's interesting is the other items he picked up which are lined through. Those were likely not with him as he mailed them. He carried the Luger home with him as handguns were not allowed to be mailed. It's interesting as the papers have a little more detail than normal as to where the items were picked up.

[Turbo Archie]

Great Find!!!!


anything better than that would be re-finished..





..

[Hambone]

Tks TA. You're right. Lugers have been a high profile item from 1942 to today. They've been passed around, pimped, "restored" and prettified. If it was in a holster it is going to have muzzle ring wear and sideplate wear and likely some high edge wear. Many "98-99%" P.08s are legitimate 85-90% pistols that have been pimped. It's hard to tell if done right. It took me a very long time to find one that wasn't, out of the woodwork, for a decent price.

[jack944]

This one does not exceed 450 RPM but it is still a killer piece. :thumbsup: I like the wood grip versions better. That holster is untouched and beautiful.

[reich1900]

HB thats an outstanding rig. I have a 42 byf too with wooden original grips but yours are so nice that I thought that they were repros and I had to do a double take. Thanks for the great pictures too.
Bernie

[Turbo Archie]

. If it was in a holster it is going to have muzzle ring wear and sideplate wear and likely some high edge wear. Many "98-99%" P.08s are legitimate 85-90% pistols that have been pimped.




So really, when you look at this gun and how minty it is, how can any luger like this not have side plate wear??

They should all look like this..


..

[Hambone]

So really, when you look at this gun and how minty it is, how can any luger like this not have side plate wear??

They should all look like this..


..

TA, there are ones that don't have this wear but they either came right out of shipping boxes and ended up in the US or were put in a holster and put away. This one was "liberated"/boosted/won in a poker game/bought by the GI who carried it around, showing it to his buddies, handling it, etc., and then toted home by him in his bag. Pistols could not be mailed home. Many of these were simply surplused to the US, like many K98ks, etc., by Interarms, etc. If they were bought right out of surplus stores they wouldn't have wear I don't think. I think those originals, unmonkeyed with, without wear would be few as well. :)

[Turbo Archie]

Your gun has no strap wear, yet the side plate and barrel have wear.

To me that means that it was never handeled, just moved in the holtster, maybe even from the war.

They should all look like this IMO........



..

[Hambone]

TA, I agree with you as a general rule. I think though that there are some out there, original and unpimped, without the wear you see on this one. Granted, those are the far exception and I'd say you are right, the large majority of "mint" ones really are nice original examples that have been "restored" to "mint" :facepalm:

[mjones]

Hambone,

I missed this one. That is in outstanding condition. I have a byf 41 and 42 rig but both show considerable wear compared to yours.

Ausgezeichnet!

Mike

[agalland]

Nice byf Hammy...my 41 pales in comparison.

I really enjoyed the period pics ...

It is kinda ironic when I think about how everyone puts on ear protection when they go to the range nowdays , but in the one live fire pic ,the closet thing to ear protection was that one guy has his finger in the ear closest to the gun.

How bad must your ears be ringing after about 100 salvos..............ouch!

My how things have changed.

[Hambone]

Tks AG. Interesting on the hearing protection observation, but man, how true. My grandfather was on a destroyer shelling beaches with 5 inch guns all day. He never seemed to have hearing problems. Doesn't take much to damage hearing though.

[mauser202]

Superb! I would love to own one 1/2 that nice.