Third Party Press

Expert opinion needed: WWII bring back Luger P08, with documentation

TexHill

Junior Member
I recently loaned money to a friend who has an FFL. He knows that I collect WWII small arms, and has offered this Luger P08 as partial payment. It has both copies of the bring back certificate with it. The pistol is numbers matching except for the magazines, and is marked 1915 DWM.

I don't know much about Lugers so any help with the hallmarks and a rough value is appreciated. Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/amMROHm

ZPdEXlV.jpg

F7zrtaI.jpg

ZgEXClb.jpg

o6bEKc1.jpg

Asrrcb1.jpg

K0Evx6R.jpg

BQezJNb.jpg

pKLcc7q.jpg

S2WMJCf.jpg

FDJztWC.jpg

83U237w.jpg

fII6AP7.jpg

X5el1P5.jpg

mQPprk0.jpg
 
Last edited:
Nice gun! Lots of leftover stuff from ww1 was brought back in wwii. Big bonus with the papers. In general ww1 Lugers bring less than wwii. This one has received a replacement barrel and grips sometime during the Nazi period (s/42) but doesn’t appear to have any ordnance depot markings (IMO this would help the value). Does the pistol have a mag? Does it match the gun?
 
Nice gun! Lots of leftover stuff from ww1 was brought back in wwii. Big bonus with the papers. In general ww1 Lugers bring less than wwii. This one has received a replacement barrel and grips sometime during the Nazi period (s/42) but doesn’t appear to have any ordnance depot markings (IMO this would help the value). Does the pistol have a mag? Does it match the gun?

It came with two mags and a holster, but the mags aren't original. I'm not sure about the holster.
 
It's a cool luger with legitimate capture papers. That being said, it's not going to have much value. Luger collectors are not into reworks, they would look at this and say its not original barrel and probably pass. It's unfortunate, but that's how it is.

I would want to be into this luger for shooter money. Tough for me to say this because I love papers, but value is just not there.
 
Judging by the inspection papers I'd say they lived in the holster. I'd store them flat as shown, in a box with the pistol and holster. My opinion is this is a unique set, and I wouldn't be concerned about the rework. Though it may not be for Luger collectors, this still has value to collectors of unmolested WW2 history. That's a nice set. Similar to a k98 bolt mismatch with papers, or an arisaka with a scrubbed mum and papers. It's the way it came to the US. Appears to be 80th Infantry Division bring back
 
I love this grouping, do not get me wrong. It is just a hard one to put a value on. I tried to look up the (very distinct) name of the solider on the paper and could not get any hits on it. The 80th is a cool division that fought into Austria until the very last days of the war. Liberated Ebensee as well. I have attached a cool campaign map. Holster appears to be a WW2 commercial piece. I wish we knew the story of where he located this luger. I am thinking $1200 to $1400 range?
 

Attachments

  • 80th.jpg
    80th.jpg
    82.7 KB · Views: 31
One doesn't have a serial number. The other has two, four digit serial numbers with one being struck through. I don't have them in front of me so I can't tell you the exact numbers until I get home from work.
 
Nice gun! Lots of leftover stuff from ww1 was brought back in wwii. Big bonus with the papers. In general ww1 Lugers bring less than wwii. This one has received a replacement barrel and grips sometime during the Nazi period (s/42) but doesn’t appear to have any ordnance depot markings (IMO this would help the value). Does the pistol have a mag? Does it match the gun?
Does the frame look reblued to you? There's quite a bit of pitting that isn't in the white. I don't know much about the reworks for Luger's, but did they reblue them at the arsenals?
 
One doesn't have a serial number. The other has two, four digit serial numbers with one being struck through. I don't have them in front of me so I can't tell you the exact numbers until I get home from work.


Thank you much appreciated
 
Plus, the toggle pin has been numbered and the sideplate was an Erfurt.
In addition, it appears the long sear was relieved and then numbered.

All of this would be part of a '30 era rebuild. Nothing wrong with this, but it does affect value somewhat.
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top