This is one of my lugers from my collection. It is a Veteran bring back. It is a 1920 luger with the unit markings on the grip. with a brown dated 1918 holster. All matching. It even has the modified sear safety as shown with the cut piece on the side. This was an internal installation.
I was told these were police lugers at the time. It was not uncommon for military units to "Confiscate better looking weapons from non combat units".
I was talking to one of my older customers one day many years ago and he stated he was a jeep driver for a major during WWII with the 87th Infantry Division, Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion. So I ask him if he brought anything back and some limited questions about the war. He said that "driving for a major had it's Advantages". " You could have him as an officer send anything with in reason back for you". He asked me over one night to his house and he went to the bed room and brought out this luger. I was excited to say the leist. He new I collected these things and was not going to resell it. So he offered it too me. He said it has layed in the top of his closet all these years and stated he has never fired it. I took the 1944 dated Ammunition out of the spare magazine in the holster. (I have a picture of one of the rounds). He then went and got his unit history book. It has a map and pictures of where they landed and where they were when the war ended. He wouldn't part with it. We talked about where he picked up the luger. He said in the "bastone area" He liked guns and had seen a dead german laying by a building and had a luger. He had the belt laying with it and dumb me didn't want it. You know young and stupid in the early collecting days. He had some very interesting things he wouldn't part with I wanted, but I wasn't going to ask. He has since passed away I think. I have not been able to get a hold of him in quite a while. So this is my luger with some history behind it. Wish I could get his unit history book and other items.
Thanks for looking,
John
Bookmarks