French Luger

[Classic12]

Went to the LGS to deliver some old Swiss rifles and pick up some old ammo.

He had something special to show me : a Mauser Luger made under the French occupation in 1945 with a matching number magazine. This is from the second batch made, serial numbers from 200 to 500 approx. made. Many of them went to Indochina.

Price is consistent with rarity, $ 4300 (and no I’m not buying it, just showing it here).

Some more info on those rare pistols here :

http://www.lugerlp08.com/the artillery luger - french parabellum.htm

 

[FrankenMauser]

"Rare" German handgun variants, particularly C96s and Lugers, are the number one area of forgeries in the gun trade - even if the 'rarity' of the variant is complete BS and/or an invention or hyper-inflation by US traders/collectors/forgers. (See "Red 9" C96s.)
This one had me questioning it, before even seeing photos.
After seeing the photos, I doubt it even more.

The bluing doesn't seem right.
A couple of the numbers look over-stamped.
Some of the numbers seem to be in a smaller font than typically seen on 'French' Lugers.
And it is missing the waffenamt that absolutely would have been stamped on this gun, if produced under the Reich. Someone forgot to order the right stamp.

If legit, it is post-WWII.
But, unfortunately, the odds favor forgery.
Two of the most prominent appraisers in this country estimate that there are now more forgeries and/or bad conglomerations or parts for "rare" Luger variants in the US than the bread-and-butter standard pistols - and more than were ever produced by the Germans, period.


In 2016, a truly rare Luger prototype was up for auction in the US. Real deal. Known history, plus documentation. But all the world could do was laugh. Because, in the very same auction were FOUR other pistols claiming to be that prototype.

 

[RickB]

If it were made under French occupation/administration, of course it's post-war?
The edges are soft, so it could be a refinish without being a fake.

 

[amd6547]

The French took over the Mauser plant, and put it to work making Lugers.
Forgotten Weapons just put up a video about these French Lugers.

 

[Classic12]

"Rare" German handgun variants, particularly C96s and Lugers, are the number one area of forgeries in the gun trade - even if the 'rarity' of the variant is complete BS and/or an invention or hyper-inflation by US traders/collectors/forgers. (See "Red 9" C96s.)
This one had me questioning it, before even seeing photos.
After seeing the photos, I doubt it even more.

The bluing doesn't seem right.
A couple of the numbers look over-stamped.
Some of the numbers seem to be in a smaller font than typically seen on 'French' Lugers.
And it is missing the waffenamt that absolutely would have been stamped on this gun, if produced under the Reich. Someone forgot to order the right stamp.

If legit, it is post-WWII.
But, unfortunately, the odds favor forgery.
Two of the most prominent appraisers in this country estimate that there are now more forgeries and/or bad conglomerations or parts for "rare" Luger variants in the US than the bread-and-butter standard pistols - and more than were ever produced by the Germans, period.


In 2016, a truly rare Luger prototype was up for auction in the US. Real deal. Known history, plus documentation. But all the world could do was laugh. Because, in the very same auction were FOUR other pistols claiming to be that prototype.

It is post war and I don’t understand why you think the French would apply the Waffenamt on weapons manufactured under their supervision for their use.

And it’s not in the US

I suggest you read the link in the first post.

 

[jonnyc]

The Germans stopped producing Lugers long before the end of the war and switched the tooling over to making P38s, which the French continued. Why would anyone resurrect the Luger line when the P38 was in full production. The concept make no military or economic sense at all.

 

[amd6547]

https://youtu.be/uq6LD8S_EpQ

Ian's Forgotten Weapons vid on French Lugers.