I have a 1942 Luger that I cannot find any information about. It has two 42 stamps on it, one on the toggle (date?) and one on the chamber (Mauser?). I have been told that Lugers with these markings are extremely rare, however I cannot find ANY info to confirm or deny. Does anyone have any experience with this that they can share? Thank you for any help.
Luger 2 digit date
- Thread starter gsweet
- Start date
Luger pistols made in 1941 and 1942 (the last year of mass production) were marked "42" on the middle toggle indicating Mauser production (their code).
The two digit date over the chamber indicates the year of production, either 1941 ("41") or 1942 ("42"). Some written sources claim that "42" dated pistols were mostly reworks. They are not particularly rare.
There are any number of information sources for your pistol including The Luger Pistol by Fred Datig, and even the Blue Book of Gun Values has basic information about them.
The two digit date over the chamber indicates the year of production, either 1941 ("41") or 1942 ("42"). Some written sources claim that "42" dated pistols were mostly reworks. They are not particularly rare.
There are any number of information sources for your pistol including The Luger Pistol by Fred Datig, and even the Blue Book of Gun Values has basic information about them.
42 is one of the codes for Mauser. Lugers marked with S/42 on the toggle were made for German military contract sale (not the civilian market).
A quick look through the Standard Catalog of Luger (Davis 2006) I could not find a pistol marked exactly as you describe. It does show a listing for a "41/42", with 41 chamber date and 42 marked toggle, and lists them as "common".
Good Luck.
suggest you ask around on some Luger forums, a real expert (I'm not) might give you a better idea.
A quick look through the Standard Catalog of Luger (Davis 2006) I could not find a pistol marked exactly as you describe. It does show a listing for a "41/42", with 41 chamber date and 42 marked toggle, and lists them as "common".
Good Luck.
suggest you ask around on some Luger forums, a real expert (I'm not) might give you a better idea.
You'll find better info in Datig's book.
A "42" coded toggle is the successor to the older "S/42" code for Mauserwerke, and supposedly signifies a new contract according to some authorities.
As I said, the "42" toggle coded Lugers went from a full four digit date to a two digit date in 1941 and after until the end of mass production in 1942.
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The only pistols with two 2-digit numbers are the 41/42 ones, the reason being that Mauser went to the "byf" code in early 1941, and dates prior to that were four digit. So a 42/42 would appear to be not rare but impossible, unless the toggle and receiver are not originally from the same gun.
Jim
Jim
I have read about Luger "reworks" but admit that I am not sure exactly what that is, except a way of explaining something the "expert" using the term can't figure out. The date code on Luger receivers was heavily stamped and no "rework" is going to remove it without leaving a trace. The same goes for the code on the toggle.
So the only way a 42/42 could occur at the factory would be if a new (42) receiver were made up with a leftover or reject toggle with the old "42" Mauser code which had never been numbered. Possible? Maybe, but I would want to check such a gun VERY carefully. I would also wonder why no other mismatches turn up, like a byf toggle on a 1936 receiver or an S/42 toggle on a 1941 receiver.
FWIW, I have Datig, Kenyon, Görtz and Sturgess, and both Walter books and some Lugers, and still can't claim to know much about the Luger. I have had discussions with several self-proclaimed Luger experts, one of whom assured me that the Luger was a blowback pistol!!! I won't name him but he shows up on the Luger forums from time to time, still spouting nonsense.
Jim
So the only way a 42/42 could occur at the factory would be if a new (42) receiver were made up with a leftover or reject toggle with the old "42" Mauser code which had never been numbered. Possible? Maybe, but I would want to check such a gun VERY carefully. I would also wonder why no other mismatches turn up, like a byf toggle on a 1936 receiver or an S/42 toggle on a 1941 receiver.
FWIW, I have Datig, Kenyon, Görtz and Sturgess, and both Walter books and some Lugers, and still can't claim to know much about the Luger. I have had discussions with several self-proclaimed Luger experts, one of whom assured me that the Luger was a blowback pistol!!! I won't name him but he shows up on the Luger forums from time to time, still spouting nonsense.
Jim
Well, when I tried to explain about recoil operation and how the Luger worked, the "expert" called me an idiot, told me he knew everything about Lugers, was a "published expert" on the guns, etc. His ranting finally stopped when I walked away. So I guess he felt I was just too dumb to understand his "expertise."
Jim
Jim
One of the biggest areas of contention about the Luger is the "witness marks" on the receiver and barrel. I happen to know why they are there and how and when they were put on, but most of what I have seen is utter nonsense, usually involving installing the barrel, then taking it off, then reinstalling. Some "theories" have the process done repeatedly until things "happen" to line up!
Jim
Jim