Anyone here who's into WWII pistols?

If you're into WWII handguns and know how to check for originality please send me a PM.

This is a file dump.




PS: Thanks to those who PM'ed me.

[tabs]

You can't tell much from the lighting, the pics are pretty dark. However the glint of light off the metal, shows the striations from the milling of the pistol. The Germans process of finishing a gun declined as the war went on. This guns shows that process clearly and the colour of the blue appears correct.(refinishing the pistol would require buffing it, it would lose the crispness of the striations if the pistol were buffed). I would say that it is an orginal finsih based upon the evidence that is available to me. Moreover from the pics again the pistol appears to be in excellent condition for a pistol that experienced war time usage.

Thanks Ted. Check this link to see why I needed this "file dump"

The lightning was extremely bad. I took the pics in the basement of the dealer. Quite dark and not easy on the eyes. The camera flash only makes things worse.

This is the link: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37306

[tabs]

While I own several weapons from Germany. I don't think I could ever be a collector of Nazi regalia. The Germans did have the neatest looking uniforms in WW2 though.

Now I could be a collector of the Imperial German regalia of WW1. Especially pieces from the German Airforce. Recently Julia's in New Hampshire auctioned a Silver Cup that was made for Rittemeister Von Richtoffen commerating one of his aerial victories. I believe it went for about 15K. He had a sterling cup made for the first 60 of his aerial victories, after that the supply of sterling silver dried up in Germany. So there was no cups made for his remaining 20 aerial victories.

Pilots lives during WW1 were remarkably short. I believe that during 1917 the average combat life of a RAF pilot was 2 weeks. Richtofffen for example began his flying career in early 1916 flying two seat recon planes. By summer of 1916 he joined Boelecks fighter squadron. Richtoffen was killed by an Austrailian antiaircraft gunner in April of 1918 (no picture even exists of the gunner). Thus his combat life span was about 2 years, with a 3 to 4 month lay off in the summer of 1917 for a wound to the head. The second highest Ace of WW1 was the Frenchmen Rene Fonck with 75 aerial victories. What surprised me was that he started flying in 1914 and survived the war, virtually unhurt. That is a totally remarkable feat.

Pilots didn't last during the Great War due to a number of factors. One is poor training which caused many to be easy victims, and were killed or injured in accidents. The British Ace McCudden was killed upon landing, hitting telephone wires. Another is the fraility of the equipment, it just might fall apart on you. There was no armor plating to protect the aircrew, nor self sealing gas tanks. Piolts didn't even wear parachutes till the last months of the war, while they were available to Observation Balloon crews. The famous American Layeffette Escadrille Ace Raoul Luftberry jumped from his burning plane rather than burn.

I'm not a collector either. I just like guns that are special. Also I'm fascinated by history. Like you say with the pilots. It's both scaring and impressive to learn about the lives that these people lead. Oh and you're right about the German uniforms. I think they're cool too. I also like the dark side in Star Wars, Vader and the Storm Troopers look more bad ass

Just an update to you who wrote me. I bought it! And it's actually in much better condition than I first thought it was.

Close ups showing markings:

[jyl]

That's a nice piece.

I like WW2 guns.

I have a P08, actually it is a kludge of two different pre-WW2 guns, but who's counting - it is just a shooter anyway.

Anyone have a Broomhandle? If you like the Star Wars look, you've got to have the gun that inspired it.

[RickM]

Mikkel,

Is that gun refinished? It's hard to believe it's original.
If so I'm totally impressed.

[tabs]

JYL...U NOTICED. 30 cal, 9MM or 45ACP?

The Mauser mdl 1896 aka "Broomhandle" has only ONE screw in the whole gun...to hold the grips together. The entire mechanism is like a tightly machined Chinese puzzle of interlocking parts...totally amzing weapon.

[jyl]

What, my P08? 9mm.

Originally posted by tabs
JYL...U NOTICED. 30 cal, 9MM or 45ACP?

The Mauser mdl 1896 aka "Broomhandle" has only ONE screw in the whole gun...to hold the grips together. The entire mechanism is like a tightly machined Chinese puzzle of interlocking parts...totally amzing weapon.

jyl

You're right. Star Wars guns have several similarities with real guns. I think that's funny

RickM

No the pistol isn't refinished. It's in good condition, but far from perfect. It has its fair share of patina you could say. The pictures - except the small ones I just posted are several months old. I took them at the dealer. I have some more recent ones that I might be able to downsize for posting.

BTW any of you who've seen the markings before. All those that I just posted are unknown to me? The rest of the gun's markings I know the meaning for.

[Pat S]

the 135 with an eagle over it is a Weimar-eagle Waffenamt. It's an inspection stamp and the 135 is the inspectors number I beleive.
I'm not sure on this one but the other eagle by the S may be a firing proof (Beschussstempel). On rifles it would be on the barrel but they may have moved it to the frame on pistols due to space.

See if you can find a collectors handgun forum and they can tell you all them for sure.

Pat

The eagle over 135 is the waffenamt mark for Mauser guns. I got that right, but the "3" beside it...? That's unknown to me.

I'm currently searching for German forums.

Hey just wanted to say that I took the pistol apart for the first time today. The good news is that it's in surprisingly good condition. The bad news are more unknown markings

However now I'm pretty sure about the eagle over N. It must be something that has been applied by post war German authorities.

[tabs]

Nope don't think it's a postwar mark...if that were the case it is a reworked gun.

Further JYL...Mauser Broomhandle Pistols were built in 30 caliber Mauser and 9MM in WW1...know as the Red Nine, because of the 9 painted in Red on the grips denoting it's a 9MM pistol vs a 30 Mauser.

Also the Shanghi Police built a 45 acp version, which hit the US markets several years ago...they were priced in the $3500 range...I have always bin suspicious of those guns as being fakes.

P38 leather holster, markings: