Make: Erfurt Royal Arsenal

Model: Luger P.08 (Parabellum-Pistole)

Serial#: 3543

Year of Manufacture: 1912

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by a Detachable Magazine

Barrel Length: 4”

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is blade dovetailed to a serrated, banded base fixed to the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered wood. The inside of each panel has a crowned letter and "43". The grips have moderate handling wear, more notable on the left panel than the right. There are a few tiny losses around the edges. The checkering shows wear, but is generally well defined. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good-plus condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Strawed

Finish Originality: Refinished, numbers matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and minor pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6/10.

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 75% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is scattered minor surface oxidation. The grip areas show handling wear. There are a few light nicks and some scuffing. There are a few scratches under the finish. There is an odd series of "7" stamps under the finish at the date marking on the chamber ring. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, some inspection marks are shallow, but visible. Overall, the pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box Paperwork and Accessories: The pistol comes with a single alloy-floorplate 8-round magazine.

Our Assessment: The Parabellum-Pistole 1908, commonly referred to as the Luger, was designed by Georg Johann Luger. In the 1870s, Luger met Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher who recruited him as a sales representative for Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik AG (DWM). Luger reworked the design of the Borchardt pistol and eventually secured a contract for his new pistol with the Swiss Army which dubbed it the model 1900. After some minor reworking, Luger introduced the Pistole 1904, chambered for 9mm cartridges, which was adopted by the Imperial German Navy. The pistol was henceforth referred to as the Luger. A slightly altered version of the pistol with a shorter barrel was adopted for service by the Prussian Army in 1908, hence the designation P.08. The P08 would become one of the most iconic weapons of the 20th century. His pistol would continue to serve the German military during WWII (although the P38 was the Wehrmacht’s standard issue sidearm) and saw service in a number military and police forces after the war.

This particular Luger was manufactured in 1912, two years before WWI broke out, and was made not by DWM, but by the Royal Arsenal at Erfurt. The presence of several small crowned letters and crowned "RC" markings is consistent with Erfurt production. The gun has matching numbers and is a fascinating example, produced before the stock lug was added to the P.08's frame and without the later bolt-stop update. The pistol also has a unit marking on the frontstrap, "B.20.R.M.G.7.", so some research may yield more of this pistol's story. This is a neat example of an early Erfurt for the collectors and may prove to still be a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!