Luger S/42 1938

[JHT]

I believe that the pertinent information on the LUGER that will assist me in acquiring the proper magazine would be the following:  The Luger is in 95%+ condition which only shows minor bluing loss around the tip of the barrel from very occasional holster wear.  The remainder of the gun would make anyone hardpressed to find additional wear or tear.  Serial numbers throughout the gun match without exception and that includes the serial numbers that reside inside the A-1 condition grips.  The important information on the Luger is that it was manufactured in1938 and is marked S/42 above the breach.

I would like to replace the missing magazine(s), but with the proper loading aid in the proper material: wood; plastic; or aluminum.  Perhaps someone can supply me with a professional supplier of Luger parts.  I would like to be able to pass down this weapon to future generations as it is one of the many weapons that either for good or bad helped to create The Weapons That Influenced Our Wars.

Regards,  JHT

[Mikey]

JHT:  I would check with Mid-South Supply to see if they carry Luger magazines and failing that I would search through the Shotgun News.  There are a number of people and places that advertise Luger parts.

I believe your Luger was a commercially made pistol, that is not specifically made under military contract, but you often found those commercially made pistols in the holsters of Wermacht and SS officers.  The correct magazine for a commercially made Luger is most likely with a wooden magazine base and those are available.  The plastic and aluminum were, I believe, military contract as neither were as fragile to wartime abuses as the wooden magazine bases were.

The magazine loader was a piece of stamped steel with a hole in one end and a place to use your thumb on the other end to depress the magazine floorplate to assist in loading.  In addition to checking with the resources listed I would also research Luger, or Luger P-08 on the net to find some collector sites that might help you further.  HTH.  Mikey.

[unspellable]

A 1938 Mauser would probably be a military contract.  If it was a German military contract it will be marked "P.08" near the safety and will have German military acceptance marks on the right side of the receiver near the front.  (The S/42 indicates it was made by Mauser, as were all Lugers from the mid 1930's until June of 1942 when production of parts ceased.

The question of magazine bottom material is one of when, not what.  During the Mauser period the magazines had aluminum bottoms.

Here is where the Luger gurus hang out.  They can answer all the questions in detail. 

http://www.lugerforum.com/

[Tom C.]

An S/42 is made by Mauser. Mine has a K on the receiver ring, indicating that it was made in 1934. I have a mag with a matching serial number. If you don’t, then it doesn’t matter what may you have. A number of outlets have them Numrich has them for about $25. I have some stainless ones for mine, but I don’t remember where I got them.

[JHT]

Thanks for the helpful information.  I am looking forward to getting several magazines and taking the Luger to the range.  JHT

[Mikey]

JHT:  be careful of the ammo you use in that old Luger.  The original load developed for the P-08 pistol was a 124 gn truncated bullet at 1080'/sec.  115 gn ball at about 1100 - 1120'/sec should work the action reliably but if you use hollow pointed stuff or soft nosed stuff you may well get jams, as the P-08 doesn't always function reliably with that stuff and if you use ammo that is too hot, you risk both the pistol and your forehead.  Those toggle actions are designed to handle just so much pressure and after that they either lock up or come apart.  Mikey.