[Jan C Still]

1937 DATED KRIEGHOFF AND ACCESSORIES.
The Krieghoff Luger was manufactured for the Luftwaffe from 1935 to 1944 by Krieghoff waffenfabrik at Suhl Germany. About 12,200 were manufactured for the Luftwaffe. Although its production was small and constituted less than 8 percent of Luftwaffe Luger procurement, it is the only Luger officially inspected, accepted, and proofed by the Luftwaffe and is highly prized by collectors.

Variations are determined by: S Code Date; pre-War Numeral Date: 36, 1936, 1937, 1938; or Wartime Date: 1940,1941, 1942, 1943, 1944. These Lugers are found in one continuous serial range of 1 to 12000. A very few G dates are reported.

(Note: large date 1941, 1944 dates in the 13000 serial range, and1945 dates are controversial. Also, 1936 and 1937 dates are reported made from Mauser lugers. I have examined one of these and can verify that it was made from a Mauser as the stock lug hole was Mauser and remnants of the Mauser markings remained.
Also, on page 175 of Gibson’s KRIEGHOFF PARABELLUM a 1940 Krieghoff serial number 11278 is pictured. This Luger was refinished and the date changed to 1941 and is shown on page 179 as a very rare1941 large date. Both guns have the same serial number. Use caution when buying Krieghoff Lugers! )


Figure 1. 1937 dated Krieghoff, serial number 9603. About 2,550 1937 dated Krieghoffs were produced in the serial range 7300 to 10000. The only external serial numbers on 1937 Krieghoff’s are found on the left receiver, front frame, and bottom of barrel. The only external proofs are found on the right receiver, right frame and right side and bottom of barrel. Almost all of the other parts have acceptance stamps and serial numbers on their hidden inside surfaces.



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[Jan C Still]

Figure 2. 1937 dated Krieghoff, serial number 9603. Showing bottom of barrel and front of frame. The gauge is double stamped and along the long axis of the barrel forward of the proof.



Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

Figure 3. 1937 dated Krieghoff, serial number 9603. Showing the distinctive Luftwaffe right receiver and barrel proofs and acceptance stamps. (See page 260 to261 of THIRD REICH LUGERS for more details.)



Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

Figure 4. 1937 dated Krieghoff, serial number 9603, with its black Luftwaffe stamped holster. This holster is unmarked except for the Luftwaffe stamp. Luftwaffe marked holsters are very scarce. Gibson(1980) page 141 reports that almost all Luftwaffe marked holsters are H. EGER & LINDE marked and dated 1936, 1937, 1939 and 1940 and Eagle/2 accepted or unmarked except for the Eagle/2 acceptance stamp. Many of these holsters are black.


Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

Figure 5. Luftwaffe holster showing the location of the Luftwaffe acceptance stamp, tool pouch, and Luftwaffe accepted tool.



Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

Figure 6. Luftwaffe Eagle/2 holster acceptance stamp.



Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

Figure 7. Luftwaffe Eagle/2 stamped loading tool.

Jan C Still
Site Owner - Operator


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[Jan C Still]

LUFTWAFFE LUGER AND HOLSTER PROCUREMENT AND ISSUE. BLACK AND BROWN HOLSTERS; AND LUFTWAFFE AND ARMY ACCEPTED HOLSTERS; ARE PROPER WITH KRIEGHOFF LUGERS. (updated 04-29-05)

In the years 1939 through1942 German archive records indicate the Luftwaffe procured 133,251 Lugers from Mauser (About 30, 000 per year.). The 1935 to 1937 records are not available. From 1935 to 1942 the Luftwaffe procured 11,500 Lugers from Krieghoff. Gibson stated on page 141 "It was unlikely that H. Krieghoff Waffenfabrik provided any accessories (holsters and tools) with the Lugers which they supplied to the Luftwaffe.”

Between 1935 and 1942 at least 133,251 Mauser Lugers and 11,500 Krieghoff Lugers were delivered to the Luftwaffe. Certainly an equal number of holsters were also delivered separate from the Lugers. As the Luftwaffe marked holsters are very rare, it is probable the overwhelming number of holsters delivered to the Luftwaffe were Army accepted. Lugers and holsters were mated at the Luftwaffe distributing/issuing office. It is almost certain that Army accepted holsters were mated to Krieghoff Lugers and Luftwaffe accepted holsters were mated to Mauser Lugers. As the overwhelming number of holsters delivered to the Luftwaffe were Army accepted and relatively so few Krieghoff Lugers were delivered; statistically, it stands to reason that most of the Krieghoff Lugers were mated to Army accepted holsters and issued that way.

According to Gibson (1980, p141) the Luftwaffe accepted holsters were predominantly black (“Some of the 1936 dated examples are brown while others are black. All the 1937 and 1939 holsters are black.....These 1939 and 1940 dated examples are black in color......A few holsters (1937 dated) of the same configuration except brown in color....A number of black military configuration holsters with the LWaA 2nd acceptance stamp and no makers mark or date”) As Gibson observed mostly black Luftwaffe accepted holsters, perhaps the Luftwaffe also procured mostly black Army accepted holsters. (Whittington, Volume III, 1990, Page 9, Indicates that Luftwaffe Officers used brown holsters. NCOs and airmen were issued black holsters and brown holsters holsters.)

John (Huggiebear) and Gibson report that they have observed mostly black holsters with Krieghoff Lugers. Why the disparity between Gibson’s and Johns observations of mostly black holsters associated with Krieghoff Lugers and more recent observations by some collectors of mostly brown holsters mated with Krieghoff Lugers? I would suggest that many of the Krieghoff rigs seen today have been put together by collectors. As the brown holsters are considered to be more attractive by collectors, over the years these have been placed with the usually excellent+ to mint condition expensive Krieghoffs.

Based on all the information and observations listed above, I would suggest that Luftwaffe Krieghoffs were issued in both black and brown holsters(both Army and Luftwaffe marked). While I prefer the brown holsters as being more photographic and pretty, its my opinion that more Luftwaffe Krieghoffs were issued in black holsters than brown holsters.(based on observations)

The manufacture date of the undated and un-hallmarked Luftwaffe accepted black holster shown with the1937 dated Krieghoff above, can only be estimated (its undated). I have observed one such holster with a 1943 dated Krieghoff and late krieghoff tool that was reported to be as issued. While such observations might give some indication as to the manufacturing date of such holsters, it is not always reliable and not absolute.

Until more definitive data is established, I will keep the 1937 dated Krieghoff and the black undated Luftwaffe accepted holster together. Both are shown above.
Jan

 

[cpw]

Thank you for the detail.

 

[lugerlou]

Jan
The very first Luger I purchased many moons ago came with a Eagle/2 proofed holster, this holster is stamped by Albin Eger Schmalkalden is undated and is black,the Luger inside was a 1918 Erfurt.As this was the first Luger owned I did not know untill years later that the holster was for the Luftwaffe, the Eagle /2 is the same stamp as the one in your post and identical location inside of flap, no tool came in pouch. Hope info helps as to the manufactures stamp. Jim