[lugercollector]

I just finished a really interesting long telephone conversation(2 hours) with a German Veteran(85 Years old) who served on the Russian front with the 519th Panzer Jager Heavy Tank group......he told me some really gripping stories of his experiences!!!.....besides that, he has 2 Lugers for sale.....the one I need some information on is marked "JAP"on the chamber...it is a 1940-42 code and he claims that in the 1971 Comprehensive Catalogue of Firearms there is reference made to these guns...5-800 of them having been sent to Japan by Germany during WW2???....I have never heard of this before and tend towards scepticism on this deal....I will work on getting the gun and will post pictures should it work out....has anyone any information on this subject??....Thanks...

 

[Heinz]

My understanding is that the Japanese have always considered the term "Jap" extremely derrogatory, dating to even before WWII.

 

[Jan C Still]

Peter
Assuiming "JAP" signifies Imperial crest!
A 1940 42 code, serial number 1578d, with the Japanese Imperial crest (mum) over the chamber and Japanese characters along the barrel is shown on page 74 of Third Reich Lugers. These Lugers are considered fakes by almost all collectors for a variety of reasons(The Imperial crest was never stamped on a pistol and the inscription is not consistent with the P08). I would be very interested in the details of this Lugers including the source.
Jan

 

[Edward Tinker]

Peter, pure speculation, but as Heinz said, the term "Jap" would not have been placed there by Japanese? It is likely it was added by a GI or importer later, but pictures can explain many things.

Ed

 

[lugercollector]

Jan....My curiosity also is aroused.....it would seem highly unlikely that this is factory produced!!!...I will post pictures and information as this develops(if indeed it does!!)...I also asked him where he got the gun from and was told that he bought it from an RCMP officer...

 

[lugercollector]

Here is the latest on that JAP Luger.....I am only reporting what has been offered to me..I do not know what to make of it except that it would seem highly unlikely that it is original.....the Guns and Ammo pages came with a photo of the top of the Gun......I will probaly purchase the gun if the price falls in to the shooter/low end collector range.....I would like to see "up close" the marks....perhaps it was an attempt to "boost" a Luger way back then??....

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[Jan C Still]

Peter
Who is the source of the Luger listing in the 1971 Guns and Ammo?
Jan

 

[lugercollector]

Hi Jan.....I do not know....I will ask him tomorrow if he has the complete listing and if there is an author....

 

[Jan C Still]

Peter
The format of the above luger table is identical to one in the 1972 Guns and Ammo Annual attributed to Ralph Shattuck. In this table the "JAP" Luger is not listed.
Jan

 

[Guest_V]

... if genuine, "JAP" could be the abbreviated form of ANY of the MANY NS sub-organisations of that period. Happy hunting!

Patrick

 

[keoki7]

I think Patrick is correct. The "JAP" has nothing to do with Japan or the Japanese but may be some type of German organization abbreviation.

 

[lugercollector]

Thank you for the replies Gentlemen...If I get the gun I will post more photos....I do not know what to make of it!!

 

[lugercollector]

I called Ralph Shattuck requesting information on that 1940-42 "JAP" reference in the above listing....he said it was a reference to the Chrysanthemum marked Lugers that were in fact bogus........this gun then would appear to be a total fake.....somebody trying to create a rare Luger....it is certainly rare!!!...one of a kind....someone was being "creative"....