Looking for Info on Family Heirloom

1st Division he would have supported my Great Grandfather in the same areas. My Great Grandfather was 1st Infantry Division , 2nd Brigade , 26th Infantry Regiment (Various companies) but his service time lines up the same as far as engagements etc. (Link to video on the 2nd Field Signal Bat. HD Stock Video Footage - Troops of the 2nd Field Signal Battalion, 1st Division, AEF, train at Gondrecourt, France, in World War I

The pistol: on first look a numbers matching Erfurt 1918 4" barrel. Toggle, extractor , side plate, ejector and take down lever all match . Wooden bottom magazine period correct. Does it have the same serial number on it ?

PolishX said:

1st Division he would have supported my Great Grandfather in the same areas. My Great Grandfather was 1st Infantry Division , 2nd Brigade , 26th Infantry Regiment (Various companies) but his service time lines up the same as far as engagements etc. (Link to video on the 2nd Field Signal Bat. HD Stock Video Footage - Troops of the 2nd Field Signal Battalion, 1st Division, AEF, train at Gondrecourt, France, in World War I

The pistol: on first look a numbers matching Erfurt 1918 4" barrel. Toggle, extractor , side plate, ejector and take down lever all match . Wooden bottom magazine period correct. Does it have the same serial number on it ?

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Thanks for the info and the link.

Yes all the serial numbers that we can see without field stripping it appear to match. The pistol appears in good shape for its age.

As far as I know, nobody has fired it in over 100 years. My uncle was meticulous with my great grandfathers things, esp the WWI stuff. My uncle has a ton of cool stuff from his time in the USAF when he served as an instructor in the newly formed West German Airforce in the 1950s. He as a LT in his early 20s was training former Luftwaffe aces with hundreds of combat sorties. He said it was surreal.

We are still going through everyhing and when I get a chance I will look for the diary entry of exactly where and what circumstances it was picked up. The story I have been told by my uncle was it was picked up by my great grandfather after a battle.

I will upload more photos when the dust settles a little bit and I have opportunity to dig deeper.

I have a great book on the unit my great grandfather was in that might give you a more detailed break down of the engagements etc. Your family member would have been in that area alot. Yeah people forget the Luftwaffe in the 50's and 60's was all WW2 vets with lots of Eastern front combat sorties.

You really don't need gloves to do the disassembly of your Erfurt P.08. Here's a good short video on the process.


You have a great heirloom, enjoy!

G2

Whooooooaaaa! That is one sexy 1918 Erfurt!

Just an FYI, see the FAQ, it talks about some do's and don'ts.
But, when you take off the grips they can 'stick' so, have magazine out, take off screws and gently push from inside while prying gently with your fingernail.
I have to admit I seldom use gloves, but wipe down with a lightly oiled cloth afterwards

Ed

Pnwcatdaddy69 said:

Here is the holster. It has an extra magazine. View attachment 712430

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Very nice heirloom, my Dad was in WW2, brought back a 1910 DWM Luger.
mji1198.

Welcome to the Luger Forums !

Thanks for sharing your great-grandfather's collection !
The bring back documentation is always interesting and personal.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of that Erfurt luger, the magazines and the holster.
Your photos are good, too!

nice luger, and I love that brown color on the holster!

You need to clean the verdigris off the mag tube bodies. Maybe with 0000 steel wool with some ballistol or gun oil......use light pressure.

Two matching mags? You hit the jackpot, rare to have one matching, super rare to have both.

Hoppe's No 9 and a toothbrush will do the trick.

G2

Pistol said:

You need to clean the verdigris off the mag tube bodies. Maybe with 0000 steel wool with some ballistol or gun oil......use light pressure.

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Pistol said:

You need to clean the verdigris off the mag tube bodies. Maybe with 0000 steel wool with some ballistol or gun oil......use light pressure.

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No! Erfurt magazines have a faint yellowish tinge to them; steel wool WILL remove that yellow tinge. A little elbow grease and a small bit of Hoppes will do. The verdigris came from storing the magazines in the leather holster. (Don’t store your pistol inside the holster either.

Bill_in_VA said:

No! Erfurt magazines have a faint yellowish tinge to them; steel wool WILL remove that yellow tinge. A little elbow grease and a small bit of Hoppes will do. The verdigris came from storing the magazines in the leather holster. (Don’t store your pistol inside the holster either.

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Real good point. So, he needs to address the verdigris in the most gingerly way possible as not to remove the yellowish tint or what is left of it .....already looks gray in the bad areas.......I would use the ballistol to clean the wood bottoms. I can see the Erfurt proofs faintly on them both. Nice rig.

Please only use the steel wool as a very last resort. Personally, I would never go that far, as soaking, a little elbow grease and patience are usually enough. The verdigris is corrosion, it is not patina and needs to be removed. If it's on the magazine, it's likely in the weapon and leather, if stored in those places.

Congratulations on being the next custodian of your family's history!

KK

That's an amazing heirloom. I hope it remains in the family forever and treasured by each succeeding generation.