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luger spy book?

1492 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Edward Tinker, 
J
I am looking for info on a book I saw referenced in a thread here from Sam Costanzo on lugers issued to WWI spies in the U.S. Is it still available?
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P
Hi JD,

I think you are looking for Sam Costanzo's first book...a small one about the serial numbers of lugers Hans Tauscher sold here in the USA prior to Hans being deported. Sam speculated all of these lugers were sold to German spies working in the USA...not sure if that theory has held up or not.

I thought the theory was odd...if the Germans had placed American looking and speaking spies in the USA, why draw attention to them by issuing them German lugers...some S&W pistol or a Colt M1911 semi-auto would have made the subterfuge more authentic and less attention-getting...IMHO.

I bought mine directly from Sam last year. If you need Sam's email address, send me a private email and I will send it to you.
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Edward Tinker
Pete, if Sam has more, I would be proud to buy one from him also. Although I do not think the "spy" theory holds up well for me, but, I do think that getting the serial numbers and reading the theory would be interesting.

Ed
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K
I think the spy theory is a tremendous crock. Much like the SS issued black widows. Most of the WWI period German espionage agents in the US were well known and tracked down and put out of business by the federal government either before we entered the war or soon after. The US was crawling with german speaking immigrants first, second and third generation who were wrongly accused of treachery and isolated. As a matter of fact the plurality of the US population during most of the twentieth century were ethnic Germans. They weren't spies.
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J
Pete, thanks for the lead.
ED, I agree with you, about being good reading. Thats why I want the book. George, I am not well informed on the spy luger story to say any different. What you say does make sense,if there is not any solid proof, nothing more than a theory. John
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P
Hi JD,

Just sent you a private email with Sam's contact info. It is a year or so old...hope it is still valid.

Nice thing about this little book...you might find an AE in your collection that is recorded in the Hans Taucher records and sales documentation...

I also imagine this first bit of research by Sam "whet his whistle" for the tremendous amount of research he must have done for his bigger book. Although some parts of his bigger work are now dated and some areas found to be dead wrong, I admire a collector that was so charged-up about lugers and markings to attempt such a large work of research and book publishing...

In our modern day of Internet,WEB, high-speed PC's, and even cellular phones and WiFi at gun shows...I cannot imagine doing the research Sam must have done in person at gun shows and at collector's homes, on the telephone, and even by snail-mail...during his years of diligent research. I have never met the man, but I am in AWE...and am defintely "not worthy"...as Wayne & Garth would say...
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Edward Tinker
quote:Originally posted by keoki7

I think the spy theory is a tremendous crock. Much like the SS issued black widows. .......they weren't spies.
Click to expand...
I agree, one story my Grandfather told me was that a linch mob came to take care of my first generation german Great-Grandfather. He was a preacher and was able to talk them into having some sense. I bet other german speaking folks did not have the same speaking abilities.

Ed
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Heinz
They came to get my grandfather too, but that was across a field in Flanders.
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Edward Tinker
never a bad thing when you are fighting for your country...
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