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Norwegian lugers? I can hear you ask.
Well, let's set the record straight. Norway did not produce any luger pistol.
But what makes the Norwegian story interesting is the way they reorganized their army after their liberation in 1945. Like many other European countries, Norway found herself the owner of a German legacy. Stockpiles of guns, equipment and ammuntion were left behind by the defeated Germans.
Most countries started to destroy, dump at sea or sell the remaining stocks of German supplies, many of which eventually turned up on the international commercial market through the purchasing efforts of companies like Interarms.
Norway, however, followed a different path. They received allied/US military equipment through the Marshall Aid Program and created an interesting mix of former allied and axis material that proved to be very effective. Classic German guns, like the MP40, P08, P38 and MG42, were combined with US field gear. Norwegian ordnance companies even reproduced spare parts and ammunition and following the creation of NATO and Norwegian membership, the P08 began it's second life as a NATO registered side arm.
The German P08 holsters were modified so they could be attached to US web belts and used by the Norwegian armed forces, creating an interesting variation of the P08 holster we were familiar with.
Shown is a P08 holster of WW1 vintage, produced in 1916. It was transported to Norway by the Germans, taken up in the Norwegian army supplies and modified for web belt carry.
Well, let's set the record straight. Norway did not produce any luger pistol.
But what makes the Norwegian story interesting is the way they reorganized their army after their liberation in 1945. Like many other European countries, Norway found herself the owner of a German legacy. Stockpiles of guns, equipment and ammuntion were left behind by the defeated Germans.
Most countries started to destroy, dump at sea or sell the remaining stocks of German supplies, many of which eventually turned up on the international commercial market through the purchasing efforts of companies like Interarms.
Norway, however, followed a different path. They received allied/US military equipment through the Marshall Aid Program and created an interesting mix of former allied and axis material that proved to be very effective. Classic German guns, like the MP40, P08, P38 and MG42, were combined with US field gear. Norwegian ordnance companies even reproduced spare parts and ammunition and following the creation of NATO and Norwegian membership, the P08 began it's second life as a NATO registered side arm.
The German P08 holsters were modified so they could be attached to US web belts and used by the Norwegian armed forces, creating an interesting variation of the P08 holster we were familiar with.
Shown is a P08 holster of WW1 vintage, produced in 1916. It was transported to Norway by the Germans, taken up in the Norwegian army supplies and modified for web belt carry.
