[Mark]

The Sauer LZ Pistols were used for night-time patrol guards of Hitler's RSD (Reichssicherheitsdienst) unit. (Reich security service)

This is my example I finally got from a friend in Louisville recently. Also posted a photo of the light attachment that was originally on the guns.

Mark

 

[nieuport]

I am speechless. That is an amazing acquisition - congratulations ! Thanks for as many pictures as you can stand to give.
Edit: do you own the light assembly as well?

 

[Hessian]

I was fortunate to be able to examine an example with lamp at the Oregon Military Museum. I highly recommend a visit when in the Portland area.

 

[mouser]

Do they let you handle it at he museum?
Mark:
Great addition to the collection!
Probably the rarest Sauer 38 variation.(May be except for the 9mm K models)

 

[Hessian]

Yes, I knew the curator at the time.

 

[roy666]

The Sauer LZ Pistols were used for night-time patrol guards of Hitler's RSD (Reichssicherheitsdienst) unit. (Reich security service)....................Mark

Love that research....

 

[Artguy]

Awesome acquisition, Congratulations!

 

[klaus 3338]

Congratulation and thanks for sharinf

 

[nieuport]

I know a little of the history of these devices. While of course the J.P. Sauer and Sohn Modell 38/h pistols themselves were produced in Suhl, it is written that 250 of these leuchtzielpistolen "LZP" (light aiming pistols, think pistol with IR laser sights) were built in 1939 on behalf of SS-Obergruppenführer Heydrich and the Führerschutzkommando and various special police units were equipped with them. Toward the end of the war (if not always) they were produced by "Group II C 1 laboratory" of the Forensic Institute of the Security Police ("KTI") in Warsaw and stored at, and distributed from, KTI "Group II C 4 weapons depot" in Rauscha, Lower Silesian (today Ruszów in Poland). Peter Hoffmann in his book "Hitler's Personal Security" describes these devices in 1941/1942 being carried by RSD guards on night duty patrolling the Wolf's Lair ("Wolfschanze" was Hitler's WWII Eastern Front military headquarters in "Görlitz in Ostpreußen" (Gierłoż) Poland). It is written elsewhere that in 1944 Group II C 4 weapons depot also held LZP's for dispatch to the Einsatzkommandos.

 

[roy666]

I know a little of the history of these devices. While of course the J.P. Sauer and Sohn Modell 38/h pistols themselves were produced in Suhl, it is written that 250 of these leuchtzielpistolen "LZP" (light aiming pistols, think pistol with IR laser sights) were built in 1939 on behalf of SS-Obergruppenführer Heydrich and the Führerschutzkommando and various special police units were equipped with them. Toward the end of the war (if not always) they were produced by "Group II C 1 laboratory" of the Forensic Institute of the Security Police ("KTI") in Warsaw and stored at, and distributed from, KTI "Group II C 4 weapons depot" in Rauscha, Lower Silesian (today Ruszów in Poland). Peter Hoffmann in his book "Hitler's Personal Security" describes these devices in 1941/1942 being carried by RSD guards on night duty patrolling the Wolf's Lair ("Wolfschanze" was Hitler's WWII Eastern Front military headquarters in "Görlitz in Ostpreußen" (Gierłoż) Poland). It is written elsewhere that in 1944 Group II C 4 weapons depot also held LZP's for dispatch to the Einsatzkommandos.

Actually, Hoffmann's book published in English in 1979 describes the weapons as"..(armed with a 7,65mm pistol, at night with tracer-ammunition pistol and flashlight)..". An earlier German edition published in 1975 mentioned by Hoffmann in the Forward to the later English edition specifically mentions "Leuchtzielpistole 7,65mm", though Hoffmann writes that the English version was written before the German one. So it is a bit confusing, given translation difficulties sometimes found in English/German historical works. Accessing the documentation from Bundesarchives that Hoffmann used, I found a list pistols issued which Jim Cate used in one of his Sauer books that included the several Sauer pistols in the 260000 range listed only as LP. Jim correlated these numbers with known Sauer Leuchtzielpistolen.