[Jan C Still]

THREE 1940 DATED GERMAN ARMY LUGERS
During 1940 the German Blitzkrieg was on the move, rolling over Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium and France. The police forces were expanding to police the occupied nations and the Armed forces were expanding to meet Hitler’s plans to invade England and to conquer the rest of Europe. The demand for handguns was ever increasing.




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The three illustrated 1940 dated Lugers shown above were manufactured to meet the demands of the expanding German Army and Police. The 1940 42 code (bottom)is the most common World War II Luger while the 1940 Dutch Banner (top)and the 1940 Banner Army (middle) are the rarest. The 1940 42 code and 1940 Dutch Banner were issued to the expanding German army . The issue of the 1940 Banner Army, army or police, is controversial.


1940 42 CODE GERMAN ARMY
During 1940 Mauser produced approximately 135,700 Lugers in the 7700z to 7000n serial range for the German military. These bear a 1940 date, 42 code, E/655 acceptance stamps, and the late Army Test proof. Approximately 102,700 went to the German Army, 30,000 went to the Luftwaffe, and 3,000 went to the Kreigsmarine.


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Figure 1. Left slant view. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Note the exposed style of serial number placement.




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Figure 2. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Top.


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Figure 3. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Right side.




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Figure 4. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Right receiver and barrel, showing late test proof and E/655 E/655 acceptance stamps. Note: the test proof is larger on the frame than on the barrel.




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Figure 5. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h, showing the serial number on the frame and barrel. Note: the lack of halo on the barrel serial number digits. This is typical of almost all blued Mauser Lugers.




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Figure 6. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Matched Type 3 blued extruded magazine(122 and E/37 stamped on left side).


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Figure 7. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h. Inside of unnumbered grips.


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Figure 8. 1940 dated, 42 code Luger, serial number 3369h with 1939 dated holster, E/655 tool and extra magazine.


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Figure 9. Holster stamp, FROST & JAHNEL / BRESLAU / 1940 / E/WaA182

 

[Jan C Still]

LUGER WITH A HISTORY, 1940 DUTCH, SERIAL NUMBER 3182

In February 1940, the Dutch Navy placed an order with the Mauser Factory, in Germany, for 1000 Lugers. These were to be delivered during October, 1940. By February 1940 Germany had rolled over Poland, was about to overwhelm Denmark and Norway and would attack Holland, Belgium and France on May 10.

According to Mauser records (August Weiss diary) 600 of the 1940 dated Dutch Lugers were diverted to the German military.

These Lugers are found in the 2655v to 3254v serial range*, all are dated 1940 and have the “RUST” safety marking.. They have a rust blued frame, and receiver; A salt blued barrel and strawed small parts. The lowest in the serial range are Crown/U proofed on the left receiver, breech block, and barrel band and have two E/655 German Army acceptance stamps on the right receiver (see serial number 2980v, on page 184, Third Reich Lugers). The higher in the serial range bear the German Army test proof on the right receiver, barrel, and left breechblock and have the double E/655 acceptance stamps on the right receiver (shown here in). Munice reports that matching magazines are blued with a crimped tube and bear the serial number and “v” letter suffix on the base.

*(According to Martens (1994, Dutch Lugers), two 1940 dated Dutch Lugers bearing full German proofs, serial numbers 7218v and 9660, are reported outside of the above serial range.)

The Dutch Banner Army shown here in, serial number 3182v, has the German Army test proof on the right receiver, barrel and breech block (no Crown/U), two E/655 acceptance stamps on the right receiver and a barrel gauge on the barrel.




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Figure 1. The 1940 Dutch Luger shown (serial number 3182v) was likely in the assembly process at Mauser when the May 10, 1940 Blitzkrieg was launched against Holland. It was diverted to the German Military and received full German test proofs and acceptance stamps. It has a rust blued frame, receiver, and side plate. The barrel is salt blued and the small parts are strawed.



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Figure 2. Left side showing the Dutch “RUST” safety marking.




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Figure 3. 1940 Dutch-Banner-Luger, serial number 3182v. Top.


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Figure 4. 1940 Dutch-Banner-Luger, serial number 3182v. Right side.


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Figure 5. Right receiver and barrel showing the German double E/655 acceptance stamps and test proof on the receiver and test proof on the barrel. The first E/655 is to indicate acceptance of the component parts and the second to indicate final acceptance of the complete pistol (Martens, the Dutch Luger, 1994).




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Figure 6. Bottom of barrel and front of frame showing 3182v serial number and 8,81 barrel gauge.


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Figure 7. 1940 Dutch-Banner-Luger, serial number 3182v. Inside of unnumbered grips..




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Figure 8. 1940 Dutch-Banner-Luger, serial number 3182v. Proper crimped blued tube magazine E/655 accepted.


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Figure 9. 1940 Dutch-Banner-Luger, serial number 3182v with 1940 dated holster, E/655 tool and extra magazine.


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Figure 10. Holster stamp, CXX--------------SKY / WEIN E/WaA47 1940.

 

[Jan C Still]

MAUSER BANNER ARMY
A few 1939 and 1940 dated Banner Lugers bear double Eagle 655 stamps on the right receiver. These also bear an E/N commercial proof on the left breech block, left receiver and end of sight block, and a hole for a sear safety rivet drilled at the factory prior to bluing.. When I completed Third Reich Lugers in 1988, 17 of these were reported in the 772x to 1693x serial range. These are found in the “x” suffix banner serial range (see Third Reich Lugers page 139).
Note: a data base of Mauser Banner Army Lugers that contained bogus information was presented on the pre hacked Forum: “RE: 655 Banners. I have 36 recorded. 21 1939 dates 3 reported with a sear safety. 15 1940 dates with 10 reported with sear safties.” This bogus information was refuted by known examples in collections. In the final analysis it was determined that there were only about four are dated 1939 and none had been examined or reported with a sear safety.

The 1939 Banner Army’s may represent out of sequence production. The E/N was not available until 1940. They were likely assembled during 1940 when the E/N was available.

Several of these Lugers have matching magazines numbered 1 and 2 in the police style (see page 351 Axis Pistols). This suggests that some of these Mauser Banner Army Lugers were routed to the police*. However, rigs returned intact from World War II are reported in Army holsters. Also, the second E/655 indicates final army acceptance of the complete pistol. The final issue of these Lugers to the military or police remains controversial.

*( “It appears that at least a portion of the Army E/655 stamped Banner Lugers went to the German police.” page 351 of Axis Pistols1986/1989)


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Figure 1. 1940 Mauser banner, serial number 1220x, bearing two E/655 Army acceptance stamps, E/N commercial proofs and factory drilled for a sear safety rivet (sear safety not installed). The E/N proofs are on the left receiver, breech block, and front of barrel. It bears military (exposed) style serial number placement. This one bears brown Krieghoff style grips (a very few of these do.).





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Figure 2. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x. Top. The sear safety rivet hole was drilled at the factory prior to final bluing ( It is blued on the inside.).


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Figure 3. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x. Right side.





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Figure 4. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x. Right receiver and barrel, showing the E/655 E/655 acceptance stamps (Typically these are partly washed out.). The first E/655 is to indicate acceptance of the component parts and the second to indicate final acceptance of the complete pistol. (This Luger bears E/N commercial proofs not German Army test proofs.)





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Figure 5. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x. Serial number on the frame and barrel. Note the lack of halo on the barrel serial number digits. This is typical of almost all blued Mauser Lugers.





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Figure 6. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x. Inside of plastic grips. Brown plastic grips are reported on another 1940 dated Mauser Army Banner. These are the same type grips found on 1936 to1938 dated Krieghoff Lugers and might suggest a connection to the Luftwaffe. However, the most likely explanation is that Mauser simply purchased the grips from the same plant as Krieghoff.





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Figure 7. Mauser Banner Army, serial number 1220x, with 1939 dated holster, E/655 tool and extra magazine. This is the exact rig that I bought over 20 years ago. Reportedly this rig was a direct vet purchase.


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Figure 8. Open 1939 dated holster showing E/655 tool and extra 122 E/37 extruded magazine.


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Figure 9. Holster stamp: maker, 1939 date, and E/WaA286.

 

[roid]

Mauser Banner 1940 with Dutch Safety German Military Proofs E/655
Serial # 7218 v
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[paradox998]

Great research. Thanks for posting this.