2247

FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION, IMPERIAL GERMAN ERFURT

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION, IMPERIAL GERMAN ERFURT
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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2026 Aug 06 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
ARSENAL "1911" DATE P.08 LUGER SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL. Cal. 9mm Luger. S# 2967. Bbl. 3 15/16". P.08 Luger semi-automatic pistol mfg. at the Erfurt arsenal in 1911, the first year of standard production. The bbl. extension is marked with the year of mfg. "1911" over the top of the chamber, with 2 Erfurt arsenal inspector proofs marked on the right, followed by an Imperial German reichsadler (reichsadler repeated on right side of bbl. and left side of breechblock). Toggle is marked with a crown above "ERFURT". Front grip strap is imperially unit marked "177.R.", followed by an X'd out "12.T.S.1.143.", appearing to indicate issue to the 177th Infantry Regiment, formerly by the 12th Sanitation Company. Small parts exhibit various Erfurt inspector proofs, including the Crown/RC Revision Commission proof, as is standard for Erfurt production. Right side of the frame exhibits a small circular incision and arsenal proof, indicating that this example was returned to the arsenal and retrofitted with a hold-open latch. Metal components exhibit an apparent arsenal reapplied blue finish overall, possibly applied at the time of installation of the hold-open latch. Takedown lever, trigger, mag. release button, safety lever, and ejector exhibit a straw finish, with the mag. release spring and grip screws exhibiting a nitre blue finish. Frame is mounted with 2-piece checkered wood grips. Standard dovetailed blade front sight and fixed V-notch rear sight. Frame was mfg. without a stock lug. Nearly all serialized parts are matching and include the frame, takedown lever, sideplate, trigger, safety lever & bar, hold-open latch, bbl., bbl. extension, trigger bar, breechblock, extractor, firing pin (extremely faint, poorly stamped), as well as the toggles. Grips are mismatched, but match each other via "64", and are imperially proofed. MAGS: x1 non-matching plated 8-rd. with imperially proofed wood plug. CONDITION: metal components retain the majority of their period arsenal blue finish, exhibiting areas of wear and thinning that are fading to gray and brown patinas (most notably on the bbl.), some scattered superficial handling marks, as well as some scattered spots of light pitting. Strawed parts retain the majority of their likely reheated finish, exhibiting some light wear and thinning and some scattered spots of age related discoloration. Takedown lever exhibits a small spot of pitting. Bore exhibits consistent mild pitting and some scattered small spots of darker pitting, while retaining good, albeit worn rifling throughout. Proper manual mechanics. Grips show light smoothing and some superficial handling marks, but otherwise remain sound. With only 50 pre-production P.08s mfg. by Erfurt in 1910, 1911 was the smallest year of P.08 production at the Erfurt arsenal (aside from 1915, where inexplicably no P.08s were produced), totaling just 10,000 P.08s making this a nice example of a rare first year of production Erfurt P.08. PROVENANCE: The Estate Collection of John Eckert. (26-1183/MLW). CURIO. $1,000-2,000.