I am a WWI, WWII, Cold War era and military firearm collector. I have a good number of rifles but eventually I got more into the higher end rare and pristine handguns from the above mentioned eras. I would love to see some of other people’s collection. I will start with one of the prizes of my collection and my latest acquisition…
Picked up one of the most expensive handguns that I have ever paid for. This is a completely pristine and matching BYF (Mauser) P08 Luger from 1941. It has the proper flawless Karl Boker Waldbrohl holster with the proper 655 proofed loading tool.
This Luger was brought out of Germany in 1998 by the well known Luger collector and dealer Doug Smith. He kept it in his collection until his health turned bad and he had to start selling his collection. Doug went to Germany and bought this Luger directly from an Officer’s family that was killed on the Russian Front during WWII. This P08 Luger was sent home to the Officer’s family intact with the Officer’s effects. The entire package looks like it was just made. It still has the two original FXO mags that are serial numbered to the Luger.
I was also able to pick up another Decommissioned USMC M45A1 that was also made in 2013 and decommissioned in 2017 when Colt sent replacements M45A1 under warranty with the newer Ion- bond finish.
This is another one of my latest finds. I picked up a 1917 DWM Artillery Luger LP08 with matching stock and holster. It has the rare “Red 9” grips from it being branded at unit level since it was made in 9mm and not 30 Luger. The red 9 was only supposed to be done to the 1917 C96 Broomhandle Mauser newly made in 9mm to keep from confusing ammo on the front line between 30 Luger and 9mm. Some Units mistook the order to mean all new 9mm LP08 Artillery Lugers also. The mandate stated that a 9 to be branded into the grips and then painted in red. Some units painted the 9 red and others left them just as they were after branding. The last pic is of a C96 Broomhandle Mauser from 1917 with the “Red 9” grips.
The overwhelming majority of Red 9 branded grips were on 1917 Broomhandle Mausers and 1917 Artillery Lugers. You may find the Red 9 grips on other Lugers but most of them are faked and not original. The Broomhandle Mauser and the Artillery Lugers were both used by Artillery crews to protect their Artillery emplacement if attacked. This is the reason why you find Red 9 grips on 1917 LP08 Artillery Lugers and not the regular P08 Lugers.
Another beautiful old girl im my collection is a WWII Issued 1911A1 GI bring back Remington- Rand from 1944. After WWII it was hand engraved by a German Master craftsman during the martial occupation of Germany.
During the martial occupation of Germany work and money for the German population was hard to come by. It was especially hard for the skilled German craftsman such as jewelers and gunsmiths. The only disposable income available at that time was from the soldiers enforcing the martial law. Soldiers often enlisted craftsman to make things for them because the price was so cheap at the time.
This Remington- Rand is an example from a German engraver. It is fully engraved. This engraving was done sometime after May 7 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered. Pretty awesome piece of American and German history. It has the correct Enger- Kress 1944 US issued shoulder holster.
I will do one more today just to get the interest level going. This is a Swiss Military 1906/29 pattern Luger pistol made by Waffenfabrik Bern in 1945. There were less than 28k total made from 1933 to 1946 for the Swiss Military. This Luger has the Swiss cross stamped on its parts and has the Swiss Cross & Shield coat of arms on the toggle. I got it with the original Swiss stamped military holster with shoulder strap. It is another very nice item from WWII.
Your collection is incredible. I would love to have just one of these usmc45a1’s that you have. Granted i’d love to have the rest, but the MC45’s i’ve wanted since they came out for my 1911 collection. I dont have any wartime pistols other than a ssimple nagant revolver and a CMP 1911 from the first round about 3 years ago that came into the country. I was lucky to get picked on that lottery and chosen to buy one. Its a remington rand slide colt framed usgi 1911. The Nagant Revolver is a everyday run of the mill import that had been floating around back around 2008 or so. I shoulda bought more than one when they were all 70.00, but i didnt. oh well.
the lugers you have are amazing, and that 1911 thats engraved is beautiful. I cant imagine how much your pistols alone are worth. very nice.. i look forward to seeing more.
Well Steve thank you for the compliment. I will post this one for you. The 1911 was officially adopted by our Military on March 29, 1911. The first 1911’s made under military contract weren’t actually delivered to our Military until sometime in 1912.
How about a beautiful all original matching Colt 1911 from January 1913. This 1911 was made and delivered to our Military at the end of the first full year of Military production. It only has a little honest holster wear which you expect to see on a Military firearm. It has a few small surface scratches on it but for a military issued weapon that is 108 years old it is in excellent condition. It still has the original military issued 1913 Boyt holster with it. This old girl truly is a piece of military history.
To finish the story this old girl was made exactly 100 years before the two M45A1 were in 2013. So I have one of the first 1911 ever issued to our Military. I have two of the last that will ever be issued to our Military. Combined they were made exactly 100 years apart.
that is amazing, and a beautiful piece, im amazed at its condition. you certainly do have some beautiful historical pieces there. i assume you’ve never fired any of these, as i would not due to their historical nature.
Actually I have shot all of my 1911’s. The 1911 is a hearty platform. If you look hard enough you can still find origional USGI factory parts if need be. I don’t shoot my Lugers. All my Lugers are matching numbers and collectors items. I need to buy a parts P08 in 9mm and 30 Luger so I could shoot those without fear of killing my investment.
On the Lugers every part is serial numbered to that Luger. Lugers were hand fitted and assembled. Parts don’t interchange between Lugers unless fitted to a particular Luger. If you have one original part that has been replaced then the collector value is basically cut in half. I have a little over a 100 handguns in this collection. Some are not that rare and others are very rare. All of the ones that I collect are getting harder to find. The fact that majority of the supply is in private hands now and of course they aren’t being made anymore makes the prices continue to go up.
I have my fair share of Nagant revolvers also. I have items that I paid a little over $100 for years ago because there was a good supply. Once the supply dried up you have to pay someone’s price if you want one. Like you said many of those $100 military guns are on up into the hundreds and some are now into the thousands. Prime example was the little Beretta Model 71 in .22lr that were imported in from Israel. You could get an excellent condition one for around $200 just a little over a year ago. Now if you can even find one the condition will only be good or fair grade. The price will still be over $400. I think I bought 8. I kept four gave three away to my nieces and one to my Goddaughter.
Come on guys post some items up. I would love to see some of the items that you guys have. I know some of you have interesting stuff that you have obtained over the years.
@MichaelAnthony thank you for those posts. I love to see the things that other people collect. There just isn’t anything like the old wood and steel of our past that brings the imagination to life. What I wouldn’t give to have conversations with each of my precious little orphans of history. What they could tell us would most definitely humble us all. I never get tired of holding history in my hands. Everything we save, collect and take care of has is a piece of history and had a piece of history attached to it. Never underestimate how that history can affect someone when they hold it.
@1911 you dont happen to want another godson or perhaps another nephew?
I do remember those berettas, and unfortunately i didnt pick one up but that is really cause they dont really fit my collection. I’m more into having a representative of a weapon from each war of the united states has been in since 1900 ish… That said i’m pretty lacking in the handgun side. I dont need many of them, thus i dont need duplicates and usually i have just one due to funding. Or if im lucky i’ll trade into one.
that said, here i’ll post a few of what i have.
first is my 1943 Colt 1911 with remington rand slide.
I agree with you there. However we dont own them, we’re just curators of them for a time and then we pass them on to other curators once we’re gone. The history though is mainly what got me into collecting. I have alot of family that served in various wars in the last century and this is kinda a way to connect with them, to hold the rifle they may have shot or one like it. If we want to post more mil-surps that arent pistols we need to start a thread for them in the rifle or general or another area that is fitting… as rifles unfortunately do not belong in this pistol thread.
dont be a redit nerd steve, im literally the only other one posting historical items i own… thank you mr 1911, i like your input on some historical items, im going to go shoot this rifle for fun anything i should be cautious of?
You shouldn’t have any problems with the Carano. They were well made. Some people talk trash about them but that is out of ignorance. Some of the military surplus ammo people had some problems with. Personally I wouldn’t have any problems shooting it at all. I have Garands, M1 Carbines, K98 Mausers, Enfield, 1903 Springfield and I shoot all of them. I always tear them down first and do a full cleaning. Then I torque everything back to the proper recommended settings.
