Luger P08 Artillery
Caliber: 9mm
Action: Semi
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History
The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1948. The design was first patented by Georg Luger as an improvement upon the Borchardt Automatic Pistol and was produced as the Parabellum Automatic Pistol, Borchardt-Luger System by the German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM).[1] The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum.[1] Later versions included the Pistol Parabellum Model 1908 or P08 which was produced by DWM and other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser, and Vickers.[6] The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. In German Army service, it was adopted in modified form as the Pistol Model 1908 (P08) in caliber 9×19mm Parabellum.[1] The Model 08 was eventually succeeded by the Walther P38.
The Luger is well known from its use by Germans during World War I and World War II, along with the interwar Weimar Republic and the postwar East German Volkspolizei. The P.08 was introduced in 7.65mm Parabellum, though it is notable for being the pistol for which the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was developed, also known as the 9×19mm Luger. The pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades because of its association with Nazi Germany. Wikipedia
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This luger started life in WW1 and somewhere was taken as a war trophy. The Luger has always been sought after as a war trophy. It then travelled to Australia.
Sometime before the start of ww2, it was seized when the government outlawed all handguns. (sounds familure).
During ww2 there was a shortage of handguns and the seized guns were resurrected and in this case put into service – Hence the D^D proof.
Information from the Australian war Museum suggests it was then issued to the special forces who were preforming rolls as the Coast watchers in the Pacific. The War Museum was aware of 2 similar guns, this being the third. The previous owner a collector of all of his life since became aware of a fourth.
The Holster is the original issued for the gun. Itself being a very rare item.
This gun fits into a number of our categories.