What kind of grips on Luger?

[Sutro]

Have a pre-WWII Luger (1918, re-issued 1920). What kind of grips are correct on a WW-I or Weimar Republic era Luger? I've heard that the repro hard rubber/black plastic grips are associated with the Third Reich (1933-45) and aren't correct. Anyone know what grips are correct on a pre-Third Reich Luger? Anyone know where to get reproductions of them? Checkered walnut grips are easy to get, wondering if they'd be correct.

[neilwest]

1. My Erfurt 1917 came with wooden (I believe rosewood) checkered grips. These were original.

2. Numrich has replacement wood grips if you want authenticity. I put a set on mine to safe the originals. Plastic or rubber is a definite no, no

3. I will post pics of mine this evening

[zouavexx]

I agree with Neilwest.

[Sutro]

Thanks! I'll store your Erfurt originals for you if you'd like, Neilwest, just to show my appreciation.

Checked with Gun Parts Corp (i.e. Numrich, I think) and they also offer repro black plastic VOPO grips in addition to the usual black rubber/plastic "Black Widow" grips, and offer repro brown plastic Krieghoff grips.

I presume VOPO grips are ones put on Lugers by the East Germans after WWII for use by their internal security police, VOPO being the Volkspolezei, and would not be correct for c.1920. Krieghoff grips I presume are pre-WWII Lugers made by Kriefhoff for the civilian market, may be correct for c.1920 but wouldn't be correct for a military Luger made by DWM. Anyone know if my presumptions are accurate? Folks at Gun Parts Corp don't know just what VOPO and Kriefhoff grips are, they just sell them.

Will probably just go ahead and order their wood grips, but wondering just what my options are and find this sort of historical trivia to be half the fun.

[neilwest]

1. Below you will find the Wood Grips they offer. I merely put some gun finish oil on them. I like shiny.

2. These grips are just like the originals.

[Sutro]

Thanks for posting the photo.

What a difference a year makes! Mine is 1918 manufacture, last year of the war and the impending collapse of the German economy shows: Gun is much rougher than yours, precision machining where it's needed (which is a lot of places on a Luger), but rough and hasty casting and machining where it's not.

Your Luger looks very classy with wood grips, I'm gonna get some. If you've done much business with Gun Parts Corp, you know that a lot of times what you get from them are factory seconds. With my rather rough Luger, that actually would be more correct than perfect ones!

[neilwest]

1. sometimes the rougher ones are the more valuable. The Weimer years are worth a bit more because of the history. Enjoy the grips.

[slag]

Dark wood:

[slag]

Originally posted by slag
Dark wood:

Whoops, forgot the pic:

[neilwest]

1. My originals have dark wood just like his. When you get the wood grips stain them in a dk color (Jacobian stain would do) then finish if you want. That would make it look correct.

[neilwest]

1. I took this picture when I brought it home. This is a bit blurred as the original is long gone. But you can see the grips.

[MP40]

Erfurt Lugers were, for years, considered the "black sheep" of the Imperial guns.
Their finish was never as good as DWM, even to start with.
But in the last decade. Erfurt Lugers have gone up in value.
The correct grips for your gun are checkered walnut.
Go to:
http://www.lugerforum.com/
for more info.

[neilwest]

Originally posted by MP40
Erfurt Lugers were, for years, considered the "black sheep" of the Imperial guns.
Their finish was never as good as DWM, even to start with.
But in the last decade. Erfurt Lugers have gone up in value.
The correct grips for your gun are checkered walnut.
Go to:
http://www.lugerforum.com/
for more info.

1. Good to have you onboard. Give us more imput. I wasnt aware of the worth of the DWM's. Might look for one. Post me some pics if you can

[MP40]

Originally posted by Sutro

I presume VOPO grips are ones put on Lugers by the East Germans after WWII for use by their internal security police, VOPO being the Volkspolezei, and would not be correct for c.1920.

Correct, E German Luger grips are generally black plastic, with a small bullseye molded into them. Mauser made black plastic grips also, for their 1941-42 Lugers, often called the Black Widow.
Originals are hard to find, but many repros are available.

Krieghoff grips I presume are pre-WWII Lugers made by Kriefhoff for the civilian market, may be correct for c.1920 but wouldn't be correct for a military Luger made by DWM. Anyone know if my presumptions are accurate?

Ummm, no.
Krieghoff made Lugers from new tooling starting in the mid 1930's and continuing through WW2.
Krieghoff Lugers were commissioned for the Luftwaffe by Hermann Göring, and these guns are generally considered the best of all Lugers for fit, finish, and overall quality. A few early ones were commercial, but most were for the Luftwaffe.

Erfurt ceased production of Lugers after WW1.
DWM continued production after WW1 from 1919 until 1930, and then production was transferred to Mauser Oberndorf. Production was mostly commercial, although the Weimar police also carried these guns. Some were refurbished Imperial guns, others were new production and some were assembled from parts. A double date indicates a rework of a WW1 gun after the war.

[MP40]

Here is a pic of an original Black Widow, showing the Mauser black grips. byf 41 code




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Hannah::sbyf41.jpg

[neilwest]

1. Thanks for the history. Beautiful lugar.:p