Mauser Luger Grips

[GWA]

The subject of late production Mauser P08's and black bakelite grips has often been discussed here. I thought that this might further "stir the pot". Pictured below are six Mauser manufactured P08's all in original condition with the exception of a few with mismatched magazines. They are arranged in order of date of manufacture with the earliest to the top right and then proceeding clockwise to the last at the upper left. They are 1940/42 sn 5949h with bakelite grips, 1940/42 sn 7263i with walnut grips, 41/byf sn 5860u with walnut grips, 41/byf sn 7923u with bakelite grips, 41/Banner sn 831y with bakelite grips and 42/byf sn 188k with walnut grips.

[GWA]

I don't have one right now but have in the past had 1940/42 P08's with brown bakelite grips. The source of these grips is thought by some to be the same manufacturer who was making grips for Krieghoff at the time. According to Still in "Third Reich Lugers" page 62 "According to a Army directive wood grips could be replaced by black plastic grips when wood grips were not available." This document was found among German military archives and is dated 1939. Some very few 1939 Mauser P08's have been reported with bakelite grips.

1940/42 sn 1768g with brown bakelite grips.

[GWA]

It is probably not just coincidence that 1939 not only sees the earliest appearance of bakelite grips on P08's but also laminate stocks on infantry rifles. I feel that the two are directly related to shortages of walnut for both products. P08 grips were manufactured by shops utilizing scraps from rifle stock production.

[phild]

Thanks for the posting, good photos.

One fact when discussing composition grips is that there is really no way to know when they were placed on a given Luger, as the job takes about 2 minutes.

I think that your theory about the exploration of using composition materials for grips and stocks being put to the test around 1939 is very sound. I also would not argue with some Lugers (Mauser) being fitted with these type grips during 1939 and 1940.

I do believe that it was in or around the "S" block of 1941 when steady numbers of black composition grips started being incorporated into production.

Still sites a percentage of around 20% for both 1941 and 42 (I believe) and I would not argue with that figure either.

I can only believe that Mauser had a reserve of about 100,000 Luger grip wood blanks in in the curing process houses for the year 1941 and another 100,000 or so for the year 1942 (these blanks took a few years to cure...) and that the 20,000 or so "plastic" grips each year was used to augment the shortfall in wood grips.

If the above was not the case, that would tell me that perhaps the composition grips were intended for one service or the other, becuase if they were faster, easier and cheaper than wood AND if the wood could have been used elsewhere, THEN all grips on Lugers from mid-1941 on would have been Black Composition.

[GWA]

Thanks for the posting, good photos.

I think that your theory about the exploration of using composition materials for grips and stocks being put to the test around 1939 is very sound. I also would not argue with some Lugers (Mauser) being fitted with these type grips during 1939 and 1940.

I do believe that it was in or around the "S" block of 1941 when steady numbers of black composition grips started being incorporated into production.

I think that a survey of WWII Mauser rifles would find that in 1941 laminate stock usage was widespread if not exclusive. All laminate stocks I have seen seem to have been made with oak which is a strong but brittle wood not suited at all for conventional rifle stock manufacture. This would further validate the use of ersatz grips in P08's.

[GWA]

I can only believe that Mauser had a reserve of about 100,000 Luger grip wood blanks in in the curing process houses for the year 1941 and another 100,000 or so for the year 1942 (these blanks took a few years to cure...) and that the 20,000 or so "plastic" grips each year was used to augment the shortfall in wood grips.

Having been involved in the furniture business I can tell you that "Luger grip blanks" would never have been in a "curing process". Only wood in the log form or rough-cut lumber form is seasoned. This process is either by a long process of air drying or an excellerated kiln drying process. These manufacturing steps would have taken place prior to the wood being cut for primary usage which would have been for rifle stocks, etc. Scraps and waste from this process would have gone to the manufacture of smaller products such as pistol grips and wooden knobs and handles of various sorts.

I seriously doubt that Mauser or any other military firearms manufacturer produced their own stocks or grips in-house I would bet that all such support production came from jobbers