Sauer 38H Original Hangrips

[Volksturmer]

I’ve read, many times and many places, that the grips on the incredible Sauer and Sohn 38H were very brittle, and are now rare to find intact.
In other words, most have replacement grips.

I have one pistol, Police marked, 1939.

My question is - what do real grips look like?

Thanks to anyone who can clue me in!
Any help posted, will not only help me, but I’m sure others here on WAF!!
John

[JoeW]

I’ve read, many times and many places, that the grips on the incredible Sauer and Sohn 38H were very brittle, and are now rare to find intact.
In other words, most have replacement grips.

I have one pistol, Police marked, 1939.

My question is - what do real grips look like?

Thanks to anyone who can clue me in!
Any help posted, will not only help me, but I’m sure others here on WAF!!
John

I really don't think that the case. Perhaps an old wive's tale. They were made of bakelite that was fracture prone, that considering the mechanism covered,was not a wise choise for material. But it is what it was. They did fracture at times, but originals had makes codes impressed on the inside of the grips that showed originality. If it says Franzite, you got problems.

[Volksturmer]

Thank you, Joe!

[herd118]

It's not an old wife's tale, the original grips are quite prone to break. The best reproductions come from Czech Republic and have all the correct markings.

http://www.continentalmilitaria.com/...8H-pstol-grips

https://luger.gunboards.com/showthre...with-Analysis)

[Mauser888]

It's not an old wife's tale, the original grips are quite prone to break. The best reproductions come from Czech Republic and have all the correct markings.

http://www.continentalmilitaria.com/...8H-pstol-grips

https://luger.gunboards.com/showthre...with-Analysis)

I agree. I have a pair of repros I can pots if you would like to seem them.

[JoeW]

It's not an old wife's tale, the original grips are quite prone to break. The best reproductions come from Czech Republic and have all the correct markings.

http://www.continentalmilitaria.com/...8H-pstol-grips

https://luger.gunboards.com/showthre...with-Analysis)

As the material used in making the grips changed over the years, the grips became brittle as Jim Cate points out. Most plastic grips on pistols will break or be damaged if dropped. "Quite prone to break" ? Of course if dropped but not with normal handling. IMO.

[Volksturmer]

Grips:

[jujuy]

if I'm not wrong the trouble of these grips is that they are not made from bakelite but from casein which evoluate bad

[robert]

Some of the pre-Czech era Sauer grips with have an indented "V" in the bottom plane of the grip, a legacy form the grip used as a model for the castings. the saucer grips are prone to breaking a lot. The late ones that are sort of glass-like with a IV mark are particularly prone to breaking. Other grips: MAB grips shrink up and will even stretch down off the screw holes. CZ 27 grips seem to chip on the front lower corners but otherwise hold up well. Radom grips break occasionally. Luger grips always tend to chip up by where the safety lever goes into the grip. seen a lot of plastic Hi-Power grips.

[Volksturmer]

Thanks for the great info, JuJuy and Robert.
Any idea if the grips I posted are the real deal? How could you tell, I wonder, from markings on the inside?
By the way, IMO, this is the most underrated pistol of the TR era. I think because the factories fell into the Soviet side after the war, they aren’t as famous as Walther or Mauser.
But this was a revolutionary pistol, in many ways!
John

[Volksturmer]

Anyone who doubts how incredible this pistol truly is, should read this:
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editoria..._082306/138048

[herd118]

Thanks for the great info, JuJuy and Robert.
Any idea if the grips I posted are the real deal? How could you tell, I wonder, from markings on the inside?
By the way, IMO, this is the most underrated pistol of the TR era. I think because the factories fell into the Soviet side after the war, they aren’t as famous as Walther or Mauser.
But this was a revolutionary pistol, in many ways!
John

Yep, they are real original grips.

[phild]

No question a very advanced design. It was the only only German production pistol that was made only during Third Reich. I don’t count the Mauser 1934 as it was a variation of the 1914.

[Volksturmer]

Phil,
Totally agree !

[gj dettore]

Have a bring back with original grips, the only problem is no matter what maker of round I use, the second shot will stovepipe the casing. The pistol looks to be in great shape but the slide seems to rock slightly on the frame. Maybe that's the reason why it won't cycle properly? So now it sits.