1945 Dated H. Krieghoff

This is the legendary 1945 Dated Krieghoff, one of first post-war made at the Suhl plant After the war the area was captured by the Americans and although it was designated as part of the Soviet zone the Americans occupied it for a time; a sufficient time to continue to produce guns for the US military. This was the last of the Krieghoff Lugers and the fine quality of Krieghoff is still evident. This is a Chamber Dated 1945 Krieghoff, made for the German Luftwaffe from over run parts based on the 10,000 gun contract that was ostensively finished in 1938 with the shipment of the last 50 guns. This is a 1908 Model, 7.65mm with a 4" (100mm) Barrel. (1223)

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In 1934 the Luftwaffe announced it was seeking bids for military pistols. It is assumed that Krieghoff had acquired the old Erfurt Luger tooling from Simpson to enable it to contract for only 10,000 Lugers in 9mm. The chamber date places the assembly as an example of the original military contract.

Reichmarshall Hermann Göering as Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) was directly involved in the contract with Heinrich Krieghoff as the corporate head of Reichwerke Hermann Göering which let Luftwaffe contracts.

Göering entered the army in 1914 as an Infantry Lieutenant, before being transferred to the air force as a combat pilot. The last Commander in 1918 of the Richthofen Fighter Squadron, Göering distinguished himself as an air ace, credited with shooting down twenty-two Allied aircraft. Awarded the Pour le Merite and the Iron Cross (First Class), he ended the war as a much decorated pilot and war hero.


The post war Krieghoffs differed from the war time models in that the serial numbers were all exposed. There were no numbers on the left of the chamber nor were there military proof marks on the guns.



Here you can see the highly defined five pointed rejection star which means this Luger was started during the war, failed a inspection and had gone back to the line for some repair bearing the 1945 date. The Crown N is the early completion stamp before the war and was probably all that was available that was not a Nazi proof.

The Scriptic "S" one the extractor is a recognizable proof from the 1934 Mauser which further illustrates the theory that Mauser spare parts were being used up in these last days of the war. It might also reflect on the Kü variations that had both Mauser proofs and Krieghoff proofs. Mauser shut down their Parabellum line after November 1942 Krieghoff continued to assemble Lugers until the American Army was entering the plant.


The inside of this Luger is in Very Good condition. Note the absence of military proofs; this is a very early post war gun made for the occupation forces from Krieghoff parts while the factory was still in United States possession. Someone recognized the value of this gun and it has been well cared for over the last 63 years.


Here is a side by side comparison of the 1945 Krieghoff with the gun on the left (for sale) being a reject with the five pointed star, a Crown N post war proof but the 1945 chamber date. The one on the right is a war time Krieghoff with the Stage II proofs of the late war and acceptance proof.

Note the small "03" in the early font proof on the sear. No proofs on the exterior of the toggles as during wartime.

Military Krieghoff Lugers bear serial numbers of one through five digits without any suffix. They began military production in 1935 with the "S" Code at serial number 1 and continued consecutively upward until approximately 13158 (known) in early 1945. The serial numbers overlapped "variations" as defined by collectors and require some study to be certain the exact variation one is looking at.


In August 1945, units of the American 11th Division overran the Krieghoff factory at Suhl. The only damage reported was vandalism and looting by foreign labor celebrating their liberation. There was no resistance to cause damage by the American forces and it had never been bombed due to the inability of the Allied Air Forces to locate the plant. The military governor of Suhl from Sept-Dec 1945 was a Captain from the 563rd AAA Battalion. He documents that several of the craftsmen of Krieghoff were allowed to re-enter the factory and under guard assemble several Luger pistols as gives for the members of the Military Government. Randall Gibson has documented in his book that this group numbered only twelve (12) guns and you are looking at #3.

Serial number placement is in the military ("exposed") style. Gibson reported just 200 dated 1945 Lugers were finished before the factory was overrun by units of the American 11th Division. The thumb safety is marked "Gesichert" and safe is in the down position. The extractor is marked "Geladen." This Luger has all matching numbers. The barrel is numbered, caliper marked and nitro proofed Clean and finely struck.

This is an extraordinary variation of a very rare and seldom seen 1945 Krieghoff as the very first of the post war guns (#3) but with the same craftsmanship of the Krieghoff firm delivered before, during and post WWII.


The last of the "P" Codes or the beginning of the post-war Krieghoff's with the "03" serial number. By the end of the war the magazines were the FXO style in black and sometimes a chocolate dark brown with no markings.
	By the end of the war Krieghoff had begun to use the Type IV magazine, as Mauser had left over stocks. They were not proofed as E37 or FXO but were blank with the black or dark brown bottom.


There are believed to be seven different variations of the Krieghoff Logo used during WWII with the first, as the last 1945 P-Code with just the anchor and "SUHL" (the city of manufacture). One the left is the '45 P-Code for sale and one the right is a 1945 military featured in our "Archives" section.

Too few to know is probably the best description for this Luger. It uses the then current 1945 frame that has been star coded for non-military use and the Crown N as an early pre-Nazi completed proof. A serial number of P-03 puts in the front of the line and with the minty condition this Luger must have been a presentation to some American who was first to the factory and who gave it a good home for many years. Any questions to josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com