This is a 1934 Pistole 08 military Parabellum  manufactured by Mauser. This piece is a 4 inch (98 mm) 9mm Parabellum.  To conceal production a series of alphabetical dates were assigned in addition to the code on the toggle S/42 (Mauser).  ''K" dates are representative of the Luger produced in 1934. (824)

This is a standard 1934 Model gun designated by collectors as the "K" Date Mauser. It is a 9mm, 4" barrel with a hold-open and stock lug.  These are referred to as the 1934 model by collectors. This Luger has all matching numbers. The thumb safety is new style, with strawed parts and polished inside.

Serial number placement is in the military ("exposed") style.   The serial number appears on the front of the frame, on the side of the locking bolt, on the trigger, on the bottom of the barrel, the side plate,  the left side of the receiver, the safety bar, the sear bar, the rear connecting pin, and on the extractor.

In early 1930 production was begun by Mauser in Oberndorf with the transfer of  the tooling and equipment from BKIW (DWM) factory in Berlin to Mauser-Werke. The first order was for the Dutch in November 1930 and then the American Eagle orders for A.F. Stoeger.  From 1930 until 1934 Mauser assembled many thousands of Lugers from DWM parts and stocks, plus reworked others for the paramilitary groups and the police.  Mauser proof marks left a trail across many Lugers.

Below: Note the Scriptic "S" on the ejector, the side of the receiver, the trigger, the magazine catch; plus the droop wing eagle of the early military acceptance proofs.   Truly text book.

 In 1934 Mauser got it's first Military P-08 contract from the German Government. So was born the first military Mauser Luger, the "K" date of which it was estimated 10,900 were made. These were the 1934 production designation "K". 300 were pulled for the German Navy and so marked with the Eagle M.

Beginning in 1935 Mauser began by marking the guns with the "G".  From the "G" series beginning approximately with 931a to 5000f, (in blocks of 10,000) for approximately 54,700 guns, 700 were pulled out for the German Kriegsmarine and so marked.

Here we have the Army test proof on the Barrel.

The magazine is serial numbered to the gun and bears the very early "37" proof of Mauser.  The Barrel is matched to the gun with the caliber 8.82mm stamped.  The very low serial number of this "K" Date appears to extend the subvariation for Scriptic S/Navy to beyond the know 1700 cutoff..

Note the thickened rear of the frame where the Mauser hump was designed to retain the main axle pin when in full recoil.  This was begun on originally produced Mauser Lugers and is characteristic of their production. The "M" Marinen Navy proof is said to be one of three hundred procured by the German Navy and marked with the "O" (Ostsee) was the marking for the Baltic Sea fleet.

The inside of the gun is clean with no evidence or pitting or rust. It has been cared for many years. The bore is good. This gun is an exceptional Luger being in such fine shape and bearing all the correct proofs and markings to make it a text book "K" date. See Jan Still  Third Reich Lugers Page 15.

Note the "S" on the small parts including the inside of the grips. [For those that do not wish the high-lighted white on the proofs you can simply soak those parts in Hoppe's for a few minutes and with a soft toothbrush remove the highlight.]

Collectors have broken down the "K" date series (001-930a) into five subvariations. Subvariation 1 all parts marked with the Scriptic "S"; Subvariation 2 parts mixed with Scriptic S and Gothic S; Subvariation 3 Gothic S on all parts; Subvariation 4 without S on the parts.  Finally the Navy Variation 4.  Most of those reported are in the Subvariation 2 but this one extends the cutoff number of 1700 for Subvariation 1 to at least 1709 and includes a Nazi Navy in that group.