A genuine WWII bring-back from the opening days of the war in the West, this Mauser Banner P.08 Luger pistol is chambered in 9mm Luger, serial number 2695v, manufactured in 1940 under Dutch contract. This pistol falls within the noted 2655v-3254v serial block of 600 examples. Delivery to the Netherlands was halted by the German invasion on May 10, 1940, and the batch was taken into Wehrmacht service shortly afterward.
All serialized parts match, including the frame, takedown lever, sideplate, trigger, safety lever and bar, hold-open latch, barrel, barrel extension, trigger bar, breechblock, firing pin, toggles, rear toggle pin, and grips. The chamber is marked 1940, with double crowned U proofs and two Mauser Eagle/655 proofs on the right side. The left side of the frame bears the Dutch safety marking RUST above a downward-pointed feathered arrow. Majority original factory blue and straw finish remains. Mechanically excellent. Bright bore with mild frosting.
The Pistole 08, or P08, was adopted by the German military in 1908 and built around Georg Luger’s toggle-locked, recoil-operated action and the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. By the late 1930s Mauser of Oberndorf had become the principal maker of the design, and pistols stamped with the oval Mauser Banner logo on the chamber represent its commercial and export-contract production, distinct from the secret military code-marked guns of the same period. Their high-polish blue and straw-colored small parts reflect pre-war commercial craftsmanship. The Netherlands was one of those contract customers, and Dutch-contract Banner P08 9mm Lugers were marked RUST for the safe position. When the May 10, 1940 invasion cut the order short, the undelivered pistols passed into German hands, giving an example like this one a documented place on both sides of the conflict. An all-matching Banner Luger with intact Dutch markings is a genuine crossover collectible, prized for its commercial-grade finish and its WWII service history. Manufactured in 1940, this Banner Luger is C&R eligible and ships to your FFL.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Mauser
Country of origin: Germany
Year: 1940
Model: Banner Mauser P.08
Action: Semi-automatic
Caliber/Gauge: 9mm Luger
Serial: 2695v
Matching: All serialized parts matching
Grip: Two-piece checkered wood grips in good condition with no cracks
