Original German Pre WWII P.08 Luger Pistol Brown Leather Hardshell Holster by Fr & K. Voegels with Attached Feldgendarmerie Gorget Insignia - Dated 1936

Original Item. Only One Available. Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely service used example of a standard issue brown leather hardshell holster for the Luger Pistole 08 (P.08), which was used by German forces during WWI & WWII. Towards the end of WWI the standard color for pistol holsters was changed from brown to black, and that continued through the WWII Period, however brown always remained an option for some members of the Wehrmacht, particularly during the 1930s.

This example is a bit different than most, and looks to probably be a USGI bring back / collector holster, and they took the eagle and banner insignia from a Feldgendarmerie gorget and attached them to the top flap of the holster. The brass claws on the back of the insignia are all still present, and show a good amount of verdigris, confirming that they were attached during the WWII period. Even better, they still retain much of the original phosphorescent paint, and will glow in the dark after a nice charge up in sunlight!

Aside from that, this is also a lovely example of a Pre WWII holster. It still has a relatively clear maker marking on the back over the front belt loop, which reads:

FR&K VOEGELS
KÖLN-DEUTZ
1936

Next to this it is marked with a Weimar style "Stick Eagle" Waffenamt inspection mark over WaA234. This is a known maker of holsters during the pre-war period, and we have had a similar Luger holster from this company before, though without the attached insignia.

The overall condition of the holster is really very good, with supple brown finished leather and intact heavy white stitching (now stained a bit), original belt loops, takedown tool compartment, and pistol ejection strap. We do not see any signs of modification, restitching, or repair, and this definitely one of the better brown examples we have seen in recent years. The original flap securing strap and buckle are present and in functional condition, though the strap is a bit stiff and could use some conditioning. The leather surface has a lovely color, and shows the expected wrinkles from age, but no major damage.

A really great USGI decorated holster that will complete any Pre WWII Era P08 Luger pistol. Ready to display or use!

The P-08
The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger —is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol which was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1948. The design was first patented by Georg Luger as an improvement upon the Borchardt Automatic Pistol and was produced as the Parabellum Automatic Pistol, Borchardt-Luger System by the German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum. Followed by the "Marinepistole 1904" for the Imperial German Navy. The later versions included the popular "Parabellum Pistole Modell von 1908" or simply "P08" (Pistole 1908) which was produced by DWM and other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser, and Vickers. The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. 1904 they were adopted by the German Navy. In German Army service, it was adopted in slightly modified form as the Pistole Modell 1908 (Pistole 08) in caliber 9×19mm Parabellum. The Model 08 was eventually succeeded by the Walther P38.

The Luger is well known from its use by Germans during World War I and World War II, along with the interwar Weimar Republic and the postwar East German Volkspolizei. The P.08 was introduced in 7.65mm Parabellum, though it is notable for being the pistol for which the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was developed, also known as the 9×19mm Luger. The pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades because of its association with WW2 Germany.