Original Item: Only One Available. This is a really nice example of a black finished leather P.08 Luger pistol hardshell holster, which was still standard issue for many officers. This supple leather holster has the correct P.08 stamp on the rear right, and is maker marked dla and dated 41, with a Waffenamt marking and WaA195. Research reveals that three letter code “dla” stands for Karl Barth of Waldbröhl / Rheinland, a known maker of all types of leatherware during the WWII Period.
The overall condition of the holster is very good, with supple black (worn to brown is places) leather, intact heavy stitching, original loops, take down tool pocket, and pistol ejection strap. There are some light scratches and handling marks but no major defects, just wear from use and age. The closure strap does have some leather degredation.
A really nice holster that will complete any P08 Luger WWII era pistol.
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.