Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting example of a 1939 dated black 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. This holster however looks like it may have originally been brown, and then was finished black during the war.

It also has some very interesting variations from the usual P.08 Luger holsters that we see. There is no take-down / loading tool pocket on the lid, and no evidence that there ever was one. There are also no cutouts on the spare magazine pouch for the bottom of the magazine, and the ejection strap is not the standard Luger style. Based on period comparisons, it looks like it may be a holster made to accommodate several different holsters, as it seems to work well with a P.38 pistol, and also looks quite a bit like a holster for the CZ-38 pistol.

However, it definitely was used to hold a Luger for a long period of time, one with aluminum bottom magazines. We can see clear markings from the aluminum bottoms of a spare magazine on the inside of the lid, and also on the rear interior from the magazine installed into the pistol. There are also the unmistakable markings of the serrated safety on the P.08 luger visible on the interior. Definitely a very interesting holster worthy of further research!

The holster is marked on upper right rear with a small 0971 marking, which may be a rack number or something similar. There is no "P.08" marking, however that is not uncommon. As this is a Pre-War holster, it still has the original maker information stamped, and not a three letter code:

A. FISCHER
BERLIN C,2
1939

Adalbert Fischer is a known maker of holsters during the WWII period, and also manufactured belts and other leather items. They later used the three letter code "emj" after 1940.

The overall condition of the holster is very good, with supple black finished leather and intact heavy white stitching, belt loops, and pistol ejection strap. There is wear to the finish, making much of the exterior appear brown, and it also looks like one of the belt loops may have been replaced at some point. The original flap securing strap and buckle are present and in functional condition, though the securing strap does have finish cracking on the top. Overall a very nice example of a holster that saw long service during WWII.

A really nice holster that will complete any WWII Era P08 Luger pistol, or possibly a P38 or CZ-38. Ready to research and display!

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.