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Can anyone id this pistol?

ltcdotyltcdoty Member Posts: 4,172 ✭✭✭
edited July 2012 in Ask the Experts
Recent walk in donation to our museum. Its stamped Mauser on the left side of muzzle. Gun appears to be stamped steel. Any help appreciated.[img][/img]pistol.jpg

[img][/img]pistol_detail.jpg

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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    I will look it up when I get home but I think it was a "LAST DITCH" effort and model if i remember correct started with "VOLKS" as this is German for PEOPLES so could be something like the German for Peoples-pistol.Very crude with many stamped parts. but they did work.

    EDIT I looked at my reference and do believe I was correct. However I Also believe they used many parts from some other pistols along the way Your pistol seems to be a transition piece. Later pieces dont have the same Milled Slide as yours but receiver and grips as well as Trigger is the same. Nice find are you going to put it up for sale.
    EDIT IIThanks I had to ask Did not know N.Y. allowed anyone to display pistols in a museum see if you can get a copy of page 112 of Ian V. Hogg "German Pistols And Revolvers 1871-1945" like I said not exact slide and barrel but it is exact same trigger grips and frame. Opposite end of the spectrum as to quality of design and workman ship between this and a LUGER but as you stated much smaller numbers made. Thanks for your post and always fun so see something in the flesh.
    EDIT IIIcould you tell us where this museum is located ?
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    lew07lew07 Member Posts: 1,055 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    As above . Last ditch Volkspistole .Produced by Walther and Mauser and made cheaply and rapidly. A rare item
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    v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Very interesting and in nice condition too.
    I assume it's .32ACP.
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It certainly looks like the real Mccoy, with whats looks like a P 38 Magazine that the Mauser Volkspistole's were designed for.

    Couldn't find anything in my books other than a reference to a Mauser Gerat 26 Volkspistole. Unfortunately with no photos of it.

    There is a guy from Texas who has written extensively on the subject though. Amazon carries his books. The one you might acquire to verify that your pistol is legit is this one.

    "The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm" by W. Darrin Weaver
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    misstmisst Member Posts: 707 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dang. Hope you gave him a really big tax write off for that donation.
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    p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750
    edited November -1
    The crude Mauser barrel makes me think it's a Chinese copy. It definitely requires research into. Are there ANY proof marks on it?
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    ltcdotyltcdoty Member Posts: 4,172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by p3skyking
    The crude Mauser barrel makes me think it's a Chinese copy. It definitely requires research into. Are there ANY proof marks on it?


    I'll take a look when I go to work in the morning. A widow of a WWII veteran brought it in. On the telephone she said she had a Luger which we have a lot of. This is more interesting.

    Thanks everybody for the info!
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    ltcdotyltcdoty Member Posts: 4,172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    I will look it up when I get home but I think it was a "LAST DITCH" effort and model if i remember correct started with "VOLKS" as this is German for PEOPLES so could be something like the German for Peoples-pistol.Very crude with many stamped parts. but they did work.

    EDIT I looked at my reference and do believe I was correct. However I Also believe they used many parts from some other pistols along the way Your pistol seems to be a transition piece. Later pieces dont have the same Milled Slide as yours but receiver and grips as well as Trigger is the same. Nice find are you going to put it up for sale.


    Not for sale, it now belongs to the New York State Military Museum. Thanks for the info
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    misstmisst Member Posts: 707 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If its the real mcCoy, it's worth a lot of money. Just hope the old lady knew what a large donation she was making and didn't,t need the money to support herself. Out of curiosity, i,d like to know what kind of tax write off did the museum give her? Anybody have a guess as to value even though it,s not for sale? I know of only one, similar but not the same, in the 1970's and it was priced at 15k (don't know if it sold)
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by misst
    If its the real mcCoy, it's worth a lot of money. Just hope the old lady knew what a large donation she was making and didn't,t need the money to support herself. Out of curiosity, i,d like to know what kind of tax write off did the museum give her? Anybody have a guess as to value even though it,s not for sale? I know of only one, similar but not the same, in the 1970's and it was priced at 15k (don't know if it sold)


    If it's legit? How do you price a one of a kind item? Very difficult to do, unless you can dig up similar items that sold in the past. Then make subjective adjustments for inflation, collector interest and other variables that will affect/enhance value.
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