This is an excellent example of a Luftwaffe M.30 Drilling that was manufactured by J.P Sauer & Son in June 1942. The M.30 Drillings were high grade commercial guns purchased by the Luftwaffe and issued in limited numbers as survival weapons for aircrew assigned to North Africa in 1941-42. The Chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, was an avid hunter and insisted on the best equipment for his aircrews. The M.30 Drilling was almost certainly the most expensive and highest quality small arm issued during WWII. The M.30 Drilling has side-by-side 12 gauge shotgun barrels over a 9.3x7x4 Rifle barrel and was capable of taking most African game. The M.30 was fitted with a special aluminum case which contained shotshells, rifled slugs, soft point rifle cartridges, a variety of cleaning equipment, a sling, instruction manual and the serial number patterning sheet for the shotgun barrels. Double set triggers with the barrel selector on the upper tang. Moving the selector to the rifle barrel raises a folding express sight on the sighting rib. The sight is zeroed at 100 meters. The safety is located on the left stock flat. The barrel has a matte solid rib with gold bead front sight. The oil finished European walnut stock and forearm have fine checkered panels. The stock has an oval cheekpiece, casehardened pistol grip cap and black plastic serrated shotgun type buttplate with the Sauer "SS" monogram in the center. Sling swivels are fitted to the rifle barrel and stock. The barrels have a commercial rust blue finish. The receiver, trigger guard and pistol grip cap are casehardened. The receiver, trigger guard and buttcap are decorated with restrained and very well executed open scroll engraving. The Sauer "SS" monogram is engraved on the underside of the receiver. The Sauer trademark is engraved on the bottom of the barrel lug. A large Luftwaffe Eagle/Swastika insignia is stamped on the right side of the stock near the butt and on the breech of the right shotgun barrel. A Luftwaffe "stick eagle" acceptance mark is stamped on the bottom of the barrel lug. The top of each shotgun barrel and the right side of the rifle barrel are marked "KRUPP-LAUFSTAHL" with a bullet on either end and "J.P. SAUER & SOHN SUHL" is marked on the sides of the receiver. The rifle and shotgun barrels are stamped with the gauge/caliber designations. The "Eagle/N" proofmark is stamped on the barrel and the receiver. The serial number "338177" is stamped on the underside of the rifle barrel, the left edge of the receiver and engraved on the lower tang. The partial serial number "177" is stamped on the inside of the forearm. The aluminum case is painted dark gray and the lid is stenciled "Drilling M.30/mit Munition u. Zubehor/ce" in three lines. The inside of the case is unpainted aluminum with felt padding and wooden partitions. A list of the contents is stenciled on the inside of the lid. The case contains a patterning sheet for the shotgun barrels serial numbered "338177" and dated "12.Juni 1942", a paper manual entitled "Drilling M.30" dated "Juni 1941", original black cardboard box of cleaning equipment that contains a wooden three-piece jointed cleaning rod, four rifle and shotgun bore brushes, a brass jag, original glass container of "WAFFEN-OEL" and cloth cleaning brushes for rifle and shotgun barrels, and several cleaning cloths. The rifle cartridges, rifled slugs and shotgun cartridges issued with each drilling are absent.

Excellent. The barrel retains 98% of the original blue finish. The receiver, trigger guard and other casehardened components retain 97% of the original vivid case colors. The stock and forearm retain virtually all of the original oil finish. The checkering on the forearm and pistol grip is crisp showing only very minimal storage marks overall. The Luftwaffe markings on the barrel and stock are extremely sharp. The case is very good overall with moderate handling wear. 75% of the exterior paint is present with numerous small scratches. The leather handle is broken. One of the wooden interior partitions is loose. The accessories show minimal wear and are generally very fine. This is an excellent example of a very desirable Sauer M.30 Luftwaffe Drilling.