Manufactured by Mauser in 1935; while the Germans were still paying lip service to the Treaty of Versailles, 1935 was the second year of renewed Luger production, as the Nazis already had designs on Lebensraum in Eastern Europe and payback against the French. Fixed sights, with the "G" date mark on the chamber, "S/42" on the front toggle link, "W|154" and "S|92" proofs on the chamber, and "drop wing eagle" firing proofs on the extension, barrel and breechblock. Straw colored small parts, niter blue springs, pins and screws, checkered grips and a nickel magazine with aluminum base. Numbers are matching overall, including on the grip panels; the primary magazine is renumbered to match. Included with the lot is a 1937 dated brown leather Genschow & Co flap holster and an extra magazine. An included 1945 dated capture certificate identified this pistol (sans suffix) as the property of a C.M. Mooningham, signed off by the commander of Company A of the 717th Railway Operations Battalion. Responsible for all military rail operations in a given area, each ROB was supported by a commercial rail firm, with the 717th connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and while an exact unit history is unavailable the 717th was activated in 1943, and believed to have operated in Belgium and France as the U.S. Army advanced into Europe. Mooningham has not been positively identified. Provenance: The Art Buchanan Collection

Very fine, with 80% of the original blue, showing areas of brown and gray patina, with some cold blue touch-up on the grip straps, bright edge wear, and minor handling marks and spotting overall. 70% of the original straw colors remain. The grips are also very fine, with some dings on the otherwise crisp checkering. The holster is very good, with mild scuffing and cracking. Mechanically excellent.