×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
INFANTRY
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
INTERWAR PERIOD
WORLD WAR 1
WORLD WAR 2
WINTER WAR
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Luger P08 (Pistole Parabellum 1908 / Parabellum-Pistole)


Semi-Automatic Handgun [ 1904 ]



The immensely popular Pistole Parabellum Model 1908 semi-automatic pistol - sometimes referred to simply as the Luger - became a German World War 2 stalwart.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/16/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The German P08 pistol (or "Pistole 1928" or "P'08" or "Luger") was one of the more famous German-based pistol designs of the Second World War. Its origins were actually well before that, prior to the First World War in fact, when they were originally produced by Hugo Borchardt. It wasn't until later in the weapon's life that the design was furthered by one Geroge Luger that the designation "Luger" stuck with the pistol design. In these terms then, the designation of Luger can be misleading though still correct to a certain extent.

The original P08 production models were chambered to fire a 7.65mm round and were adopted by the Swiss Army as early as 1900. The more recognized version of the Luger became the Pistole 1928 designation, as it was the adopted production model of the year 1908. This model in itself was an improved version of previous generation 9mm pistols known as 'neuer Art'.

In 1914, the P08 production began appearing from other lines as in the Koniglich Gewehrfabrik Erfurt series, and it was about this time that the optional shoulder stock came into the design.

Despite the restrictions set aside by the Treaty of Versailles regarding Germany's defeat, the pistol continued to be made, either within the German border or in production lines elsewhere in Europe - by this time chambered for the more known 9mm Parabellum round. The British even produced the P08 model series of pistols through the Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd firm with parts supplied from Germany. These versions were eventually shipped through Holland for the Netherlands East Indies armies abroad.

The P08 series proved to be an extremely reliable and robust handgun, considering the locking device was of a complicated design. This fact also proved the P08 to be extremely complicated to produce in the numbers required during war time. Reports were, however, favorable as to the firing action of the system, allowing for an easy of use in the point-and-shoot department.

The Luger would continue to be produced right up to the opening years of the Second World War when its ultimate successor - the Walther P38 was starting to come around. Official production of P 08 Luger's would last until 1942 with a total of some two million models produced including variants and sub-variants.

The Luger would go on to become a collector's favorite hand gun with some of the prize collectors being Allied troops themselves - confiscating the hand gun as a trophy of their exploits in and throughout the war. Though expected to be replaced in large numbers by the oncoming Walther P 38, production numbers of that pistol never materialized to expected levels, allowing the Luger to be found in most frontline and reserve situations.

In the end, the pistol has proven to stand the test of time, resurfacing every now and again under production by some company around the globe. A specialized variant of theP 08 series existed as the P17 Artillerie model which featured a barrel 8-inches longer than the standard P 08. This variant was designed to hold a full 32-rounds of ammunition (held in a drum magazine) though it was not in production by the time the Second World War rolled around.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1904

Origin
Imperial Germany national flag graphic
Imperial Germany

Classification


Semi-Automatic Handgun


Deutsche Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken - Germany (among others)
(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of Bolivia National flag of Brazil National flag of Bulgaria National flag of France National flag of Finland National flag of modern Germany National flag of the German Empire National flag of Nazi Germany National flag of East Germany National flag of Iran National flag of modern Japan National flag of the Netherlands National flag of Portugal National flag of Switzerland National flag of Taiwan National flag of Turkey National flag of Zimbabwe Bolivia; Brazil; Bulgaria; Finland; France; East Germany; German Empire; Nazi Germany; Germany; Imperial Japan; Iran; Netherlands; Portugal; Taiwan; Switzerland; Turkey; Zimbabwe
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Pistol / Sidearm
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.


Overall Length
223 mm
8.78 in
Barrel Length
98 mm
3.86 in
Empty Wgt
1.92 lb
0.87 kg
Sights


Iron Front and Rear.


Action


Semi-Automatic; Short Recoil; Toggle-Locked

Semi-Automatic
One shot per trigger pull; self-loading or auto-loading action aided by internal mechanism; trigger management (and initial cocking) typically required by the operator; subsequent shots are aided by the unlocked / moved bolt.
(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)


Caliber(s)*


7.65x22mm Parabellum; 1908 (P08) 9x19mm Parabellum

Sample Visuals**


Graphical image of a 9mm pistol cartridge
Rounds / Feed


8-Round Detachable Box Magazine; 32-Round Detachable Drum
Cartridge relative size chart
*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.
Max Eff.Range
164 ft
(50 m | 55 yd)
Muzzle Velocity
375 ft/sec
(114 m/sec)


Pistole P08 - Base Series Production Designation; introduced in 1908.
Ordonnanzpistole 00 (OP00) - Swiss designaton of 7.65x21mm Parabellum Luger; introduced in 1900.
P08 (Navy) - Navalized Luger model; 6-inch barrel; two-position rear sight.
Lange Pistole 08/P17 Artillerie ("Artillery Luger") - Pistol Carbine Form introduced in 1908; 8-inch barrel; 8-position tangent rear sight; shoulder stock; issued with holster; optional 32-round drum magazine.
Luger .45 - Developmental evaluation Luger chambered for the .45 ACP for the US Army.
M1900 - American copy of the Luger P08.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Luger P08 (Pistole Parabellum 1908 / Parabellum-Pistole)
Left side view of the Luger P08 semi-automatic pistol; color.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)