Hi Regardant the markings KL I think that Guns have bien assembled by a small firm called Klett. All these Guns, were assembled from parts from Simpson and erfurt for paramilitary nazi groups. Nothing to do with concentration camps. Will à French fan....
The Totenkopf was used by Prussian Hussars and other units in WW1, it turns up on everything from tunics, caps, helmets, even aircraft. the one on this pistol looks more in line with a WW1 version, and I would be more inclined to think it was done by a WW1 unit.
Also if it were a WW1 gun still in government arsenals it should be stamped "1920" shouldn't it? I seem to remember that being a requirement after the war
Been waiting on this info on the death head Lugers ! Great video and information. The only problem with your videos Tom is every time I see something really awesome, (like a death head luger or a SA Rig), I pick up the phone, speak with Kurt, and buy another gun. It’s very addicting for sure but I love the guns and the history.
I once saw P08 with a death's head; skull with jaw over what appeared to be crossbones. In a proportion close to that of the chamber date (WW1 but I don't remember the exact date). Closer examination showed the 'crossbones" to be WW1 flammenwerfer projectors. I suspect "prestige" issue to Flamethrower troops. Given the history of the '"death's head" in Germany, I would expect to run in numerous different forms, for different units or reasons, on Lugers.
Really enjoy your videos Tom, your voice is oddly comforting to listen to. Sometimes I actually nod off & have to rewind. So thank you for the great work.
I firmly believe that the WW1 Death's Head marked Lugers were issued to German Pioneer Flamethrower troops. I have a WW1 German camo helmet acquired many years ago from Buck Squires that has the same lazy S and death's Head insignia painted on the side of it. We were told that the S signifies the pattern of the flame thrown out at an enemy trench.
The "Deathead" symbol was also used by the " Braunschweigisches Husaren Regiment Nr. 17 (17th Braunschweig "Death's Head" Hussar Cavalry Regiment ) " , Sturmtruppen , Flamethrower-troops & Panzer-troops during ww 1 ( prior the Freikorps after ww1 & Waffen SS & Panzer Division during ww2 ) . Also during ww1 Ace pilot Leutnant Georg von Hantelmann (9 October 1898 - 7 September 1924) credited with winning 25 victories during World War I was also a former member of the 17th Braunschweig "Death Head" Hussar Regiment & used the "Deaths Head" symbol on his Aircraft . Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 - 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" . Mackensen impressed Kaiser Wilhelm II, who ordered that Mackensen be given command from 17 June 1893 of the 1st Life Hussars Regiment (Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1) he often wore the distinctive death's head uniform thereafter. During World War I (1914-1918) he became one of the German Empire's most prominent and competent military leaders .
I live in Germany and I watched that video without any problems. Dachau KL is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany.
Do you think it could be possible that the deaths head markings possibly be Frei Korps markings from the post ww1 era? I know that they were fond of skull symbols as well
KL is markings from the netherlands army to this day koningrijk landmarcht these are pistols sold to the dutch army during the two world wars as dutch and germans were almost brothers thousands of dutch young men were recruited by the SS some of them likely serving dutch soldiers when germany invaded holland and caused its surrender after the bombing of rotterdam one of those pistols with the KL marking belonged to a dutch soldier who joined the deaths head SS hitlers elite personal guard ss unit and had the engraving put on hid dutch issued pistol.
@@christopherhines2718 almost brothers? Pretty true if you get into amatuer linguistics. Im Australian. We do ( or did) British English. I can't speak any language but English. But yrs ago discovered either German or English, if you look at a newspaper long enough you can get 60% to 80% understanding in time. I know Dutch immagrants from 60s, Friesan speakers which apparently made English easy to learn. Heard similar from German immigrants. Not surprising links in German English Royal families, William the Conquerer was Dutch too
@@thomaswhiteman4261 A well-researched theory. Luger authorities, meaning those who have published periodicals on the subject, are pretty much in consensus that 1933 KI chamber marked Lugers were of Werkstatt Klett manufacture. As author Aarron M. Davis said, find the flaw in the logical conclusions.
KL normally stands for Koninklijke Landmacht, that is Dutch / Netherlands army. Basicallys Kings Land force. I agree with the Germans it's KZ not KL for a concentration camp, anyone who thinks KL is that has a lot of imagination...
If you want rare lugers, two were made in .45 ACP. One went to Aberdeen Proving and subsequently lost, the other just disappeared shortly afterward. Estimated value 25 years ago, was $1,000,000. It is out there somewhere.
I was a friendly Acquaintance who was a combat engineer. He was in that camp and was the person who blasted locks of rail cars. Opened them and found them stacked with bodies. In a later conversation, he said they killed anything German- including German Shepherds. Said his Thompson barrel was red hot when he was finished
Interesting video. I'm glad my Luger is an all original (grips included) 1900 DWM Am Eagle (in 7.64 Para, 4.75 barrel) example that was restored by John V. Martz. Has the JVM in oval mark under the side plate. This is a Pre-3rd Reich era gun. You guys sold the sister gun (next S/# after mine) a few years ago. 7k range. Was glad to see the sister gun to mine had the Am Eagle chamber marking, yet NO "GERMANY" export stamping (below barrel/on frame). Your example also had the lockback feature DWM added to some guns (post product) that were held back in inventory. Mine has this too.👍 These details of the sister gun helped me better understand exactly what I have. Much thanks for doing what you do. 👍
Theodor Eicke the head of Dachau when it open gave out a special Dagger that was marked with a Star of David and Ruinc Marking on the back, I've only seen 2 of them so the KL 1933 Luger could also fall into this category of Dachau made items .
I love watching these videos and I love old German guns. I've occasionally wondered though, how astonished the original owners of these P38s, PPs, Lugers, etc. would be if they saw the zeal with which collectors relish and revere the minor gun variations, that probably would have meant nothing to the original owners in the German military and para military forces.
Living in Asia I too had trouble viewing your last video. For future reference for your other overseas viewers, once once I turned on my VPN, the video came right up.
Given that the so-called death's-head Luger was built during WW 1, and the insignia looks to be an after thought, rather than a factory feature, it's probable that the pistol was issued to one of the various Freikorps units that operated in the inter-war period. The death's head insignia was synonymous with the Freikorp at that time. The other Luger is more likely Dutch, rather than something specific to a particular concentration camp.
Weird... I was just looking at a 1915 DWM Death Head Luger online a few days ago! It had sold awhile back but the page was still archived. I was curious what it sold for!
I have a KL Luger. brought home by Grandmother's brother. I have heard several theories as to meaning of markings. My KL Luger was made by Erfurt though
i disagree so i am english but in the netherlands KL is still to this day an abreviation of the dutch name of its armed forces i have an ex dutch army tent that is badged KL 92 that KL means this spelling maybe not 100% correct Koningrijk landmacht dutch army in english when you take into account in ww1 the dutch stayed neutral detached from ww1 so still very friendly with their neighbours after the war so that KL means it is a german luger but issued to the dutch military in ww2 still trying to stay neutral they were invaded by germany and forced to surrender but many dutch still had this brotherhood with the germans and many thousands of dutch civilians went to germany to help the german war effort not only that germany recruited soldiers from the dutch young men many thousands of them joined the ss and fought with the germans i think english military equipment was marked WD and the date american equipment marked GI and the date and dutch army equipment is marked KL and the date To this date you are wrong they are netherlands army issued lugers
@@Ryan-re1rs loads of them?maybe not! but KL is the marking of the koningrijk landmacht the dutch army,bear in mind they and germany were are neighbours,and netherlands neutral in WW1 and still friendly just before WW2 netherlands also wanted to be neutral in WW2 also,And the dutch were shocked in 1940 when 40,000 german paratroopers invaded netherlands,the army gave a fight but the germans completely destroyed in a bombing run the dutch port town of rotterdam,And netherlands surrendered,It would not be strange some lugers were bought for the dutch army from germany.dated what 1930s netherlands and germany were still very close neighbours.something like 16,000 dutch,boy scouts,and ex dutch military did join the ss,somewhere around 55,000 netherlanders civilians went voluntary to help the the german war effort,in germany.do you know about script how letters are written? thats the same K and the same L as still today on all dutch military equipment.as they say on this video you can see an original marking and over the top of it a big bold KL and a date, I very much doubt that the germans would have used an abreviation of whatever concentration camp ss guards,as KL because KL is a military marking of the dutch royal army,Their next door neighbours.that does not make sense.They are 100% netherlands army marked pistols.UP until 1940,they were not exactly enemys,even after the dutch surrender,many dutch welcomed their arien brothers,maybe thats not spelt right.seriously! dutch resistance right?there pretty much wasnt one,not like the french,and eastern european countries partisans. There were dutch people executed for illegal weapons,and also some kind of passive resistance,but compared to resistance in other occupied countries,not much.up until 1940 they absolutely could have and would have sourced weapons like lugers from their neighbours.Under occupation,who had the job of of rounding up hiding jews? Answer the dutch police,who were under direct control of the german occupiers.And the dutch police did what their new masters told them to do!no military ever would mark their guns with WD,UK GI,US so its just so stupid germans would re-mark guns KL,Why these gun experts didnt spot that marking as dutch,or know about the strange friendly relationship between netherlands and germany between the two world wars I dont know.
To my recollection, SS officer hats had the death head on their front, (just as US army have the American eagle), thus it could be plausible that the Luger with the death head was stamped as personal guns for SS officers
Diese Art Totenkopf gab es früher klassisch bei der Kavallerie-später übernommen bei vielen Panzerfahrern(ähnlich wie bei Apocalypse Now mit der Hubschraubereinheit und Ihrem Kavallerie-patch). In WW2 gab es zum Beispiel viele Panzereinheiten die schwarze Uniform und Totenkopf trugen OHNE irgendwas mit der SS zu tun zu haben-weil es angepasste "alte" Einheiten/Divisionen waren(Husaren,Dragoner,Ulanen,Kosaken).
The "KL" Luger was converted from a Lange or artillery luger. Note the artillery rear sight step just behind the barrel where the front of the receiver joins the barrel. Quite common!
@@CeizoBro The crews who served the field piece were armed with these long barreled lugers. I also do not understand the logic used for this weapon, but that's the way it was, way back when!
Not to be devisive, but, all the photos you showed early in the video all showed what I'd call pretty well fed inmates. The US had camps here with POWS, my mom said they used to see them being trucked out to cut timber in N. Michigan. They were well treated compared to POWs in Europe.
Like most laws they have unintended consequences. Many European countries have laws restricting the use of Nazi imagery. The idea was to keep Nazi's and people sympathetic to Nazi's from spreading their message. The unintended consequence is that it's very difficult to use Nazi imagery to educate people about history. Europe is disgusting anyway.
@@timrobinson6573 the law that applies here is a very recent one. it more or less says that websites are responsible for not showing underage people graphic images, or face immense fines. that means, that if you dont supply them your passport, they will not let you watch the video. ofc one could argue its about a positive ID tied to cookies etc with a real passport and not about protecting children. you basically need a vpn here now.
Just FYI … I live in Vienna, Austria and here the showing or displaying of a swastika is VERBOTEN. The Party Leader i bought from you cannot get through Customs here for that reason !
Just a question... How often did German soldiers carry lugers compared to p38's? Was it just whatever they had you got or did certain rank receive lugers?
A nice wartime Luger rig is definitely on my short list of next additions to my collection. Just as soon as one comes along for that perfect price, just like the G43 I picked up at SOS!
I seen one at the local pawnshop about 10 years ago. They were asking $1200 for it. I almost purchased it, but I didn't know very much about Lugers. SO I purchased an H&K 40 USP compact instead lol. Which was worth every penny.. Still carry it till this very day. One day, I will purchase an authentic wartime Luger. Now that I can somewhat identify them since learning everything from Legacy Collectibles!
On the Bucenwald gun and vid i saw it here in australia no probs very powerfull and very sad thankyou for showing us , they should never be forgoten so talking about it and showing the footage is history and should be shown to all so they are not forgoten also yes that is a very beutifull pistol thank you again
You do too good a job to be apologizing and taking flak from these people. I don't understand how but these people are either very uneducated or very, very sensitive. Which I understand the sensitivity when it comes to the Holocaust. BUT, YOU ARE TELLING FACTS AND EDUCATING ON A VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY REAL TIME IN HISTORY!!! You deserve praise for the respectable work you are doing. We cannot forget this. History can always repeat itself and the only way of preventing that is by remembering it and talking about it. And that is what you do is educate people. I think you are a very important channel on RUclips. Please, keep up the awesome work!!
Hi. Great show. Great research. Thanks. Re KL Luger. KL is never an abbreviation for Konzentration Lager. De germans always used KZ as abbreviation. Never KL. KL is the official abbreviation for Koningklijk Leger (Royal Army), as used still today by the royal (dutch) army. It looks like a ‘dutched’ version of a WWI luger. The Netherlands were intimately linked to Germany during and after WWI. Officially neutral, they really were German allies. With all respect I do not agree with your explanation for the KL 1933. Also the dead’s head Luger looks phony or at best a private logo. Best regards
Some people have bad taste. I have a used 1911 that the grips have a skull and crossbones. New grips will replace them for sure. Tom you are the best history teacher. We can never forget the deaths of so many Jews. Racism has not died yet. Only by knowing the past can we hope to make the present better.
@@VR-ym8ys Stellt sich nur die Frage warum dann nicht die Stadt oder der Bezirk eingraviert wurde. Bundesland, Stadt, Ortsgruppe... Ja. Aber KL macht in dem Zusammenhang keinen Sinn ohne eine Ortsangabe. Passt da nicht eine andere Behörde?
de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspektion_der_Konzentrationslager IKL würde demnach Sinn geben. Aber ich finde nichts was zu KL passt. Wie viele dieser Waffen sind denn bekannt?
I notice that both of these pistols have a small rectangular notch just behind where the barrel attaches to the receiver. Were these repurposed artillery lugers?
Thanks Tom and the guys @ Legacy ... I knew about the deaths head Luger and the various theories about how they came to be but I never knew about the K.L. Luger until just now. So much to know but so little time ... Pretty soon I will be leaving my collection to ???? someone and Its a not bad collection at that.
Hi, based in the UK but love your podcasts…interesting and informative and indeed you do strike a great presentation in being laid back and non judgemental…..keep up the good work! WW2 interest. Thank you.
Are you really located in Manchester NH, or did i do my research wrong?! Great grandfather from Kittery ME. brought a luger and k98A home from WW2. Im the early 60's he traded the luger to a top tier gunsmith to have him turn the Mauser in to a hunting rifle :(. I have the K98A and shes a beautiful weapon but man i wish it was original. Everything on the gun is matching down to the screws except the stock is gone, sights are gone and the receiver is tapped for a peep sight. 1913 danzig with the 1920 stamps. I don't know why i seem to spam this response every chance i get but i'd love to get particular history on this production model some day
Both examples shown are former P08/14 Artillery pistols, they have the slot for the sight. I suspect the Frankenberry skull is Flamethrower troops from the WWW 1 era, not the 1st and 2nd Leibgarde Huassaren or the 17th Hussaren. Pioniere units had the flamethrower troops, and used this marking. Maybe the SS just used what was available for marking their weapons, or just copied the WW 1 skull and bones.
Both of the immediately below comments {Nola_Ken & Alan Vale} reflect what a number of collectors view as likely on the death head lugers. I have read that the lazy S is also the symbol [over a death's head] used by some German flame thrower units in WWI. Personally, I think one of the theories [Frei Korps, or WWI units] makes the most sense. The Waffen SS were hard up for weapons for alot of the early war, and scrounged weapons from the French, Belgium, and Polish arms makers, as well as buying Spanish guns. I don't believe there are Hi Powers or Radoms or Spanish guns with Death head markings. If it was a thing for the SS, you would think it would show up on more types, at least with Radoms, which were heavily incorporated into SS service. I do think the KL Lugers were marked as camp guns.
Pops had 1 with a US Presidential seal stamped on it he said it was the samples they sent to the US before they adopted the 1911 45 I would like to see more info on this piece if you can find one?
KL.1933 could also mean klasse 1933. The translation would be class 1933 that means you finish your class or study in 1933 possibly for officers. The short for concentration camps was usually KZ
My understanding is that the WWI storm troopers wasn’t the same as the nazi SS. I’m under the impression that the Nazi party stole the name to make their units seem more Prestigious.
I have the rarest Luger of them all, a pre slide lock 1910 commercial dwm that was designed to fire APDS ammunition, as evident from the smooth non existent rifling
hello, for me the two models presented are fake made in the usa ... let me explain. first of all for the kl1933: 1st problem: serial number too high. 2nd problem: no trace of simson fish 3rd problem: all the good kl models encountered have a part of the imperial proof fish. For the death head, it did not have the crowned N fish on the breech, on the slide and on the carcass, this crowned N fish was the civilian proofhouse of shull in the 1930s. The fish was civilian because the ss or its were a para-military organization and could not arm themselves with military weapons, that's all
I think because they probab didnt have a deaths head stamp as such maybe the design was made with a number of different stamping tools that were used for different things within the marking of guns ,and maybe the lazy S is really meant to be the symbol for infinite or infinity ,just a stab in the dark
Your pretty wrong with your localization of Dachau. It’s is a small city near Munich, in the southern part of Germany. Hope the rest of your investigations are better executed.
the one with the deaths head on if you read my last comment where dutch young men and can also have been serving dutch soldiers with KL marked dutch issue lugers many joined theSS thousands but it is not impossible that some joined the deaths head SS I think oficialy hitlers personal guard division and in wartime or before the war could have joined the german army and had his kl dutch army issue pistol engraved with the deaths head.
Those who are forcing us to forget history and forcing us to abolish history, they will repeat the horrors of history.
This is precisely whats happening globally with the mass censorship, MSM propaganda, and brainwashing of our youth.
"It never happened"
you are banned !!!!
"I'll prove it happened by showing these photos"
you are banned !!!!
Hi
Regardant the markings KL I think that Guns have bien assembled by a small firm called Klett.
All these Guns, were assembled from parts from Simpson and erfurt for paramilitary nazi groups.
Nothing to do with concentration camps.
Will à French fan....
Read regarding and not regardant !!
that's real poetic
The Totenkopf was used by Prussian Hussars and other units in WW1, it turns up on everything from tunics, caps, helmets, even aircraft. the one on this pistol looks more in line with a WW1 version, and I would be more inclined to think it was done by a WW1 unit.
or shortly after, the totenkopf became a much liked symbol of the freikorps and related.
Also if it were a WW1 gun still in government arsenals it should be stamped "1920" shouldn't it? I seem to remember that being a requirement after the war
I believe you to be correct. NOLA-Ken
Even some British troops in past centuries wore the death head on their headgear. Cavalry, I believe.
And long before ww1 also it was used .
Been waiting on this info on the death head Lugers ! Great video and information. The only problem with your videos Tom is every time I see something really awesome, (like a death head luger or a SA Rig), I pick up the phone, speak with Kurt, and buy another gun. It’s very addicting for sure but I love the guns and the history.
I once saw P08 with a death's head; skull with jaw over what appeared to be crossbones. In a proportion close to that of the chamber date (WW1 but I don't remember the exact date). Closer examination showed the 'crossbones" to be WW1 flammenwerfer projectors. I suspect "prestige" issue to Flamethrower troops.
Given the history of the '"death's head" in Germany, I would expect to run in numerous different forms, for different units or reasons, on Lugers.
That death head looks like some unit all brought their guns to an amateur engraver to have them marked. It's not even centered.
Really enjoy your videos Tom, your voice is oddly comforting to listen to. Sometimes I actually nod off & have to rewind. So thank you for the great work.
I firmly believe that the WW1 Death's Head marked Lugers were issued to German Pioneer Flamethrower troops. I have a WW1 German camo helmet acquired many years ago from Buck Squires that has the same lazy S and death's Head insignia painted on the side of it. We were told that the S signifies the pattern of the flame thrown out at an enemy trench.
No its totenkopf division
You really think they would waste expensive lugers on disposable flamethrower troops?
The "Deathead" symbol was also used by the " Braunschweigisches Husaren Regiment Nr. 17 (17th Braunschweig "Death's Head" Hussar Cavalry Regiment ) " , Sturmtruppen , Flamethrower-troops & Panzer-troops during ww 1 ( prior the Freikorps after ww1 & Waffen SS & Panzer Division during ww2 ) . Also during ww1 Ace pilot Leutnant Georg von Hantelmann (9 October 1898 - 7 September 1924) credited with winning 25 victories during World War I was also a former member of the 17th Braunschweig "Death Head" Hussar Regiment & used the "Deaths Head" symbol on his Aircraft .
Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 - 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" . Mackensen impressed Kaiser Wilhelm II, who ordered that Mackensen be given command from 17 June 1893 of the 1st Life Hussars Regiment (Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1) he often wore the distinctive death's head uniform thereafter. During World War I (1914-1918) he became one of the German Empire's most prominent and competent military leaders .
copy and pasted from wiki pedia 😂
WW2 German regular army panzer units also used the death’s head insignia. I believe it was Prussian Calvary that first used it.
The DH dates back to the 18th Century and the Death Heads Huzzars
I live in Germany and I watched that video without any problems. Dachau KL is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany.
Ten miles from Munich isn't very isolated.
@@browngreen933 He said Eastern Germany. Bavaria ist not East of Germany
@@zlatkozlatko100
More like Southern Germany.
@@browngreen933 Who cares, he wants to sell the gun not Bavaria
I visited Dachau once when I was stationed in Europe. Very very Depressing place.
Years ago I had a numbers matched G43 Sniper rifle with that Totenkopf mark on trigger guard, caused some controversy!!
I like that fact that when you're not sure or don't know you say it. Bravo!
You are saving little pieces of history... Thank You.
Do you think it could be possible that the deaths head markings possibly be Frei Korps markings from the post ww1 era? I know that they were fond of skull symbols as well
Yes this is known in some circles as a Freikorps Luger
Another theory is that they were marked this way for flame thrower units in WW 1.
KL is markings from the netherlands army to this day koningrijk landmarcht these are pistols sold to the dutch army during the two world wars as dutch and germans were almost brothers thousands of dutch young men were recruited by the SS some of them likely serving dutch soldiers when germany invaded holland and caused its surrender after the bombing of rotterdam one of those pistols with the KL marking belonged to a dutch soldier who joined the deaths head SS hitlers elite personal guard ss unit and had the engraving put on hid dutch issued pistol.
@@christopherhines2718 almost brothers? Pretty true if you get into amatuer linguistics. Im Australian. We do ( or did) British English. I can't speak any language but English. But yrs ago discovered either German or English, if you look at a newspaper long enough you can get 60% to 80% understanding in time. I know Dutch immagrants from 60s, Friesan speakers which apparently made English easy to learn. Heard similar from German immigrants. Not surprising links in German English Royal families, William the Conquerer was Dutch too
Maybe issued to Einsatstruppen in WW2 ????
I bought a 1920 simson police rework that was buffed off and re-stamped over 1917 (the 17 still visible) now Ive noticed how common this was
Dachau is in Bavaria, it's a neighbour town of Munich. I visited the camp once.
"Kl" stamped on reworked pistols by German company "Klett" for "Werkstatt Klett." See November, 2003 Automag article by Jim Cate & Nico Van Gijn.
Lots of theories. No proof that I have seen
@@thomaswhiteman4261 A well-researched theory. Luger authorities, meaning those who have published periodicals on the subject, are pretty much in consensus that 1933 KI chamber marked Lugers were of Werkstatt Klett manufacture. As author Aarron M. Davis said, find the flaw in the logical conclusions.
I haven't heard of any camps reworking the P08.
KL normally stands for Koninklijke Landmacht, that is Dutch / Netherlands army. Basicallys Kings Land force. I agree with the Germans it's KZ not KL for a concentration camp, anyone who thinks KL is that has a lot of imagination...
Lot of articles and a few books. No definitive proof either way.
K.L. was the official abbreviation way into the war. KZ mostly appeared post-war due to its sharp sound in German.
If you want rare lugers, two were made in .45 ACP. One went to Aberdeen Proving and subsequently lost, the other just disappeared shortly afterward. Estimated value 25 years ago, was $1,000,000. It is out there somewhere.
Lost? Likely appropriated after testing by some unscrupulous employee, or destroyed by the military.
I understand that Otto Skorzeny was presented this gun and is now in safe storage in Germany .
I was a friendly Acquaintance who was a combat engineer. He was in that camp and was the person who blasted locks of rail cars. Opened them and found them stacked with bodies.
In a later conversation, he said they killed anything German- including German Shepherds. Said his Thompson barrel was red hot when he was finished
Interesting video.
I'm glad my Luger is an all original (grips included) 1900 DWM Am Eagle (in 7.64 Para, 4.75 barrel) example that was restored by John V. Martz. Has the JVM in oval mark under the side plate. This is a Pre-3rd Reich era gun.
You guys sold the sister gun (next S/# after mine) a few years ago. 7k range.
Was glad to see the sister gun to mine had the Am Eagle chamber marking, yet NO "GERMANY" export stamping (below barrel/on frame).
Your example also had the lockback feature DWM added to some guns (post product) that were held back in inventory. Mine has this too.👍
These details of the sister gun helped me better understand exactly what I have. Much thanks for doing what you do. 👍
Theodor Eicke the head of Dachau when it open gave out a special Dagger that was marked with a Star of David and Ruinc Marking on the back, I've only seen 2 of them so the KL 1933 Luger could also fall into this category of Dachau made items .
I love this channel! Keep up the great work!
Your program is very educational .
I love watching these videos and I love old German guns. I've occasionally wondered though, how astonished the original owners of these P38s, PPs, Lugers, etc. would be if they saw the zeal with which collectors relish and revere the minor gun variations, that probably would have meant nothing to the original owners in the German military and para military forces.
It's true that German military items are in a class by themselves.
Living in Asia I too had trouble viewing your last video. For future reference for your other overseas viewers, once once I turned on my VPN, the video came right up.
Given that the so-called death's-head Luger was built during WW 1, and the insignia looks to be an after thought, rather than a factory feature, it's probable that the pistol was issued to one of the various Freikorps units that operated in the inter-war period. The death's head insignia was synonymous with the Freikorp at that time.
The other Luger is more likely Dutch, rather than something specific to a particular concentration camp.
Which freikorps do you mean?
Weird... I was just looking at a 1915 DWM Death Head Luger online a few days ago! It had sold awhile back but the page was still archived. I was curious what it sold for!
Artillery used the deaths head in WWI and previous to that also.
Cavalry and Hussars too
Loved the woody wood pecker voice over lol
Thank you for sharing this information and your expertise.
Excellent video again, thanks Doctor Tom!!!!
Thank you for keeping history alive .
I have a KL Luger. brought home by Grandmother's brother. I have heard several theories as to meaning of markings. My KL Luger was made by Erfurt though
i disagree so i am english but in the netherlands KL is still to this day an abreviation of the dutch name of its armed forces i have an ex dutch army tent that is badged KL 92 that KL means this spelling maybe not 100% correct Koningrijk landmacht dutch army in english when you take into account in ww1 the dutch stayed neutral detached from ww1 so still very friendly with their neighbours after the war so that KL means it is a german luger but issued to the dutch military in ww2 still trying to stay neutral they were invaded by germany and forced to surrender but many dutch still had this brotherhood with the germans and many thousands of dutch civilians went to germany to help the german war effort not only that germany recruited soldiers from the dutch young men many thousands of them joined the ss and fought with the germans i think english military equipment was marked WD and the date american equipment marked GI and the date and dutch army equipment is marked KL and the date To this date you are wrong they are netherlands army issued lugers
Then there would be a crap ton of those markings on lugers and thus not rare?
@@Ryan-re1rs loads of them?maybe not! but KL is the marking of the koningrijk landmacht the dutch army,bear in mind they and germany were are neighbours,and netherlands neutral in WW1 and still friendly just before WW2 netherlands also wanted to be neutral in WW2 also,And the dutch were shocked in 1940 when 40,000 german paratroopers invaded netherlands,the army gave a fight but the germans completely destroyed in a bombing run the dutch port town of rotterdam,And netherlands surrendered,It would not be strange some lugers were bought for the dutch army from germany.dated what 1930s netherlands and germany were still very close neighbours.something like 16,000 dutch,boy scouts,and ex dutch military did join the ss,somewhere around 55,000 netherlanders civilians went voluntary to help the the german war effort,in germany.do you know about script how letters are written? thats the same K and the same L as still today on all dutch military equipment.as they say on this video you can see an original marking and over the top of it a big bold KL and a date, I very much doubt that the germans would have used an abreviation of whatever concentration camp ss guards,as KL because KL is a military marking of the dutch royal army,Their next door neighbours.that does not make sense.They are 100% netherlands army marked pistols.UP until 1940,they were not exactly enemys,even after the dutch surrender,many dutch welcomed their arien brothers,maybe thats not spelt right.seriously! dutch resistance right?there pretty much wasnt one,not like the french,and eastern european countries partisans. There were dutch people executed for illegal weapons,and also some kind of passive resistance,but compared to resistance in other occupied countries,not much.up until 1940 they absolutely could have and would have sourced weapons like lugers from their neighbours.Under occupation,who had the job of of rounding up hiding jews? Answer the dutch police,who were under direct control of the german occupiers.And the dutch police did what their new masters told them to do!no military ever would mark their guns with WD,UK GI,US so its just so stupid germans would re-mark guns KL,Why these gun experts didnt spot that marking as dutch,or know about the strange friendly relationship between netherlands and germany between the two world wars I dont know.
I was early enough to see the update video, greetings from Slovakia 🇸🇰
Love your channel! Greetings from South Africa.
To my recollection, SS officer hats had the death head on their front, (just as US army have the American eagle), thus it could be plausible that the Luger with the death head was stamped as personal guns for SS officers
Diese Art Totenkopf gab es früher klassisch bei der Kavallerie-später übernommen bei vielen Panzerfahrern(ähnlich wie bei Apocalypse Now mit der Hubschraubereinheit und Ihrem Kavallerie-patch). In WW2 gab es zum Beispiel viele Panzereinheiten die schwarze Uniform und Totenkopf trugen OHNE irgendwas mit der SS zu tun zu haben-weil es angepasste "alte" Einheiten/Divisionen waren(Husaren,Dragoner,Ulanen,Kosaken).
KL isn't an abbreviation for Konzentrationslager, KZ is.
As always, I could be wrong but I have seen original documents indicating that officer xxx was being transferred from KL Dachau to KL Buchenwald.
Very informative. Thank you
I love the history of these variations.
The "KL" Luger was converted from a Lange or artillery luger. Note the artillery rear sight step just behind the barrel where the front of the receiver joins the barrel. Quite common!
they used the luger for artillery??
Astonishing!
Kurz Lange? A shortened artillery Luger?
@@CeizoBro The crews who served the field piece were armed with these long barreled lugers. I also do not understand the logic used for this weapon, but that's the way it was, way back when!
Not to be devisive, but, all the photos you showed early in the video all showed what I'd call pretty well fed inmates.
The US had camps here with POWS, my mom said they used to see them being trucked out to cut timber in N. Michigan. They were well treated compared to POWs in Europe.
I totally accept the "KL 1933" explanation and like that gun alot. Good thing I have a Fraktur S/42 Luger who might get jealous if I bought it, lol.
Tom , such beautiful piece’s ! So we’ll made you have to wonder how they lost both wars with top quality kit ….?
Keep it coming..👌
Again Tom you hit it out of the park. Great video. The European way of thinking as demonstrated by your censored video is not just strange but sad.
Like most laws they have unintended consequences. Many European countries have laws restricting the use of Nazi imagery. The idea was to keep Nazi's and people sympathetic to Nazi's from spreading their message. The unintended consequence is that it's very difficult to use Nazi imagery to educate people about history. Europe is disgusting anyway.
@@timrobinson6573 the law that applies here is a very recent one. it more or less says that websites are responsible for not showing underage people graphic images, or face immense fines. that means, that if you dont supply them your passport, they will not let you watch the video. ofc one could argue its about a positive ID tied to cookies etc with a real passport and not about protecting children.
you basically need a vpn here now.
Just FYI … I live in Vienna, Austria and here the showing or displaying of a swastika is VERBOTEN. The Party Leader i bought from you cannot get through Customs here for that reason !
Just a question... How often did German soldiers carry lugers compared to p38's? Was it just whatever they had you got or did certain rank receive lugers?
More often p-38s. Simply because they were cheaper to produce
A nice wartime Luger rig is definitely on my short list of next additions to my collection. Just as soon as one comes along for that perfect price, just like the G43 I picked up at SOS!
just saying, you won’t find a wartime luger for cheaper they just get more and more expensive. i’d suggest taking the risk and buying it now
I seen one at the local pawnshop about 10 years ago. They were asking $1200 for it. I almost purchased it, but I didn't know very much about Lugers. SO I purchased an H&K 40 USP compact instead lol. Which was worth every penny.. Still carry it till this very day. One day, I will purchase an authentic wartime Luger. Now that I can somewhat identify them since learning everything from Legacy Collectibles!
Could you do a video looking in-depth at the "police sear safety" modification?
In Australia, we were able to see the whole video.
On the Bucenwald gun and vid i saw it here in australia no probs very powerfull and very sad thankyou for showing us , they should never be forgoten so talking about it and showing the footage is history and should be shown to all so they are not forgoten also yes that is a very beutifull pistol thank you again
You do too good a job to be apologizing and taking flak from these people. I don't understand how but these people are either very uneducated or very, very sensitive. Which I understand the sensitivity when it comes to the Holocaust. BUT, YOU ARE TELLING FACTS AND EDUCATING ON A VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY REAL TIME IN HISTORY!!! You deserve praise for the respectable work you are doing. We cannot forget this. History can always repeat itself and the only way of preventing that is by remembering it and talking about it. And that is what you do is educate people. I think you are a very important channel on RUclips. Please, keep up the awesome work!!
Hi. Great show. Great research. Thanks.
Re KL Luger.
KL is never an abbreviation for Konzentration Lager. De germans always used KZ as abbreviation. Never KL.
KL is the official abbreviation for Koningklijk Leger (Royal Army), as used still today by the royal (dutch) army. It looks like a ‘dutched’ version of a WWI luger. The Netherlands were intimately linked to Germany during and after WWI. Officially neutral, they really were German allies.
With all respect I do not agree with your explanation for the KL 1933.
Also the dead’s head Luger looks phony or at best a private logo.
Best regards
Some people have bad taste. I have a used 1911 that the grips have a skull and crossbones. New grips will replace them for sure. Tom you are the best history teacher. We can never forget the deaths of so many Jews. Racism has not died yet. Only by knowing the past can we hope to make the present better.
It's coming back, led by the Libs. Dark days.
I saw the same skull symbol on Phoenix investment arms website they list it as a freikorps Luger
KL = Konzentrations - Lager ????
In Germany we call it KZ.
KL must mean something different.
KL war die gängige Abkürzung in Deutschland, nicht KZ.
@@VR-ym8ys Stellt sich nur die Frage warum dann nicht die Stadt oder der Bezirk eingraviert wurde. Bundesland, Stadt, Ortsgruppe... Ja. Aber KL macht in dem Zusammenhang keinen Sinn ohne eine Ortsangabe.
Passt da nicht eine andere Behörde?
Oder einfach nur Kaiserslautern?
Ab 1933 gab es dort eine NS Stadtverwaltung. Macht aber auch wenig Sinn ohne eine Benennung der Behörde.
de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspektion_der_Konzentrationslager
IKL würde demnach Sinn geben. Aber ich finde nichts was zu KL passt. Wie viele dieser Waffen sind denn bekannt?
Good one Yan .
Kl. May be Klasse 1933, as in class of 1994, a officers course, the best in class get one?
I notice that both of these pistols have a small rectangular notch just behind where the barrel attaches to the receiver. Were these repurposed artillery lugers?
Actually, yes. I believe they were
The deaths head totenkopf Luger is most probably Freikorps
Excellent video, one minor error; Dachau is in southern Germany ( not eastern ). In the state of Bavaria.
Thanks
@@thomaswhiteman4261 no problem.
Very interesting content as usual x
... as always, an excellent video Tom... may you produce many more interesting and informative videos in the future!.. kudos! 👍
Tom the deaths head was the insignia of the Strum-struppen or storm troops!! a late war shock troops for breaking through enemy lines!!
It was not exclusive and used for a long time, for example in WW1 and before by some Parts of Troops
Thank you. Great content!
Erfurt is a city in Germany, amazing pistol very liking and desirable. To my opinion best pistol ever made. Thanks for your presentation.
Thanks Tom and the guys @ Legacy ... I knew about the deaths head Luger and the various theories about how they came to be but I never knew about the K.L. Luger until just now.
So much to know but so little time ... Pretty soon I will be leaving my collection to ???? someone and Its a not bad collection at that.
You should be running for president 🇬🇧👌👍✅💯
Hi, based in the UK but love your podcasts…interesting and informative and indeed you do strike a great presentation in being laid back and non judgemental…..keep up the good work! WW2 interest. Thank you.
Totenkopf is not a nazi symbol. it was retaken by German army.
Another fine presentation!
Are you really located in Manchester NH, or did i do my research wrong?! Great grandfather from Kittery ME. brought a luger and k98A home from WW2. Im the early 60's he traded the luger to a top tier gunsmith to have him turn the Mauser in to a hunting rifle :(. I have the K98A and shes a beautiful weapon but man i wish it was original. Everything on the gun is matching down to the screws except the stock is gone, sights are gone and the receiver is tapped for a peep sight. 1913 danzig with the 1920 stamps. I don't know why i seem to spam this response every chance i get but i'd love to get particular history on this production model some day
Both examples shown are former P08/14 Artillery pistols, they have the slot for the sight. I suspect the Frankenberry skull is Flamethrower troops from the WWW 1 era, not the 1st and 2nd Leibgarde Huassaren or the 17th Hussaren. Pioniere units had the flamethrower troops, and used this marking. Maybe the SS just used what was available for marking their weapons, or just copied the WW 1 skull and bones.
I freakin love your website! Hopefully one day i can even afford to buy something cool off of it!
greed in capilalism, blinded us of the exact history...which is repeating so to speak
Both of the immediately below comments {Nola_Ken & Alan Vale} reflect what a number of collectors view as likely on the death head lugers. I have read that the lazy S is also the symbol [over a death's head] used by some German flame thrower units in WWI. Personally, I think one of the theories [Frei Korps, or WWI units] makes the most sense. The Waffen SS were hard up for weapons for alot of the early war, and scrounged weapons from the French, Belgium, and Polish arms makers, as well as buying Spanish guns. I don't believe there are Hi Powers or Radoms or Spanish guns with Death head markings. If it was a thing for the SS, you would think it would show up on more types, at least with Radoms, which were heavily incorporated into SS service. I do think the KL Lugers were marked as camp guns.
Pops had 1 with a US Presidential seal stamped on it he said it was the samples they sent to the US before they adopted the 1911 45 I would like to see more info on this piece if you can find one?
KL.1933 could also mean klasse 1933. The translation would be class 1933 that means you finish your class or study in 1933 possibly for officers. The short for concentration camps was usually KZ
My understanding is that the WWI storm troopers wasn’t the same as the nazi SS. I’m under the impression that the Nazi party stole the name to make their units seem more Prestigious.
In WW I, the Germans referred to Canadian troops as storm troopers too
I had two lugers and was an idiot for selling them
I have the rarest Luger of them all, a pre slide lock 1910 commercial dwm that was designed to fire APDS ammunition, as evident from the smooth non existent rifling
hello, for me the two models presented are fake made in the usa ... let me explain. first of all for the kl1933: 1st problem: serial number too high. 2nd problem: no trace of simson fish 3rd problem: all the good kl models encountered have a part of the imperial proof fish. For the death head, it did not have the crowned N fish on the breech, on the slide and on the carcass, this crowned N fish was the civilian proofhouse of shull in the 1930s. The fish was civilian because the ss or its were a para-military organization and could not arm themselves with military weapons, that's all
This is how the market gets controlled, fake it as good as you can but don´t forget the swastika, runes or the death head. Remarkably.
We must never forget what happened if we do we will find ourselves living it all over again
It is not like it is happening in western China or anything.
Believe me- there is a VERY GOOD REASON WHY
nice vid tom
I think because they probab didnt have a deaths head stamp as such maybe the design was made with a number of different stamping tools that were used for different things within the marking of guns ,and maybe the lazy S is really meant to be the symbol for infinite or infinity ,just a stab in the dark
Your pretty wrong with your localization of Dachau. It’s is a small city near Munich, in the southern part of Germany. Hope the rest of your investigations are better executed.
Great video. You are the Man! :)
A bit strange, because the Germans called it KZ, not KL....
I have herd of a couple
45 caliber that were made those must be very rare/ valuable !
I don't think auctions should sell guns that have no provenance.
that's not very capitalistic
Listen to David Irving, Ernest Zundel and David Cole.
There are those who fear the deathshead
love your videos brother
These guy can go to Las Vegas Nevada “pawn stars” they might have a good offer 😂😂👌👌
why is that
It would seem that there would be some German collector or museum that would know more on the origins of these.
the one with the deaths head on if you read my last comment where dutch young men and can also have been serving dutch soldiers with KL marked dutch issue lugers many joined theSS thousands but it is not impossible that some joined the deaths head SS I think oficialy hitlers personal guard division and in wartime or before the war could have joined the german army and had his kl dutch army issue pistol engraved with the deaths head.
Here in Germany, those imagines are just wanted in school, there they overflow us with them.
Dachau is located in Bavaria. In southern Germany. You say a lot of mistakes in your film. Regards Kjell