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LOT 3428
Excellent and Scarce
Late World War II German
Walther “ac 45” Code Zero
Series P.38 Semi-Automatic Pistol
- Serial no. 026659, 9 mm Luger cal., 4
7/8 inch round bbl., blue finish, plastic
grips. Manufactured in 1945, the late war “Zero Series”
P.38 pistols were made using a combination of commercial
components and other found/redirected parts, with an
estimated production total of less than 2,000 as described
on page 189 of Warren H. Buxton’s “ The P.38 Pistol: Volume
Two”. Features fixed blade front and notch rear sights, “ac 45”
production code on the left side of slide with “eagle/swastika”
and “eagle/359” proofs on the right, along with an additional
“eagle/359” proof present on the locking block. Matching serial
numbers found on the barrel, upper right side of the slide, and frame,
with a matching “659” partial on the locking block. Fitted with a pair of
ribbed Bakelite grips marked “P/1529” on the interiors along with a “P.38
v/U” marked blued magazine with un-numbered base. This pistol’s serial
number is exactly 100 digits off from another late war “Zero Series” P.38
pistol in this auction, serial number “026559”, in Lot 1374.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 95% plus original blue finish with a few
areas with some minor edge wear, some minor freckling visible mostly on
the firing pin cover, a few minor faint patches of ghosting on the frame,
and some minor handling marks. The grips are also excellent with some
minor handling wear
and attractive
composite patterning.
Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 2,250 - 3,500
LOT 3427
Early Production Three Digit Serial
Number DWM Model 1900 Swiss
Contract Luger Semi-Automatic Pistol
with Rare Unrelieved Frame and Holster - Serial no. 366, 7.65 mm Luger Auto cal.,
4 3/4 inch round bbl., blue/straw finish, checkered walnut grips. Manufactured in 1900.
This pistol is one of only 2,000 Model 1900 Swiss commercial Lugers manufactured with this
specific pistol being a very early production example with the very first “unrelieved type” frame
which is accompanied by an equally rare “flat button” magazine loading button and early wide
checkered safety lever. These Lugers represent the very first commercial contract pistol sold by
DWM and purchased by Switzerland. This Model 1900 Luger has the early dished toggles with toggle lock, a flat/
recessed breech bolt, no stock lug, grip safety, early style, larger flat safety lever with coarse checkering, early narrow
trigger, flat main spring and fast taper 4 3/4 inch barrel. These pistols also have the “Swiss Cross” in a sunburst on top
of the chamber area with toggle marked “DWM”. The barrel extension has the “Swiss Cross/V” acceptance proof of “Herr
Vogelsang” the Swiss inspector who was assigned to the DWM factory. The top and back side of the rear toggle, and left side
of the barrel all have the small Swiss Cross firing proof. This example still retains the original early “V” notch rear sight.
The front of the frame and underside of the barrel have the full serial number and the various small parts all are
correctly numbered with the last two digits of the serial number, to include the back sides of each grip panel.
Nickel plated magazine with unmarked wooden base and the small circular discs inset into each side of the base.
Includes a Swiss military pattern brown leather holster and strap. The holster is marked “MKAISER/ZURICH”.
CONDITION: Excellent. The pistol retains 90% plus of the original blue finish overall with minor edge and high spot wear. The various
small parts retain 85% of the bright original straw colors overall. The grips are also excellent with a few minor bruises in the otherwise crisp
checkering. Matching numbers. Mechanically the pistol hand cycles correctly; however, the safety will not engage. The holster is very fine with minor
surface scuffs and light stitching. This is a really nice high end condition early and very rare DWM Model 1900 Swiss contract Luger with the equally rare “unrelieved frame” and flat
button magazine.
Estimate: 5,500 - 7,500
LOT 3429
Fine Collection of Decorations and Documents for a Panzer NCO in the
Panzergrenadier Division Grossdeutschland - While not all specifically
documented, multiple documents and objects in this lot are explicitly marked
to a Siegfried Kickstein, an enlisted man/NCO with the Heer during World
War II, who appears to have spent the lion’s share of their career with the
Panzergrenadier-Division Grossdeutschland. Originally founded in the Weimar
Era as a honor guard unit for the city of Berlin, the unit was renamed and
reorganized as a combat unit in 1939, preserving the original unit tradition of
drawing men from all regions of Germany which served as the inspiration for the
name (“Greater Germany”, versus the assorted individual pre-empire kingdoms
that made up Germany). Originally an infantry regiment, Grossdeutschland was
too late for Poland but was right up front for the invasion of France, and would
continue on through the rest of the war, chiefly on the Eastern Front. As the war
went on the Regiment was reorganized multiple times, eventually becoming a
Panzergrenadier Division, though most of the unit would be wiped out in the
East during the final retreat back into Europe; aside from about 800 men who
managed to slip off and surrender to the British, most either died in the East
or got captured by the Soviets. Among the documentation of Kickstein are an
interesting set of bookends, specifically a post-war archival copy of Kickstein’s
Gymnasium graduation records from 1938 (which note him as born in 1921, notably good
in chemistry and biology, poor in mathematics), prior to his enlistment in the Wehrmacht,
and a 1946 German government document (with the Reichsadler seal hastily de-Nazified
by gouging the swastika out of the stamp) declaring Siegfried as officially discharged from
the Wehrmacht and cleared to return home. In between are a number of records, notes
on minor injuries suffered in the field (multiple cases of respiratory distress attributed as
asthma attacks), and award certificates for the Tank Badge in Silver (1941, with Panzer
Abteilung 100, an experimental flamethrower tank unit that would be later converted to
conventional tanks and added to Grossdeutschland during their expansions), Black Wound Badge (1942, with Grossdeutschland), the Iron Cross Second
Class (1942), and the “25” add-on for the Tank Badge (1944). Also present is Kickstein’s Wehrpass identification booklet, a vintage photo of a tank, and a
vintage photo of a panzer NCO; while the loose photo is not marked, comparison with the pic of a young, fresh Kickstein c.1939 suggests the same man
affected by time and combat stress. Also included is the silver-on-black Grossdeutschland cuff title, a single shoulder strap for an Unteroffizer with the
Grossdeutschland “GD” badge, aluminum ID badge reading “O 197/1./Pz.L.Rgt.”, Black Wound Badge, Silver Tank Badge with “25”, and a pinback-style
Iron Cross.
CONDITION: Very good overall. The paper items show wear and tear appropriate to age, with some of the award certificates showing signs of the actual
medals being pinned to them to keep everything together. The cloth and metal items are in similar condition.
Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection.
Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000