300. German Model 1908 Second Issue Navy Pistol Used by the I.R.A. in the Easter Uprising of 1916
serial #9174a, 9mm, 5 1/8" barrel with a fine, bright bore that has minor freckling within the grooves. This "(crown)/M", Kaiserliche Marine stamped pistol has all matching numbers and retains 90% of the original blue finish that has silvered on the edges and wear points as well as some minor scratches and impact marks on the left side of the frame. The barrel has been cut just behind the muzzle swell and a sporting rifle bead sight installed in an added dovetail. The trigger, takedown lever, magazine release, safety, and ejector have about 50% of the original straw color remaining with the balnce turned to a dark freckled gray patina and the wooden grip panels are in very good shape; intact but with some flattening of the points. An import stamp is present on the underside of the receiver rail which reads, "T.S.A. GALAX, VA. CAL. 9P GERMANY DUBLIN 1916", and a single non-matching magazine is included. The pistol is accompanied by a dossier of papers which include an April 3, 1991 dated rough draft of an "Auto Mag" magazine article by William B. Evans in which he recounts his 1948 discovery of a cache of Lugers in a military depot in Ireland (Clancy Barracks, Dublin) which, he was told, had arrived in 1916 on the German submarine U-19 along with the prominent Irish revolutionaries Sir Roger Casement and Robert Montieth in order to take part in the ill-fated Easter Uprising. According to Mr. Edwards, who finally succeeded in purchasing the guns from the Irish government in 1991, most were Navy Lugers of various types along with a few LP.08 Artilleries mixed in and this particular pistol with the shortened barrel and added front sight is specifically mentioned in his article. Casement, a British nobleman of Irish descent, was eventually captured and executed as a traitor along with most of the other leaders of the Uprising. Also included are a copy of a 1991 dated, Irish Ministry of Defence invoice for 28 Luger pistols (this serial number is listed as part of the group), a January 10, 1991 Irish Ministry of Defence "Authorization to Collect" form for 28 "Serviceable" "Para 9mm Medium" pistols, two letters on Irish Ministry of Defence stationery concerning the purchase of the pistols, and two notarized letters by Mr. Edwards concerning the history of these U-19 pistols. This is a fantastic opportunity to own a rare Navy Luger in very good condition that took part in one the most tragic and bloody episodes of the struggle for Irish independence. (74443-2) {C&R} (2000/4000)
SOLD FOR $5175.00 |
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