1945: The French Occupy Mauser and Make Lugers

[@Ari--d]

Ian: what, a luger, im not doing anoter german gun video They're french Ian: Hey guys, thanks for tuning in to another video on forgotten weapons

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

lmao

[@nandospm]

Every tevery time I hear artillery Luger I imagine a giant 105mm toggle lock howitzer pistol

[@doyouseetorpedoboats8893]

Search “mega 1911 h3vr”. Its pretty close.

[@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097]

Have you heard of a prophet named Furrer?

[@krisskringle920]

a shell of the artillery luger fell on heinz again, a shame :(

[@jacobums4538]

“HAUNZ GET ZEE HOWITZER LUGER” 😂

[@jamietus1012]

I think you may be possessed by the spirit of adolf furrer

[@vchalmel]

Ian be like "You know what would be better than a Luger ? Luger but French !"

[@FrontSideBus]

Be interesting to see Ian watch Sharpe 😂

[@daer2121]

Ian is correct.

[@arttrashuberalles7223]

A Luguerre, if you will.

[@ri7ani]

luger au fromage

[@AsbestosMuffins]

*Stereotypical French Laughter*

[@douglaslain5962]

I wonder how many of these trophy Lugers ended up with a much more embellished backstory than, "I bought it at the factory."

[@AshleyPomeroy]

"So anyway I tackled Goering's driver to the ground..."

[@TheBigOne0305]

They were all taken from high ranking SS officers, right after singlehandedly storming the MG42 nest with just a knife and a few grenades, obviously!

[@carlcarlton764]

@@AshleyPomeroy Bodyguard, bodyguard. ;)

[@MrJolte]

@@carlcarlton764 Luftwaffe officer, Luftwaffe officer. ;)

[@IceWolfLoki]

I bought it at the factory does sound better than "I stole it off a passed out Englishman or American" or "I took it off a member of the french resistance that tried to murder me"

[@Ninjat126]

"French Occupation Luger" Ah yes, these must be Lugers made in occupied France! wait

[@michaelrogers4157]

Same.

[@mrjohnbrush]

@GastonJ Hey, just chill a bit. No French bashing is going on here. We know that the Free French never gave up the fight and accomplished some remarkable military achievements ;-)

[@libertyprime3753]

@GastonJ dude you need to calm your jets way down

[@FirstnameLastname-do1px]

@GastonJ Calm tf down, he wasn’t bashing France.

[@Ninjat126]

@GastonJ No arguments there. It's just that mostly when you hear about "French occupation" in the context of WWII, they're talking about the occupation OF France and not the occupation of other territories BY France.

[@KazakhToon]

Germans: Bundeswhere? Austrians: Bundeshere.

[@brittakriep2938]

Bundeswehr postwar german armed forces Bundesheer postwar austrian forces. Formerly Armee ( word of french origin/ les armes- the weapons) and Heer ( word of germanic origin, in pre 1066 anglosaxon ,here') had often been used intechargeable, sometimes still now, but in german armed force Heer means groundforces which are called army in english language countries.

[@Redchrome1]

@@brittakriep2938 thank you, I've wondered about that for years.

[@matthayward7889]

I’m always surprised just how much German equipment & arms the French used after WWII. Edit: I should clarify, I’m particularly surprised at how much German stuff the French *paid* to have manufactured new (Panthers, FW190, Lugers) when there was so much surplus around. I know there was a concern about it kicking off with the Soviet’s immediately post war, but the lend Lease nations (Britain in particular) were just straight up dumping stuff in the ocean.

[@cptpayday2080]

So is this why so many african armies and also rebels used Kar98k´s in post colonial conflicts in the 60s as ive seen on lots of photographs along with french submachineguns?

[@User_Un_Friendly]

Considering the apocryphal stories about how many Nazis ended up in the Foreign Legion after WW2, it seems fitting. 🤐

[@skirk248]

@@cptpayday2080 largely that and the guns left over from the African front of ww2

[@surcouf4884]

The fw190 was hated by french pilote

[@chrissilsby4312]

I seen a photograph in a book series of photography history of WORLD WAR 2. It was a photo of a landing craft loaded with rifles and pistols, the description says that the weapons were loaded to dump the into the sea.

[@klonowskierklartrohrleitun4241]

must be major treat for our favourite frankophile

[@davidweikle9921]

Makes one wonder what he'll bid on them.

[@_ArsNova]

3 guesses what Ian will have with his Berthier when he does his historical French 2-gun.

[@davidbrennan660]

At last a Lugar of interest.

[@carlcarlton764]

The WR stamp: Werks Revision = Factory reconditioned. So yes, put together from leftover parts.

[@mr.international2778]

Producer: Hey Ian! We have interesting French gun with historical significance for you to look at. Ian: This is a Luger... Producer: Precisely.

[@TheMandalp]

well Ian doesnt have a producer Forgotten Weapons is Just Ian. So Ian conviced Ian to mak a video about a French Used Firearms wich is all what Ian need to do this Video

[@litkeys3497]

@@TheMandalp switch producer for Auction Manager or some such

[@wino0000006]

"Mauser is Mauser but they call it Le Mauser."

[@vincentkermorgant]

When my grand father died (he was a regimental armorer in the french army) we found a ton of P08 and P38 spare parts still in their french grease paper bags in his workshop so on top of the complete Lugers the french raided a lot of spare parts and he probably acquired them when the pistols got phased out of french military inventory

[@vonmazur1]

Ian: The five pointed star indicates foreign made weapons accepted into French service, like on the heel of Ruby Pistols and Spanish revolvers from WW 1. I brought an Erfurt P 08 back from Nam in 69, with the French Star on the barrel extension.

[@AllThingsFlightSim]

Still have it?

[@vonmazur1]

@@AllThingsFlightSim Sold it some time ago..

[@rubenskiii]

Somewhere out there must be a (grand)son watching and go "Oh dammmmn... So that's how (grand)dad got a Luger in 'Nam...".

[@RoyOrbisonsElvisTape]

Also, due to the whole "plausable deniability" thing, the C.I.A. "may or may not" have brought lugers into Indo-China

[@shatterquartz]

The French also found a bunch of BMW jet engines in their occupation zone. They gathered what German engineers they could find, restarted the production line, and later on moved the whole thing to France where it became part of SNECMA.

[@Balrog2005]

And SNECMA is still the only french, and one of the world few, jet engine maker in 2021...

[@ArcturusOTE]

@@Balrog2005 well aside from General Electric, Pratt and Whitney and.... I guess Rolls Royce?

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@ArcturusOTE plus a couple companies in the former USSR and a couple more in China.

[@michaelpalmer8098]

Wow, I never heard of this, that is so cool

[@romainlapie6362]

American who were doing paperclip in every domain possible were quite pissed off when French secret agent "stole" the German chief ingeneer specialized in jet engines just under their nose (The French offer was a very good one, he could move with all his family, his workteam and their family and he will get a factory for himself and it would be not far from Germany, he just couldn't say no.

[@MStryker40]

"Fruger"

[@markfergerson2145]

Why not, we have "Fruby"@ 13:23

[@carlcarlton764]

Lush?

[@orangecream3340]

Frugers made by the frogs

[@petesheppard1709]

Enlightenment happens! Thanks! I worked for a milsurp distributor back in the '90s, and wondered about the abundance of inexpensive Lugers. This clears it up.

[@keithallardice6139]

I did not know this happened ... totally unaware of this wee patch of history, but it makes perfect sense - why wouldn't you do exactly this, if you were the French?? Thanks Ian, very, very interesting!!

[@Marcel_Germann]

At the end of 1940s and at the beginning of 1950s a lot of Germans were also in the French Légion étrangère fighting in Indochina. In the Battle of Dien Bien Phu round about 50% of the soldiers on the French side were Germans. That's the reason some German soldier songs are still in use in the Legion, like the "Westerwald" or "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden" for example. The brother of my Grandma was actually there back then. And now there are many people in there from the former eastern block, and it sounds really funny when they sing Westerwald with a big East-Europe accent. And they also left their mark there for example by implementing the word "Kurwa" into the legions language repertoire.

[@drdoom-skull2244]

Germans who served in the Legion were nicknamed "boulons" after the bolts of the German helmet. I Very much doubt they were as many as 50% of German soldiers in DBP. Paratroopers and colonial regiments were regular French units. Plus you had many units made of people from North Africa, from Indochina. Only the Legion would have had Germans, among other nationalities.

[@SidneyBroadshead]

A lot of German Legionnaires in Indochina were teenagers recruited from the refugee and internment camps. Most had no place to go because their part of Germany was occupied by the Communists and they would definitely have been sent to the Gulags. There were also the pre-war German Legionnaires who were left in North Africa to hold down the fort while the other Legionnaires went to the Levant and Italy. The crazy myth that entire SS battalions of hardened veterans were transferred to the Legion is based on hokey articles in American pulp magazines of the 1950s and 60s. The war had bled the German Army white, leaving only teenagers, old men and cripples leavened with _Hilfer_ units made up of fanatical children.

[@Axemantitan]

Apparently, "Kurwa" is Polish for "fuck!" www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kurwa

[@drdoom-skull2244]

@@lptomtom You should post this as a stand-alone post, there are many posts repeating that misconception and your post is very useful at clarifying.

[@romainlapie6362]

In the legion in Indochina itself there wasn't even 50% of german, 35% at best, and a similar proportion of French, the rest being other nationality.

[@AluminumStud]

I was able to get a BH marked CMP 1911 about a year ago. It somehow went from US custody to the new austrian army and then back to USA/me.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Apparently a lot of US military aid was expected to be returned if the holding government surplused it. See also M1 Carbines from South Korea. Edit: and SCORE getting a CMP 1911!

[@dylancowmeadow4280]

Hmm, I wonder if the German workers kept 'losing' the French Star punch, and so had to go back to the German Eagle N.

[@user-up3yk9zv6g]

I just listened to Ian talk about serial numbers for eight minutes.....and loved it 💟

[@happytrigger3946]

6:20 I like to think some drunk french-man misplaced the french proof stamps and they had no choice but to use the eagle proof marks again lol

[@Ninjat126]

It's amusing to think about how many unsolved historical mysteries might have explanations this simple. But we'll probably never know.

[@drdoom-skull2244]

Or they just had one set of stamps they borrowed from Chatelleraut, which they had to give back when they started making MAC50.

[@Ninjat126]

@@drdoom-skull2244 either way, I imagine it would have been an awkward transition back.

[@blu35cr3w]

It is always fun and informative to watch your videos. Learning a lot of stuff I'll probrably never need but like to know.

[@sullivanrachael]

I kind of know what happened to Mauser Obendorf next; the French used demolitions on the factory. I didn’t know they used up the remaining parts to produce more guns. My question is why they blew up one of the best arms plants in Europe? A case of ‘if we can’t have it, nobody can’; or something more symbolic; destruction of a German factory that made equipment for war?

[@andreww2098]

That and everyone was worried about the Soviets invading the rest of Europe starting with the rest of Germany and they didn't want them having it!

[@brittakriep2938]

The Schwedenbau/ swedish building is still standing, it contains two museums, you can watch with one ticket. The Waffenmuseum shows weapons from Königlich Württembergische Waffenfabrik ( including lancepoints!), Mauser ( also civilian products like caliphers or bureau equipment and two cars), Heckler & Koch and Feinwerkbau. The Heimatmuseum shows the history of Oberndorf region, also interessting, because some objects from former town militias and weapon relicts from alemannic warrior graves.

[@KageMinowara]

Thank you for making this video Ian.

[@fritzkuhne2055]

Ian, forgotten weapons: "everyone loves Lugers"

[@augustomotolo2172]

For more info up Mauser occupation look for this book THE WEAPONS OF THE FUHRER AT THE SERVICE OF FRANCE

[@jeffbruh3253]

The perfect sidearm for Ian

[@mudy7471]

Wow french luger something i didnt knowi needed

[@Haze-Li]

Love the channel hope your in John Wick 4 also could you make a firearms of Germany Playlist

[@VuvuzelaMagique]

Find someone who looks at you the way Ian looks at these French Lugers

[@darrenerickson1288]

Do I even want to know even approximately how much these are estimated at? Or any well running Luger?

[@chrissilsby4312]

I want to hear about the story about Mauser train. It sounds interesting and I did not know about it.

[@jmjedi923]

I believe he talks about it in his sturmgeveher 45 video, if not it's one of the other years of it

[@EddieRiggsBF3]

@@jmjedi923 Yep. It's in this video about Gerat 06, it start about 5 min. Not much info, but at least some. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKOumX15aJqEiKM

[@agustinperretta1043]

Wish granted by gun Jesus

[@tomjoseph1444]

Little side note about Lugers. In the early 70s I was involved with a major collection of Lugers. A man had found many cases of P08s in a undisclosed location, presumably in South America. He said nothing and had friends hit all the gun shows at once and sell them for the going price at the time. Approximately $600. Had he said anything about finding the lot, the price would have plummeted.

[@chlebowg]

Austria was divide into three zones like Germany from French/British/US sectors. Those countries were to supply arms for the local police. I had a US M1 Carbine that was a Bavarian Rural Police and then sent to Austria for use by their Grendemeire in the Salzburg region.

[@wippmi76]

4 zones! You forget the Russian sector in Eastern Austria

[@chlebowg]

@@wippmi76 You're right, I did forget

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

@@wippmi76 There was one time the Soviets used to be in Vienna...

[@brittakriep2938]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 : For a short time after wwl Bavaria was a Soviet Republik. No joke.

[@wippmi76]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 i am from Vienna ;-)

[@jizzmonkey9679]

Bet there were a lot of drivers who were more than happy to receive one of these rather than a mac50.

[@jizzmonkey9679]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine a couple of people with 9 toes were happy to get rid of the ruby.

[@henrikoldcorn]

All the shiny metal on number 43 is absolutely gorgeous.

[@SteamCrane]

At 8:00, the flower is an Edelweiss.

[@tacocin]

The French did the same with Model 98 Trainer in 22LR called the MAS-45. A really sweet 22!

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Got a video on those coming shortly...

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@ForgottenWeapons you found some *really* cool stuff at Morphy's this trip!

[@sindarpeacheyeisacommie8688]

The Luger has one of the most interesting history of any handgun.

[@gk.spinoza]

Speaking of the French, I would absolutely love it if Ian did a special episode or two covering the myriad of "Velo-Dog" Revolvers and the cartridges they fired, which were popular civilian self defense pocket pistols in France and Europe at the same time as suicide specials were popular in North America 🔫

[@RedXlV]

As to why they would go back to the German eagle proof after having used the French star on the 2nd variation? My guess would be that their die for the French star broke, and it wasn't considered worthwhile to ship a new one in from France.

[@AlistairAi]

So we got French Lugers under occupying Mauser Factories, and we got Dutch Lugers under license copy for the Dutch East Indies Army. What else we got?

[@SidneyBroadshead]

Swiss P00/06 Lugers, Swiss P06/29 Lugers, rebuilt post-WW1 German "1920" Lugers, and Finnish M23 Lugers. Axis countries had stamped Lugers as well.

[@comiketiger]

I had never heard of these. So interesting. Thanks Ian. God bless all here.

[@daktari]

It's not a eagle, it's a chicken on a bike, according to veterans I know.

[@ChristianWDegn]

Thanks Ian!

[@matteboggi7241]

I hope that a video with the french k98 will come out

[@marks_sparks1]

Cool wow knew there was a L'Uger

[@flo__60]

le luger

[@samuelclayton4405]

Beautiful piece.

[@DadofTwinGirls-uo9xe]

Would you ever do a video on how you research and prepare for these videos. How do you know so much?

[@OhioTravelswithKris]

I'd go for that too!

[@whoshotashleybabbitt4924]

He is Gun Jesus, the firearms messiah. No prep needed for what he speaks becomes gospel.

[@TheNapalmFTW]

Books

[@zacharyrollick6169]

Well, well, well. How the turntables.

[@mattisvov]

The title of this video: Not a sentence I would ever had expected to hear nor read.

[@chrissanchez9935]

Thank You for sharing.

[@dukeofwar1003]

Hey Ian! Love your Videos! I'd love to see one about the Super rare Korean QTS - 11...somewhat OICW?

[@methodeetrigueur1164]

I knew that French army used P.08 after war (like Walther productions : PP, PPK, P.38. Manurhin also built Walthers). But I was wondering if Mauser just used old stocks or rebuilt new Lugers.

[@methodeetrigueur1164]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine The French obtained them as war damages.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@methodeetrigueur1164 that makes total sense. The French were hurting for guns, and the Mauser factory got to stay open. I'd bet that the guns were at a markup compared to regular price, too.

[@matejmatej3554]

One of my favorite gun ever is luger

[@geofftimm2291]

Which commercial Luger is the best looking? Fine finish, inside and out? Geoff Who is a shooter not a collector.

[@emergingloki]

Hi Ian. There is a mark on the side of the toggle just forward of the pivot on the low number gun not present on the other. It can be clearly seen in the comparison shot at 4.20. it this an official mark? A 'ding'? Machining mark?

[@JustanOlGuy]

Ian needs a new channel "Cool stories for a different time"...!Where tangents are freely followed.

[@strychnine6048]

Wuld there be any more information on that train with interesting stuff books document etc..

[@ScottKenny1978]

Shows up a bit in the last ditch rifle videos and in the MP44 overview video.

[@piotrsyczak]

Both with FXO magazines. Maybe next video about various Luger magazines ?

[@chinabluewho]

But who owns the Luger in 2022 ? I haven't seen any new lugers on the market in 2022 and I have yet to see any odd ball catridges like .32 ACP or 9mm Dillon for the gun but interest seems insanely high for a SS double stacked Luger in .380 .

[@ketchman8299]

As usual, more "Really? How cool!" information from Ian.

[@nytia117]

Ian, did the Germans make use of the French arms production facilities during the war and if so, what did they produce ?

[@MRB1157]

Yes it did happen. I believe a French prototype submachine gun was produced in small numbers for the Germans.

[@Zorglub1966]

Yes, Mas 38, PA35S, PA35A

[@methodeetrigueur1164]

Châtellerault M24/29, MAB C, MAB D...

[@ForgottenWeapons]

They did, but not as much as you might expect. A few French long arms were made (MAS 38 SMGs and .22 trainer MAS 36 rifles) but used for French security services. St Etienne made receivers for the G43, but not complete guns. Chatellerault made K98k bayonets.

[@nytia117]

@@ForgottenWeapons Thanks !

[@pineapplesalad6494]

oh how the turntables

[@hanktorrance6855]

Anything luger is interesting, one of the most storied and beautiful firearms ever designed

[@robertlapadura5553]

Any examples of a GI bringback of a NVA Luger?

[@TheMandalp]

i dont think that there are a lot of east German NVA(Nationale Volksarmee) in Beginnwith. and probly even Lesser to that a American GI would get his hands on one.

[@robertlapadura5553]

@@TheMandalp Actually, I was thinking Viet Nam.

[@SidneyBroadshead]

There might have been. Between the captured and French-made Lugers in South Vietnam and Soviet and Warsaw Pact military aid to North Vietnam, there were probably a few floating around. The humidity of the jungle and the rainstorms were probably very hard on them. The NVA used 9x19mm Parabellum as a standard round throughout the war because all of the surplus sidearms they received from the Warsaw Pact were in 9mm. The "International Treaty of Friendship" forced the Warsaw Pact to adopt Soviet weapons and to dispose of their non-compliant weapons as military aid.

[@vonmazur1]

@@SidneyBroadshead I brought home an Erfurt Luger in 69. It had the French five pointed star on the barrel extension. Otherwise it was German marked. I encountered a lot of WW 1 German weapons in Nam.

[@charles_wipman]

That Luger at the left look indeed brand new.

[@themasterofdisastr1226]

Reminds me of an auction review a few years ago: "And then we have some St. Entienne Lugers..." 'Theres no way in hell Ian doesnt own one of these..' "[...] They were made in Germany and just resold by the St. Entienne Arsenal[...] but it looks like sb wasted a lot of money on this one this one, I bought mine for like 10% of that..." 'Of course you did, why did I even ask myself that?!??'

[@krisskringle920]

now.. do they make these in 7.5 french long?

[@LeFeuauxpoudres]

Hello Ian, here's an article in French which is the reference on the subject as Kri1942 is working on those French Lugers since a very long time! www.tircollection.com/t12525-reflexions-sur-la-production-de-pistolets-luger-par-mauser-en-1945-1946

[@drdoom-skull2244]

With regard to French forces using a mix of everything possible, I read they had at least 10 different small arms ammos in service. On anecdotal level, my grandfather was in an armed French resistance group (a "maquis") and it seems he had an M1 carbine and a Beretta pistol. No doubt tgey also had captured MP40s, and what not. All these armed groups were merged into the FFI then the regular French forces. My father served in the 1950s and they were equipped with Stens and later, he raised to NCO and he had a 1911 as his issued weapon.

[@johnnydollar666]

Sacre Gun Bleu!

[@lolroflpmsl]

I'm surprised they didn't chamber these in .32 French Longue!

[@ScottKenny1978]

Too much rework. Boltface and toggle would need to be redesigned. Easier to standardize the new guns on 9mm, and put the rest of the army there, too!

[@jaywarren5261]

Plot twist: Ian travels back in time to oversee production of these pistols as a French Army officer. Mon Colonel Ian...

[@1SilverDollar]

Continued: Ian has one if not, all the P08 carbines.

[@reddogsaws]

At 4:25 Ian almost said a swear

[@jacobums4538]

Oh No AnYtHiNg BuT tHaT

[@Niinsa62]

About how the Lugers ended up in Austria, and when, since the Austrians weren't allowed to have an Army until the early fifties. I used to have a colleague thirty years ago who was Austrian, and he was sixteen back in 1945. He just barely avoided being drafted into the Nazi Army, saved by the bell, in the form of the end of the war. And then, later in 1945 or maybe 1946, to help support his family (parents and siblings) that was very hard pressed for cash in the chaos of a lost world war, he joined the Gendarmerie which was what the Austrians were allowed to have, officially a police force. But he said there was nothing police about it, they were Gebirgsjäger, or mountain ranger troops. They climbed rock faces with no proper climbing gear, using regular nuts and bolts hammered into crevices to secure their hemp ropes. He said he was scared stiff but his parents needed the money so he clenched his teeth and kept going. And they did weapons training. Their officers were very good and very tough, all having served in the Nazi Army, and some of them probably still Nazis, he said. This was an army in all but name. A tiny one, and very poorly equipped, but still. So I guess they would have needed weapons like Lugers already in 1945 or 1946. The BH stamp must be later, obviously, but the guns themselves might have found use in Austria earlier. I have no idea about that, my colleague never mentioned Lugers, but perhaps his story might give a bit of context to post-war Austria.

[@SidneyBroadshead]

West Germany had a similar thing, except they had to purge Nazi officers. Austria didn't have enough manpower to afford to do that, but did purge the really dyed-in-the-wool Nazis from the upper echelons. West Germany used M1 and M2 Carbines during the occupation. The NATO classification for the ammo was 7.62mm Kurz because the carbines were mostly used in the German Occupation Zone.

[@yoda5565]

Ian, VERY interesting video. It would be great if you could do more WW2 small arms that found their way into the "Cold War" and how they were re-arsenaled and marked. I know Israel used quite a few German small arms in the 1949 war of liberation. Were these weapons ever put through a re-acceptance by the nations that used them? I still chuckle at the photos of MP44's you see still floating around today in the third world. The French also made P38's in their zone. Notably the two tone versions. The Russians made P38's for the VOPO from the Spreewerk (CYQ) factory. It's a really IMPORTANT subject as these items have created some confusion, especially in the "old" gun show days. Thanks

[@jacobums4538]

Ean, you and your French stuff I swear Also quick question Ian! : I recently saw your vedio on the cauchaut(excuse my miss spelling) and you reported “The cheek well is extremely uncomfortable and the signs are hard to get a picture of” do you change any of your opinion on it? Also I did hear a lot that most of their “reliability issues” can form the 30-06 conversations that the U.S Marines tried using that hellish cartridge in that thing

[@balazslaudisz9733]

I imagin they lost the proofing stamp.

[@SidneyBroadshead]

Or it was a longer trip to the French proofing house than to the German one.

[@jonhedrick7440]

One tear just fell in my beer 🍻

[@LilSwinney]

Maybe someone here can help me I've been browsing the auction site and several of the guns have bores with a ME score and a TE score. What are those, every time I try and google it I get a load of nonsense that has nothing to do with firearms.

[@ashley587]

Does anyone know more about the "trainload of interesting stuff" Ian mentioned? I'd love to learn more about what the Allies found.

[@janwacawik7432]

Check out his Gerät 06M video.

[@666toysoldier]

Since much of the Indochina fighting was being done by the Foreign Legion, which had taken in many Germans (both regular army and SS---they didn't care), it isn't surprising that they used a lot of German equipment.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Not that much. No Germans in the paratroopers, for example. And despite the German troops being used as meat shields for French troops, there were fewer than 3000 dead Germans in Indochina. Total, not just DBP.

[@basedkaiser5352]

At this point my country should just grant you a French citizenship lol

[@austinhughes6852]

A French made Luger pistol.Definitely sounds like something right up Ian’s alley.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

Let's not forget the sudden influx of FFL forces fighting in Indochina who spoke fluent German & were *extremely* familiar with German weapons of all types... ;-)

[@ScottKenny1978]

Not that large. It was maybe 10% of the troops there that were German, and only 10% of those were SS.

[@erikjohnson2389]

Sort of unrelated but my grandpa told me they still make lugers and that I could still buy a brand new one. I am skeptical but if anyone can either verify or disprove this I would very much appreciate it. I did try to look it up myself but I didn't really find anything, hoping I was just looking in the wrong places. Please leave me a link or brand to look for if it's really true.

[@fritzkuhne2055]

interesting stuff on the wall behind him...

[@harryspeakup8452]

Seems to bring some balance, given all the FN Browning Hi-Powers that the Germans helped themselves to after over-running Belgium

[@methodeetrigueur1164]

And all polish Radom VIS 35s made for the Wehrmacht.

[@drdoom-skull2244]

The Germans also re-used MAS 36 and B1 tanks. It's a common thing to do, and a very logical thing to do.

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I remember reading somewhere that the Kriegsmarine ended up adopting British battledress for their U-Boat uniforms because the Germans captured huge stocks of them at Dunkirk.

[@randallkelley3599]

Used to be a guy near Sacramento, CA who would take two Luger's, cut them in half, and weld em up, making 45acp Luger's. The work was flawless. Very expensive even for the 1980's. I believe he has passed by now, but his guns demand well over $4,000 each, when they are seen for sale.

[@SidneyBroadshead]

I think it was P38s, not Lugers. Ian has a video about them. I think Ruger Arms did a .45 ACP Luger in the 1970s or 80s.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Lugerman makes replicas now. Or did, I've heard he may have passed. Stupidly expensive, like $10k.

[@WTF1wr1ownage]

Flüger?

[@lathanchurch8352]

I would love to see you play military games like men of war amd call to arms, and other games like hotdogs horseshoes and hand grenades

[@Mustard_Face]

Regular German Luger Ian: I sleep French Occupation Luger Ian: I wake

[@AsbestosMuffins]

"Not all the normally serialized parts are serialized on french produced lugers" Ah well that's technically an improvement

[@TheBigOne0305]

*gasps in German*

[@benholroyd5221]

4:28 that marking means its mine. I'd have edited that slip out btw. This is a family channel.

[@JessZomb]

Modernization of the Luger might be lucrative

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine I mean, even the Germans themselves stop using the Luger as the primary handgun by 1942 due to aforementioned economic reason...

[@travishabursky4362]

Ah oui, le lugére.

[@cgleewhite]

I'm just curious, I've been watching forgotten weapons for a long time now, and have seen a lot of lugers and heard the numbers made of each, and I understand why certain ones are expensive but why is there so many that are ordinary nothing special kind are still over a thousands of dollars

[@SidneyBroadshead]

It's cool looking, like the C96 Mauser. They are also excellent target pistols because of their natural pointing ergodynamics. In a war movie, nothing says "Prussian aristocrat officer" like a Luger. Ones with special markings, like those issued to German SS and Axis troops, are rare. And civilian market pistols are finer grade because they weren't beat up by generations of apathetic conscripts or desperate servicemen in frontline combat.

[@redcat9436]

Supply and demand.