P08 Art. for my birthday

PICKELMAX

Member
It is surely one of the nicest gifts that I never get during all my life!

One of my best friends gave me this gun for my birthday. It was found about twoo years ago, during some retoration works in an old farm near Clermont Ferrand in France. You know what, I believe that I'm happy!
 
I did it with some penetrating oil like WD40 and here is the result.
This gun is definitively out of order but is it a better way to clean it and stop the damage of the rust?
 
WD40 is not a good oil to preserve, only to dissolve rust, it will damage the steel with time. It would be better to clean the WD40 off when you finish cleaning, and oil with light oil.
 
"...during some restoration works in an old farm near Clermont Ferrand..."
This sounds like a fairy tale Maxime. Do you have more details? Where was it found and how did it get there?...
 
911car said:
"...during some restoration works in an old farm near Clermont Ferrand..."
This sounds like a fairy tale Maxime. Do you have more details? Where was it found and how did it get there?...

I will ask for some details but the guy who offered me this gun is one of my best friends (really not a militaria addict!) and he found it in the house of an another friend of ours, sorry but it is the true story and not a "fairly tale". I believe that this gun was brought back by a WW1 veteran and it was probably hidden during the WW2. I can understand that it could drive some collectors to be sceptical, perhaps a bit jealous, but it's the truth and only the truth.
 
Gustaf said:
WD40 is not a good oil to preserve, only to dissolve rust, it will damage the steel with time. It would be better to clean the WD40 off when you finish cleaning, and oil with light oil.

Hi Gus, what do you mean for "light oil", do you have the name of a good product?
Thanx
 
PICKELMAX said:
Gustaf said:
WD40 is not a good oil to preserve, only to dissolve rust, it will damage the steel with time. It would be better to clean the WD40 off when you finish cleaning, and oil with light oil.

Hi Gus, what do you mean for "light oil", do you have the name of a good product?
Thanx

By light oil, I mean a low viscosity petroleum oil, avoid any penetrating oils as some have acid in them to help dissolve rust, WD40 is made from fish oil and other things that are detrimental to many metals. I use Conoco Turbine oil 32, but that is because I buy it in 55 gallon drums. Oil sold for sewing machines should be good as I would guess that shops there do not sell gun oil:)
 
PICKELMAX said:
911car said:
"...during some restoration works in an old farm near Clermont Ferrand..."
This sounds like a fairy tale Maxime. Do you have more details? Where was it found and how did it get there?...

I will ask for some details but the guy who offered me this gun is one of my best friends (really not a militaria addict!) and he found it in the house of an another friend of ours, sorry but it is the true story and not a "fairly tale". I believe that this gun was brought back by a WW1 veteran and it was probably hidden during the WW2. I can understand that it could drive some collectors to be sceptical, perhaps a bit jealous, but it's the truth and only the truth.

Maxime, "fairy tale" did not mean an invented story! I have no doubt that this happened as you said. Fairy tale refers to something that does not happen in real life (conte de fees), in this case a dream find for a collector. Any regimental markings you can make out on the gun or holster?
 
Yes, Bruno, in this case it's really a "Fairly Tale", an old dream of childrenhood.

An old lady offered to me my twoo first Pickelhaubes when I was 11 years old, they came from his father who died in the second battle of the Marne... today, it's for me the same feeling as the day I did get these helmets. It's just the realization of a dream, I'm in a little cloud even if I never will fire with this gun.

No, any regimental markings on the gun and on the holster, just the maker's stamp "DWM" and the year "1917".
 
PICKELMAX said:
Thanx Gus!

What's you opinion about hot used oil for gear box?
I would say "no" to any used oil, as it will usually have contaminants. By the way, this is one of the coolest P 08 Lang Pistoles I have seen.
 
Please Gus, what does it mean "no round chambered"?

Excuse me but with such an item, I'm like an absolut begginer... it's a bit different than a Tschapka!
 
PICKELMAX said:
Please Gus, what does it mean "no round chambered"?

Excuse me but with such an item, I'm like an absolut begginer... it's a bit different than a Tschapka!
It means that there is no cartridge in the barrel of the pistol, when there is a cartridge in a P 08, the extractor sticks up at the top center of the bolt face. The Germans even engraved "Geladen" on that part. Yours is safe by my view of it.
 
Yes, thanx Gus, I knew that and especially since I've seen this moovie of "butchers" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_SE5FuuIg8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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