UBB.threads Forums General Militaria Historic and Period Firearms Forum P-38 Lanyards ?

I've noticed that all P-38's from all 4 factory sources have a place on the lower left grip where a lanyard could be attached, yet I have never seen a photo of a lanyard. I do not remember ever seeing one for sale.

Anybody else wonder about this besides me? Anyone got pictures?

Dave

Here is what the internet has to say. apparently there are 4 recognized pre WWII types. Perhaps someone that knows something can post them.

Thanks, Jim,

Presumably, you wore that loop around your neck. So, you got off your last shot and could not even throw the pistol at that Russian ... and then he grabbed the lanyard, pulled and ... grrrkkk.

I'll bet those are $$$ ... IF you can find one.

Anyone got a real one ?

Dave

one would think these would be more common , if they were original.
if it was discontinued at the start of the war... why continue with adding the "loop" on the gun...ie. , cost cutting measure.
Jim's photo is the only one I can recall seeing.
do not recall seeing them on guns in original photos either.
Not saying they did not exist... just seems to be more questions on them.
jeff

Lanyards were big in the 1800's and maybe in the early 1900's. The were regularly used in navies so seamen would not drop a pistol on an officer's head. Used also in armies where most officers were mounted and dropping a pistol would mean a loss.

I can see WWI Lugers still having them as a carry-over, but WWII? Especially considering that adding the u-shaped anchor points was a cost factor.

One Luger forum suggests that in the normal holster, a lanyard could not be used and also says there never were any Luger lanyards. Another venue sells them, but only modern repros.

Dave

Official manuals for the P08 indicate a Trageriemen (lanyard) for use by mounted troops. And lanyard is pictured in an period manual on the P38. That is just the official word.

the plot thickens.....
honestly,thanks for the info. Joe.

Joe, can you post a scan of that page?

Thanks. Here is what one sold as a modern reproduction looks like. It will be interesting to see what the real one looked like.

The P38 lanyard were officially adopted on May 7 1940 by order #560.It was known as the Pistolengurt 38.
Another site dedicated to the P38 discussed it and provided these two links to a collector's web page displaying lanyard variations.

http://lmd-militaria.com/page339.html

http://lmd-militaria.com/page0110.htm

thanks Joe ! I'm guessing most never thought they needed it or just in a type of unit that never "offered it".
very interesting !!
jeff

Interesting topic here as I wish I could find one for my P38! As a side note though(and this applies to the Luger post also), I was issued a Berretta M9 9MM pistol during two southeast asian(Iraq) conflicts with the Army as an Engineer(Surveyor HUUAAHH!)and was allways issued a lanyard along with the holster for the pistol. These were just simply not used in the field or otherwise because they just got in the way. It was another piece of issue that just had to be kept up with for inventory. I imagine that the situation in WW2 for the germans was very similar. Being around and in modern equipment and vehicles it just got hung up on things all the time! These may have been "field expendable" for the Germans too where as they could just use em up or throw them away when they were tired of carrying them around..thus the rarity. Just a theory! Kevin.

Very unusual atypical German crude construction IMO. A simple loop with a snap for the pistol ring would be the more believeable and typical/traditional method.