A Sauer and Sohn Model 38 Cigarette gun

[Donp236]

The Sauer and Sohn model 38 was assembled for a US soldier after the capture of the Sauer plant in Suhl by the 11th Armored Division of Patton's Third Army on April 4th 1945.  The US Army held Suhl for 3 months then handed the area over to the Russians.  The gun has matching serial numbers and the caliber logo on slide but no Eagle over N proof or Eagle over 37 acceptance stamps.  It has the very late war thin bluing, which has now mostly gone to a brown patina.  It came to me sporting hand made wood grips. I removed them and put a set of Vit's grips on the gun.

There are the pictures.

Gun and holster


left




right

[Phosphorus32]

Very nice!    It's gratifying when the presence or absence of various marks and the serial number ranges can tell you something about the history of the gun. In this case it's a fairly specific story that they tell.

[running-man]

Very nice! 

What do you think the story was on the wood grips Don?  Why were they called 'cigarette' guns? (Because they fit in an inside breast pocket of a jacket maybe?)

[Donp236]

Very nice! 

What do you think the story was on the wood grips Don?  Why were they called 'cigarette' guns? (Because they fit in an inside breast pocket of a jacket maybe?)

Running man, the wood grips were a post war addition after the gun was brought back state side. The original Sauer late war grips, were the 1a variation of the Sauer grips which became very brittle with age. I think the original grips broke several years after the Gi brought the gun back and he or someone else made the wood grips as a replacement.

The term "cigarette gun" refers the mode of payment.  The Sauer and Walther employees had no income in the weeks and for several months following the capture of the respective plants. So the GI's that were having those employees make guns for them and paid for these guns with packs of cigarette's or whatever else the Gi's had that the German employees didn't have or could not obtain at the time. 

[Blicero]

There were a number of talented gunsmiths in the ruins of Germany making a living by customizing k98s or commercial sporting rifles for our guys to take home. There is a quiet contingent of collectors who specialize in those cigarette rifles.

Speaking of the capture of Walther, there is an amazing research project posted on...I believe the p38 forum. I've likely linked to it before. It's a compilation of interviews of our men who were in Zella Mehlis during the capture of Walther. One quote from one of those men always stuck with me: "Our boys were disappointed because there were no Lugers." 

Great score Senor Don, and congrats! A 38h is on my short list.

[armedhippie]

There were a number of talented gunsmiths in the ruins of Germany making a living by customizing k98s or commercial sporting rifles for our guys to take home. There is a quiet contingent of collectors who specialize in those cigarette rifles.

While my knowledge of german arms pales compared to yall's. This statement has been true for a very long time. I've been researching a Geha 12 ga that was re-barrelled to 12 guage from a numbers matching Gew 98 from WW1 then sold to the US in 1920-1922.

As always Donp236, Love to see your pistols and I learn from every post. Thanks for sharing 

[montigre]

A very nice little pistola with a great history.  Nice grab!!  Thanks for sharing. 

[Donp236]

There were a number of talented gunsmiths in the ruins of Germany making a living by customizing k98s or commercial sporting rifles for our guys to take home. There is a quiet contingent of collectors who specialize in those cigarette rifles.

Speaking of the capture of Walther, there is an amazing research project posted on...I believe the p38 forum. I've likely linked to it before. It's a compilation of interviews of our men who were in Zella Mehlis during the capture of Walther. One quote from one of those men always stuck with me: "Our boys were disappointed because there were no Lugers." 

Great score Senor Don, and congrats! A 38h is on my short list.

Ron Clarin's (Author of the article on the capture of the Walther factory) father was involved in the Walther of the factory. The same division, the 11 Armored, also captured the J. P. Sauer factory in Suhl.

>A 38h is on my short list.<
In Jim Cate's Volume one on the J. P. Sauer Pistols, he states the H models of the pistol 38 differed from the standard model 38 by having a slide mounted thumb safety or in German the Hahansicherung Hebel, the model 38's with the thumb safety were the model 38H.  Having this Thumb safety was the only way the Model 38 would be accepted by the German Army and was an absolute requirement of the OKH, OberKommandoHeer.

The photo of my Model 38 cigarette gun is not an H model.

This is a  Sauer and Sohn Model 38H from my collection.