Firing range of a parabellum pistol. Artillery Parabellum - what is it? Ammo for Parabellum

It has rightfully become a symbol of the German pistol of the first half of the twentieth century. "Parabellum" has a recognizable, original and unlike any other pistols look.

This pistol was developed at the beginning of the last century and received a rather original name - “prepare for war” (“Parabellum” in Latin). A special 9x19 Para cartridge was also developed for it, which has survived to this day, becoming the most popular pistol cartridge.

The prototype of the Parabellum was the K-93 pistol, developed by Hugo Borchardt. The K-93’s automatic system used a short recoil stroke of the barrel, throwing the spent cartridge upward through a system of levers, while simultaneously compressing the return spring, which then fed the cartridge into the chamber. Hugo Borchardt's design turned out to be successful, but it was labor-intensive, expensive and material-intensive. In addition, the pistol used an original bottle cartridge of 7.65 mm caliber with a cylindrical part diameter of 9 mm.

"K-93"

Production of the K-93 began in 1894. In the first three years, 3,000 pieces were produced, after which the management of the German company DWM, which produced pistols, decided to promote their pistol in the United States. But it was not possible to “push” the pistol; the K-93 was not accepted by the US military department.

It is from this moment that the creation of the legendary Parabellum begins. The talented engineer Georg Luger began promoting and selling the Borchardt pistol on the American market. Based on the K-93, Luger developed three similar models in which the recoil spring from the pistol body was placed in the grip. This made the design more compact and lighter. For additional convenience, the handle itself was bent at 120 degrees to the barrel. A new, shorter 7.65 mm Luger cartridge was also developed: due to the more powerful gunpowder, the cartridge did not lose its penetrating power, despite the fact that it was significantly shortened.

In 1898, Luger offered the Swiss army a third modification of his 7.65 mm pistol as a model for standard weapons. The tests of the proposed pistol were successful, and the government of the country purchased a large batch of pistols, thereby arming the entire officer corps of its army with automatic pistols.

In 1902, the German government announced a competition to rearm its army. Eight samples were presented to the strict German commission; testing lasted two years, during which time some of the presented samples managed to undergo modernization. Luger, for example, redesigned the cartridge, the cartridge case became cylindrical, and the barrel caliber was expanded to 9 mm.

At the same time, the pistol received the sonorous name “Parabellum”, and the new cartridge received the same name. In 1904, the naval commission chose a modernized model of the 9 mm Luger pistol. Officially it was called “9x19 mm Borchardt-Luger pistol, naval model 1904.” The barrel length of this Luger pistol model was 150 mm.

The pistol received its “classic form” in 1906. The barrel length is 100 mm, the automatic safety has been moved downwards, and the mechanisms have been slightly modified. This particular model of pistol is called “classic Luger” in America, and “Parabellum” in Europe.

In August 1908, a 9 mm Borchardt-Luger pistol called "R.08" was adopted as a service model short-barreled weapons in the German army.

Also, especially for the crews of field artillery guns and non-commissioned officers of machine gun teams, an extended “Parabellum” was created with a barrel length of 200 mm and a sector sight for shooting up to 800 m. The kit included a wooden holster-butt. Lange P.08 (“Long P.08”) was adopted by military units of Prussia, Saxony and Württemberg in 1913.

The pistol turned out to be really successful. All delays that occurred during firing were mainly due to the fault of low-quality ammunition. The successful choice of tilt of the handle ensured excellent combat accuracy. Shooting from the R.08 pistol is effective at approximately a distance of up to 125 m, but is most effective at a distance of up to 50 m.

"Parabellum" began its victorious march across countries and continents. Orders poured in like from a cornucopia - Russia, Brazil, Bulgaria... America again purchased a decent batch of pistols for military testing. Several weapons companies from different countries bought a license to produce a pistol. The production of “commercial samples” has increased.

The outbreak of the First World War required a huge number of pistols. The German tactic of "breaking the enemy's defenses" with the help of assault groups also required weapons for warfare in enemy trenches under conditions of high density of fire. Convenient, quickly reloading and lightweight, the “long Parabellums” with 32-round round magazines (Model P.17) were ideal. At the same time, “silent” versions of pistols with a silencer were developed. In the ten years between 1908 and 1918, approximately 1.8 million R.08 units were produced.

Defeat in the war meant the unequivocal death of the 9 mm Parabellum. According to the Treaty of Versailles, “the manufacture of short-barreled weapons with a caliber of more than 8 mm and a barrel length exceeding 100 mm was prohibited.” The production of short-barreled weapons was permitted only to one company, "Simson und Co", which had neither production experience nor the necessary equipment. The demand for pistols from this company was extremely low. Later, from parts stored in the arsenal of the city of Ertfurd, the production of a 7.65 mm Luger pistol was launched, and then, in the strictest secrecy, the production of a 9 mm model.

In 1922, the license for the production of Parabellum was transferred to the arms company Heinrich Krieghoff, where their production began in 1925. Since 1930, the arms company "Mauser-Werke A.G" joined the production. Weapons produced were marked with the year of manufacture rather than a number, which made it possible to hide the real number of pistols made.

With Hitler coming to power, all restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles were lifted. But another problem arose - the “low-tech” manufacturing of the legendary pistol. During production, many manual operations were performed; each specimen required 6 kg of metal (5 of which went into shavings). Also, in preparation for war, the German leadership was not satisfied with the significant high cost of these weapons.
With the cost of one set of pistols being 17.8 Reichmarks to the German government, each pistol purchased from Mauser cost 32 Reichmarks.

That is why, in 1938, a new standard officer’s pistol “Walter-R.38” of 9mm caliber chambered for the “Parabellum” cartridge was adopted. Production of the Parabellum was discontinued, but parts for repairing the pistol were produced until the end of the war.

After the end of World War II until the early 1960s, Mauser and Interarms produced Parabellum for the American market. But modern collectors consider these pistols to be replicas, although they are completely identical to the original Parabellums.

But the cartridge developed specifically for the Parabellum had a more successful fate: as mentioned above, it became the most popular pistol cartridge.

The photo shows a P.08 pistol designed by Georg Luger with 9mm Parabellum cartridges and the flag of the German Empire

Georg Luger pistols are distinguished by their unique charisma; the unusual design of these weapons, rooted in the creation of the very first weapon systems, charged not by the shooter, but by the energy of powder gases, appeared as a result of a search the best options automation operation. Thanks to the work of two talented designers - Hiram Maxim and Hugo Borchardt, the Borchardt C93 pistol laid the foundation for the design of one of the most outstanding examples of personal self-loading short-barreled weapons.

The great merit of Georg Luger is the very successful arrangement of the developments implemented before him and the creation on their basis of an original design with excellent combat and service-operational qualities for its time. His model combined the best of previous systems, while Luger not only used existing solutions, but significantly improved them by adding his own developments. The improvements carried out brought the design to almost perfection, thanks to which pistols produced in the first decade of the twentieth century can be successfully used today.

For example, Luger pistols manufactured for the USA, called "American Eagle", are 9 mm in caliber and equipped with an automatic lever safety, ideal for accurate and effective shooting offhand, high-speed and aimed shooting, if the shooter has sufficient skills and experience in handling it weapons. According to the opinions of the majority of owners of various versions of the Parabellum, this is one of the few pistols in which, when fired, the barrel practically does not move away from the aiming line. The advantages of this quality are difficult to overestimate. Few modern models can compare with the Luger pistol in terms of ease of holding and shooting accuracy. In addition, the extracted cartridges are not scattered to the sides - they, as a rule, fall nearby, to the right of the shooter and very closely, which is a huge plus for shooters who prefer to reload cartridges.

A German soldier with a P.08 and Finnish soldiers during the "Winter" War of 1939-1940. with Parabellum and Suomi submachine gun

There are many conflicting opinions about the reliability of the Parabellum. Some have encountered problems, for others this weapon works just fine Swiss Watches. However, more than a hundred years of operation in the military, special forces, police and private owners have revealed the main causes of problems when shooting. The main reason for delays in serviceable copies is the use of substandard cartridges, such as cartridges with deformed cartridges and bullets, with corrosion, with a loose bullet, etc., as well as cartridges that have expired and have been in water.

Another reason for the delays is the use of cartridges with inappropriate bullet geometry, since the Parabellums were designed primarily for the use of military-grade ammunition with jacketed bullets and, accordingly, the shape of the front of the magazine and the bevel of the chamber were made specifically for such cartridges. Therefore, the use of cartridges with blunt-pointed jacketed and hollow-point bullets, sometimes with a wide tip and sharp edges of the head, in some cases leads to delays. To shoot from this pistol, it is necessary to choose cartridges with ogival-shaped jacketed bullets or with expansive bullets, but having a narrow head with smooth outer edges.

Pistol Parabellum P.08 with a slide stop

German soldiers on the Eastern Front train with P.08 pistols and MP.40 submachine guns

In any case, as with all pistols, it is necessary to test cartridges from various manufacturers to select those with which the pistol will perform consistently reliably. All other delays are associated mainly with improper handling of the weapon, lack of regular maintenance, or trivial breakdowns of parts due to the exhaustion of their service life. Delays can be caused by a defective firing pin, a deformed ejector hook or its spring that has lost its elasticity, dents on the body and magazine ears, and other mechanical damage to weapon parts.

An “inherent” design flaw is the open receiver, which does not prevent dirt or sand from getting inside the gun. Another drawback is the large number of parts, which makes complete disassembly difficult. This has to be dealt with as a price to pay for the advantages of this pistol over other models that are simpler in design, but acquiring the appropriate skills partly compensates for this design disadvantage.

Mauser Parabellum 29/70 manufactured in 1970. Such pistols were produced by Mauser based on the Swiss Luger model 1929 and sold in the USA by Interarms.

The Mitchell Arms American Eagle pistol, released in 1994, is a replica of the P.08 in stainless steel.

The weapon must be monitored and regularly maintained - any mechanism without proper attention to it will sooner or later fail. It is simply necessary to regularly clean and lubricate the pistol, especially remembering to do this after shooting at the first opportunity, and also to monitor the serviceability of its parts. With proper care and use of high-quality ammunition suitable for it, the Parabellum will work flawlessly. Today, the lever locking system is not used in modern pistols due to the high cost of its production. The manufacturing technology of such weapons is much more complex than pistols with a locking system with a declining or rotating barrel, which means the final cost of the product is higher.

It was for this reason that the Germans replaced the P.08 with the simpler and cheaper P.38. The modern arms market mainly consumes inexpensive and functional products, which can often be described as consumer goods. The production of a complex and expensive pistol, even with outstanding qualities, would not fully pay for itself. On this moment a pistol like the Parabellum can only be produced in small quantities. An example of such production of elite high-quality weapons is the Performance Center of the famous American company Smith & Wesson. However, the lack of modern versions of the legendary Parabellum compensates for the reliability and quality of old pistols, many of which were used in two world wars, which continue to work properly and bring joy to their owners.

Parabellum with a clip and modern cartridges equipped with expansive bullets with high stopping power

Front-line officers, veterans of the NKVD, intelligence and SMERSH are familiar with this pistol. Created at the beginning of the twentieth century, designed extremely successfully, went through two world wars and claimed many lives. Parabellum is still used today. For the uninitiated, he is a mystery.

The unusual design of the pistol and the stories of those who shot it give rise to legends and speculation about the power of this weapon. Its sinister design has an attractive power. Communication with him can change a person’s character. Parabellum is unique. In the entire history of the development of automatic weapons, no one has invented a pistol with a more original, effective and ergonomic design. This weapon system has been arousing the professional interest of combat military personnel, sports shooters, gunsmiths and, naturally, intelligence officers for almost a hundred years.

It so happened that this pistol was designed sequentially by two German engineers. In 1893, inventor Hugo Borchardt patented an automatic pistol with an unusual barrel locking system based on the principle dead center moving parts - bolt, connecting rod and crank. The mechanical system was calculated mathematically, worked extremely reliably, had a very high accuracy of fire and impressive bullet resistance.

But, as gunsmiths know, only beautiful weapons shoot truly well. Borchardt's pistol design was disgusting. There was no weight balance as such, and therefore the pistol, which had a perfect firing from the machine, did not hit at all when fired “from hand.” It was just an "ugly duckling" current model successful engineering idea.

Seven years later, in 1900, Borchardt's theoretical concept was translated into a real weapon system by another German designer, Georg Luger, who completely changed the layout of the weapon. The pistol grip acquired an optimal angle and was orthopedic adjusted to the average size of the shooter’s palm. The designer placed a return spring in the tilted handle, which made it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the weapon and the mass of moving parts.

It was possible to lower the barrel along the axis as much as possible - and the throwing angle during the shot decreased. The center of gravity shifted forward - and the weapon acquired an impeccable weight balance. The pistol decreased in size, became light and convenient. All this was achieved while maintaining the reliability, accuracy and design power of the system. Georg Luger pursued the goal of creating a portable, ultra-precise and long-range fire weapon for athletes, foresters, hunters and travelers, suitable for survival in difficult conditions, capable of suppressing the enemy at the maximum distance of pistol combat.

But that was not all. The pistol was created for commercial purposes - in order to be bought. It was clearly the work of an unknown, but talented designer in his own way. The appearance of this weapon attuned the psyche to the medieval Teutonic cruelty characteristic of German aristocrats. The pistol transmitted to its owner an incomprehensible destructive psychoenergy - it instilled a feeling of offensive aggressiveness in the one who held it in his hands. It received the appropriate commercial name - “Parabellum” (from the Latin saying: “Si vis pacem, para bellum” - “If you want peace, prepare for war”). The ugly duckling turned into a kite.

In the civilian commercial version, the Parabellum was produced (and is still produced) with a caliber of 7.65 mm. At one time, it differed favorably in weight, linear and ballistic characteristics from other automatic weapons.

The Kaiser's military, in German, was practical about the original design. They suggested that the inventor increase the caliber of the system to 9 mm and recommended that the pistol be adopted by the Bundeswehr. A 9 mm cartridge with a “cut cone” type bullet (with a flat front platform, crushing the tissue of a living target upon impact and causing shock) was specially developed for the pistol. With the increase in the caliber of the Parabellum, its striking qualities increased so much that they still make an impression in our time.

In 1908, this weapon system was adopted by the German army under the code name “Pistol 08m (die Pistole 08). The combat qualities of the new weapon were fully demonstrated in the maneuverable guerrilla and semi-partisan large-scale conflicts that swept across the globe after the First World War. At that time best weapons there was no such class.

"Parabellum" began to be produced in China, Mexico, Iran, Turkey, and Spain. It was in service in Switzerland, Holland, Bulgaria and other countries under the name "Borchardt-Luger".

The automatic operation of the pistol is based on a short rearward stroke of the barrel. The moving system of the weapon consists of a barrel with a receiver, inside which parts of the locking mechanism and the impact mechanism are mounted. The barrel with the front sight on the muzzle is connected to the receiver using a threaded connection. The receiver has the shape of a fork. A bolt with an impact mechanism and an ejector is placed and moved inside the fork.

The bolt is articulated with a connecting rod, and the latter with a crank. The bloodworm has a massive tooth that interacts with the beveled surface of the gun frame when braking the moving system after a rollback. The entire hinge-lever connection of the device is a crank mechanism, in which the slider is the bolt. The barrel and receiver, assembled with their parts, can move in the grooves in the longitudinal direction.

The crank at the junction with the connecting rod has two rollers with a notched surface, made with it as one whole, which give the weapon unusual look. Two deep cutouts on these frames allow the bloodworm to rest on the receiver so that the axis of the middle hinge becomes lower than the axes of the front and rear hinges.

In the forward position, the bolt is locked, since the connecting rod and the crank form an obtuse angle with each other, with the apex facing down. When fired, the pressure of the powder gases is transmitted through the cartridge case to the bolt. The receiver prevents the obtuse angle between the hinge and the crank from increasing, and under the influence of the recoil force, the entire system described above, when locked, moves back by about 6 mm.

Unlocking begins after the bullet leaves the barrel when the bloodworm rollers “run” onto the profile surfaces of the frame. The crank begins to turn upward with the rollers, the articulated-lever connection quickly passes through the dead position, after which the crank receives a sharp increase in angular velocity, due to the curvilinearity of the profile surfaces. The connecting rod and crank are folded, the shutter opens. When the bolt is opened, the connecting rod cocks the firing pin with a cocking tooth.

The crank is connected via a transmission lever to a return spring located in the handle, which returns the moving system to its original position after the recoil energy ceases. When moving forward, the bolt picks up a cartridge from the magazine and sends it into the barrel. When you press the trigger, the transmission lever mounted in the trigger cover acts on the disconnector release lever mounted on the receiver.

The trigger lever rotates on an axis, releasing the firing pin, which breaks the capsule. A shot is fired and the reloading process begins all over again. When the barrel and receiver move backward relative to the frame, the disconnector “runs” into lateral surface transmission lever and is installed inside the housing. In this position, shooting is still impossible - you need to release the trigger.

In this case, the transmission lever moves to the side and releases the disconnector, which, under the action of a spring, enters from the release lever housing and becomes under the transmission lever. If you now press the trigger, the shot will repeat. The trigger mechanism allows only single fire. The safety is in the “Gesichert” position - the flag is lowered, the fuse bar blocks the trigger lever. The cocked firing pin is locked very reliably.

To load the Parabellum, you need to press the magazine latch, then remove the magazine and load it with cartridges. We insert the loaded magazine into the handle. The bloodworm grabs the rollers, moves up and down until it stops and is released. The weapon is ready to fire. An indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber is the raised position of the ejector. At the same time, the inscription “Geladen” opens - charged.

When the last cartridge is used up, the bolt is locked with a slide stop and the moving system stops in the moving position. In order to close the bolt, you need to remove or slightly release the magazine and slightly move the bloodworm back. If there are cartridges in the magazine and the moving system is open, the crank is also fed back behind the rollers - in this case, the bolt comes off the bolt stop.

Parabellum works very reliably. Feeding the cartridge from the magazine into the chamber eliminates distortions and sticking of the cartridges - in the cramped space of the fork of a steel box there is simply nowhere for the cartridge to “turn out”. The gun is not afraid of sand and dust - they are “blown out” upward after a shot from a small opening window in the receiver following the spent cartridge case by the residual pressure of the powder gases. The resource of "Parabellum" is 25 thousand shots.

It is interesting that the older and more “spattered” the mechanism is, the softer its recoil and, accordingly, it “throws” less when fired. Due to the inevitable backlash between the parts of the moving system, the recoil impulse acts sequentially on each of them and is not felt so sharply. With a preserved and well-maintained bore, the wear of the mechanism has virtually no effect on the accuracy of the fire.

Care, conservation, cleaning and lubrication of the Parabellum are carried out as usual. It should be taken into account that German weapons steel, unlike Russian steel, “loves to rust.” Therefore, you have to clean it more carefully. The Parabellum barrel bore is not chrome plated. The Germans, like us, in those days did not yet know how to chrome-plate barrels. The design of the Parabellum is thought out to the smallest detail and calculated with true German precision. In essence, this is a compact firearm, where the operation of parts and mechanisms is based on the strictest engineering calculations. Each part, its mechanical and weight balance in the process of interaction with other parts and mechanisms, the resistance of the metal, are carefully calculated.

From a mechanical point of view, the system is ideal - it uses the maximum energy of the powder charge to eject a bullet and minimally to reload the weapon. This is achieved thanks to the relatively small mass of the shutter and the specificity of its interaction with other moving parts. A weapon system designed only in this way could accelerate a relatively heavy (7.9 gram) bullet to a speed of 330 m/sec in a short 85 mm barrel. The barrel itself is drilled to a light taper and machined very cleanly.

The accuracy of the Parabellum's combat is absolute and has not yet been surpassed by combat automatic pistols - the spread of bullets at a distance of 25 meters fits into the diameter of a five-kopeck coin.

The main model is a short-barreled Parabellum holster that confidently “reaches” a target in the head at a distance of up to 100 meters.

Pistols were also produced with a barrel length of 200 mm and an aiming rib, like a rifle, notched at a distance of 300 meters, with initial speed conventional bullet 390 m/sec. With an attached butt-holster, such a pistol was actually a light automatic carbine. There was also a training version of the 5.6 mm Parabellum and a special model with a silencer for silent shooting.

The pistols produced before the war at various factories in Germany were of very high quality, with a large margin of safety with the highest manufacturing precision and impeccable cleanliness of the working surfaces of the parts. “Parabellums”, manufactured in other countries from much worse materials, not made so carefully, also fired quite well - the quality of shooting was determined by the engineering calculations embedded in the design.

9x19 cartridges used for firing from Parabellum(they are called “08 Parabellum”), in terms of tactical and technical characteristics and design features, they turned out to be perhaps the most practical for pistol automatic operation. The cartridge case of such ammunition slightly tapers from the middle of the body to the muzzle (by 0.3 mm), which ensures easier extraction after firing.

With the advent of submachine guns designed for this cartridge, the production of ammunition with a cut-cone bullet ceased, and Germany switched to the production of 08 Parabellum cartridges with an ogive (egg-shaped) bullet, most suitable for the automatic operation of a submachine gun. These cartridges turned out to be so successful that since then they have been used to fire the vast majority of pistol and submachine gun systems. Before the war, the Germans produced a version of this ammunition with a powder charge increased by 20% - the so-called “carbine cartridge 08”. In long-barreled Parabellums, a bullet from such a cartridge accelerated to a speed of 470-500 m/sec.

The features of the mechanism provide the pistol with a higher rate of fire and increased bullet impact on the target at long distances for pistol fire. It was designed for skilled and trained shooters, but even for a novice it is easy to shoot and easy to hit. Thanks to the orthopedic handle, the Parabellum fits in the hand like a glove. The barrel is located low - almost at the level of the shooting hand. The locking system opens upward, and therefore the weapon “knocks down” slightly when fired. From the Parabellum you can fire quickly.

Some inconvenience of loading is compensated by the amazing accuracy of shooting - at a line of sight distance in the forest, wherever you aimed, you hit it. Moreover, he hit immediately, with the first shot. This pistol is very good for shooting back, keeping the enemy at a respectful distance. The inclined handle allows you to effectively shoot offhand from the stomach, without aiming, at the silhouette, by ear in the dark. This weapon is ideal when shooting at running targets.

The mechanical strength of the pistol allows it to be used as a brass knuckle during hand-to-hand contact. Therefore, "Parabellum" was indispensable for front-line intelligence officers, saboteurs, performers of special missions, mercenaries and terrorists.

Essentially, the Parabellum was the weapon of an aristocratic hunter, but it could only be used to hunt people. His appearance and the physical sensations it evoked aroused feelings of confident superiority and cruel inflexibility in accordance with the fascist theory of the superman. These qualities of the weapon pleased both the sports passion of the German rangers in the fight against poorly armed partisans, and the bloodthirstiness of the SS officials who had fun shooting at civilians.

This pistol didn’t really show itself at the front.. Its accuracy and range turned out to be unclaimed compared to the work of other automatic weapons that solve tactical problems with an increased density of fire. However, our officers did not miss the opportunity to remove the Parabellum from the killed German - as a personal holster weapon, it was incomparably better than the service TT.

The operatives, ours and the Germans, did not like Parabellum. It was not suitable for carrying in a pocket, there was no self-cocking, so necessary for a sudden oncoming collision, and it was impossible to use one hand to bring the weapon into the “combat” position. The fuse turned on inconveniently and did not lock the moving parts - when the fuse was on, the shutter opened.

In case of severe contamination, in the cold, with a defective cartridge, or thickening of the lubricant, the bloodworm did not lock the bolt completely - the disconnector reached the transfer lever, and in this position the locking system stopped, because the force of the return spring was not enough. At long distances this did not matter - to fire a cartridge, it was enough to slam the bloodworm with your hand from above, but at close ranges of a detective battle “at point-blank range” any delay could be the last.

Parabellum was difficult to produce. Its manufacturing technology required a lot of milling operations. Even the store was milled. Therefore, since 1938, the Germans gave preference to the Walter R-38, which was not so accurate and ergonomic, but more practical and adapted to conducting sudden fire at close ranges, although the Parabellum continued to be produced until the last days of the war. I saw such an ersatz pistol made in 1945 with plastic grips and a magazine stamped from roofing iron.

After World War II, production of Parabellum combat pistols was discontinued. It was not modernized - no one managed to create a more advanced automation system. Attempts by other designers to design weapons operating on the same principle were unsuccessful. The concept of the relationship between the design of the Parabellum and the layout of its mechanism remained unsolved. The phenomenon of the impact of the external design of this pistol on the psyche of the shooter has not yet been studied.

In many countries, the combat version of the Parabellum has been declared a weapon of targeted destruction and is prohibited for use. Despite the fact that over the past 50 years a huge number of these pistols have been sent for melting down, the Parabellum has survived to this day. Interest in it does not disappear: “Parabellum” is an object of desire for weapons collectors and a hot commodity in military antiques stores. There are such weapons in museums and... in the arsenals of special forces - for particularly precise work.

In the previous article we talked about design features and the evolution of the pistol Design changes made to the P.08 Parabellum pistol in the period 1914-1916 finally shaped the appearance of the famous pistol.

The division dealing with infantry issues in the Prussian military department issued an order on August 4, 1913: “To simplify the method of production of the new P.08 pistol in the future, equip it with the same frame as is used for the manufacture of the long P.08 pistol and have the ability to attach a removable butt".

Probably the term simplification is not entirely correct, since when manufacturing a frame with a protrusion and grooves for attaching the butt, additional technological operations are required. It would be more correct to talk about rationalization of production.

Previously, DWM produced four types of frames for various models Luger pistol: long frame with a protrusion for attaching a removable butt; short frame for commercial versions with automatic safety and without a protrusion for attaching the butt; short, frame for a pistol and without a protrusion for attaching the butt; frame for artillery model Parabellum or without automatic safety and with a protrusion for attaching the butt. The decision to use the same frame for the P.08 Parabellum and the Lange Pistole 08 allowed different models of pistols to be assembled from pre-fabricated frames depending on the order received. Some researchers argue that another reason why the P.08 Parabellum pistol had a tip on the handle for attaching a removable stock was due to the peculiarities of the technological process. In their opinion, this tip could be used to attach the pistol frame to machine tools when performing technological operations for final finishing of the frame.

It is the presence of a protrusion in the lower part of the handle, intended for attaching a removable butt, that distinguishes the P.08 Parabellum pistol of the 1914 model from more early model P.08. This is probably why collectors sometimes call them pistols. Model 1908 Military Luger Pistol weapons produced for the German army between 1908 and 1914, and pistols manufactured after 1914 are called Model 1914 Military Luger Pistol.

P.08 Parabellum pistols of the 1914 modification were originally produced by DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken Aktien-Gesellschaft) and the Erfurt State Arsenal.

At the pistols DWM P.08 Parabellum modification of 1914 military order (DWM Model 1914 Military Luger Pistol) The serial number is marked on the left side of the weapon. The full number is on the left side of the bolt box, the last two digits of the number are printed on other parts of the weapon. Receiving marks are located on the right side of the bolt box.

At the top of the chamber there is a marking indicating the year of manufacture of the weapon. The front shutter lever bears the DWM brand mark.

The main difference between pistols produced by the Erfurt state arsenal is P.08 Parabellum military order Erfurt, modifications of 1914 (1914 Erfurt Military Luger Pistol), is the presence of a characteristic mark on the upper part of the front bolt lever. The stamp is an image of a crown, under which the text “ERFURT” is written.

Back in 1913, the weapons control commission of the German military department (G.P.K. - Gewehr-Prüfungskommission) drew attention to the fact that the P.08 pistols produced by DWM and Erfurt differed from each other in the height of the front sight. Their target firing range varied from 80 to 110 meters. G.P.K. proposed to the military department to make the standard firing range equal to 50 meters. It was proposed to use three options for front sights with heights: 15.1 mm (minimum height), 15.4 mm (standard height) and 15.7 mm ( maximum height). These changes were finally consolidated after July 9, 1914 and were reflected in the drawings of the pistol.

Between 1913 and 1916, engineers experimented with the recoil spring of the P.08 Parabellum pistol. They tried to achieve a smoother recoil and at the same time prevent deformation and damage to parts of the weapon at the point of impact inside the frame between the rear of the bolt and the rear wall of the frame. Until mid-1914, the recoil spring had 18 turns and was made of 1.5 mm wire, although the 1913 P.08 prototype originally had a 1.4 mm spring with 22 turns. In the second half of 1914, the thickness of the spring was reduced to 1.4 mm, while the number of turns was left at 18. In 1915, the return spring began to have 22 turns with a wire thickness of 1.4 mm. Only in 1916 were the dimensions of the spring finally approved: the number of turns was 22, the wire diameter was 1.4 mm. At the same time, the researchers note that the working drawings indicated the number of turns of the return spring - 22, but in the image of the spring on the drawings there were still 18 turns.

One of the last major improvements to the P.08 Parabellum pistol was the modernization trigger mechanism. The basis was Luger's invention, which was enshrined in the German patent DRP312919 dated April 1, 1916. Early Parabellum pistols had safety problems. After the shooting stopped, the shooter turned on the safety and could remove the magazine from the pistol grip. However, without removing the safety, he could not remove the remaining cartridge from the chamber. When the safety was turned off to unload the weapon, there was a potential danger of an accidental discharge.

The problem was solved by Luger quite easily. The rear inclined protrusion of the trigger lever was shifted by 9.2 mm towards the front of the weapon. This design of the trigger lever made it possible to remove the cartridge from the chamber with the safety on. At the same time, the fuse protrusion still blocked the sear and the threat of an accidental shot was eliminated. The design change was so simple that any gunsmith, even without the use of special equipment, could modify the trigger lever, making the Luger pistol more convenient and safe. After 1916, all army pistols were subjected to modernization of the trigger mechanism. Changes in the design of the trigger lever were made not only in the P.08 Parabellum pistols, but also in other models of Luger pistols, including those with an automatic safety.

Pistols manufactured by DWM since 1916 had a modernized trigger lever. However, in other respects they are completely similar in design to pistols produced in 1914-1915.

Changes in the design of the trigger lever were made at about the same time by the Erfurt arsenal.

According to experts, the marking of the 1914 Erfurt Military P.08 Luger pistols contains the most control marks. Even small parts of the weapon, including screws, were examined and then branded. The hallmarks are small Gothic letters with a crown above them. This now allows collectors to easily control the safety of the pistol and its parts.

The crown marking on the top of the front bolt lever with the text "ERFURT" underneath can be divided into three types. The first "thin crown" type is usually found on pistols from 1911 to 1917. The second type, “broken crown,” is probably formed by a worn matrix with deformation of the right crown element. As a result, the line of the right edge of the crown appears with a break. Such pistols are usually dated from 1917 to early 1918. The third type, "thick crown", is an image with thicker lines forming the outline of a crown in the pistol markings. This probably happened after the branding matrix was changed at the enterprise. Pistols with the third type of marking have been found since 1918.

On pistols manufactured at the Erfurt Arsenal, starting in 1916, bolt boxes with a rectangular cutout in the upper part of the chamber began to be installed. The cutout was intended to accommodate a Luger artillery sector sight. Probably in 1916, the company began to produce frames completely similar to both the regular P.08 and the Lange Pistole 08.

A shortage of walnut wood during World War I led the German War Department to authorize the use of red beech wood for pistol grip cheeks in July 1918. At the end of 1918, white beech began to be used for the handle cheeks. Despite the color, the cheeks of the white beech handle look much lighter than other wood. Red beech cheeks can easily be confused with walnut cheeks. The difference can be seen if you examine the cheeks of the handle from inside. Beech has a coarser grain and its wood is less porous than walnut.

By 1916, the final design of the P.08 Parabellum pistol had been formed. Since then, a nomenclature of its components and parts has been formed. Next English terms commonly used by collectors all over the world outside of Germany. The sequence of naming parts usually corresponds to the order in which the weapon is disassembled.

1.1 Barrel
1.1.1 Fore-sight blade
1.2 Shutter box (Receiver)
1.2.1 Reflector (Ejector)
1.2.2 Sear bar
1.2.2.1 Sear bar plunger
1.2.2.1.1 Sear bar plunger spring
1.2.2.1.2 Sear bar plunger pin
1.2.2.2 Sear bar spring
1.2.3 Rear connecting pin - axis of the locking levers (Rear connecting pin)
2.1. Shutter (Breech-block)
2.1.1 Firing pin
2.1.1.1 Firing pin spring
2.1.1.2 Firing pin spring retainer
2.2 Extractor
2.2.1 Extractor spring
2.2.2 Extractor pin
2.3 Front toggle link
2.3.1.Front axis of the shutter (Breech-block pin)
2.4 Rear shutter lever - bloodworm (Rear toggle link)
2.4.1. Middle axis of the shutter levers (Rear toggle pin)
2.4.1.1 Rear toggle pin stop
2.4.2 Earring (Coupling link)
2.4.2.1 Coupling link pin
3.1 Frame
3.1.1 Lanyard loop
3.2 Recoil spring
3.2.1 Recoil spring guide
3.2.2 Recoil spring lever
3.2.2.1 Recoil spring lever pin
3.3. Trigger
3.3.1 Trigger spring
3.4 Trigger cover (Side plate)
3.4.1 L-shaped intermediate trigger lever (Trigger lever)
3.4.1.1 L-shaped intermediate lever pin (Trigger lever pin)
3.5 Hold-open latch
3.5.1 Hold-open latch spring
3.6 Locking piece
3.6.1 Locking piece spring
3.7 Magazine catch button
3.7.1 Magazine catch spring
3.9 Safety lever
3.9.1 Safety lever pin
3.9.2 Manual safety locking lever (Safety bar)
3.10 Grip screw
3.10.1 Left grip
3.10.2 Right grip
4 Store
4.1 Magazine body
4.2 Magazine spring
4.2.1. Magazine spring guide
4.3. Magazine follower
4.3.1 Magazine follower button
4.4. Bottom of the store (Magazine base)
4.4.1 Magazine base pin

After Germany's defeat in the First World War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, certain restrictions were imposed on the Weimar Republic formed on the site of the former German Empire. Some of the restrictions related to turnover small arms. The army pistols of the German army were partially destroyed, but the bulk of them were converted or re-registered. On August 7, 1920, the Disarmament Law came into force. The purpose of the law was to register army weapons and the withdrawal from circulation of all military weapons in the hands of the population. At the same time, a certain bonus was paid for the surrendered weapons. There was a potential danger of theft of weapons from army warehouses, with the purpose of subsequent surrender and receipt of monetary reward from civilian authorities. As a temporary solution to the problem, an order was passed on August 1, 1920, according to which all small arms of the armed forces of the Weimar Republic, and subsequently weapons law enforcement should have been additionally marked. The marking was the number “1920”, i.e. year of re-registration of weapons. On Parabellum pistols, such markings were applied in the upper part of the chamber, above the marking of the year of manufacture of the weapon.

The marking “1920” is unique in the military history of not only Germany. In this case, the marking did not indicate the year the weapon model was adopted into service or the date of its manufacture, but served to identify government property. Parabellum pistols with double markings from the Weimar Republic period received the name among collectors P.08 Parabellum Double Date Weimar era rework. Pistols with double markings are now available from both DWM and the Erfurt Arsenal and are in high demand on the antique market.

Arms firm Simson and Co. from the city of Suhl (Simson & Co, Waffenfabrik of Suhl) until 1914 specialized in the manufacture of sporting small arms. After Germany's defeat in World War I, it was chosen by the Allies (members of the coalition of states at war with Germany and its supporters) to be the only arms manufacturer authorized to manufacture and supply Parabellum pistols to the armed forces of the Weimar Republic. Simson & Co received equipment and industrial equipment originally created for the Erfurt Arsenal. The first pistols in the Simson & Co workshops were assembled from pistol parts originally manufactured at DWM or Erfurt. These pistols were called P.08 Luger Simson rework. A characteristic feature of such pistols is the presence of DWM or Erfurt marks on the upper part of the front bolt lever and a mark in the form of the letter “S” enclosed in a circle on the left side of the bolt box.

Simson manufactured the P.08 Parabellum Simson & Co pistols from 1922 to 1934. In total, approximately 25,000 pistols were manufactured during this time, of which about 1,000 were recycled from DWM and Erfurt parts. Since 1923, Simson & Co began self-production all parts of the weapon. All Simson & Co P.08 Luger pistol parts are marked with a small eagle above the number.

After 1923, on the front levers of the bolts of P.08 Luger-Simson pistols, markings appeared in the form of text in two lines: “SIMSON & CO / SUHL”. There were no markings on the surface of the chambers of Simson Lugers pistols manufactured before 1925.

Between 1925 and 1928, Simson & Co produced a batch of pistols marked with year numbers on the top of the chamber. P.08 Luger-Simson pistols are relatively rare and are of particular interest to collectors.

Another modernization of the P.08 Parabellum pistol was the use of aluminum as a material for the bottom of the magazine, instead of wood. Although the aluminum bottom part was mentioned in the official instruction manual “9 mm Selbstladepistole (Luger)” back in 1907, production of aluminum magazine bottom parts actually began only in 1925. The aluminum bases of the Parabellum pistol magazine (P.08 Parabellum Aluminum based magazine) were made by injection molding into special dies, which significantly reduced the cost of production, as it required a minimum of processing and polishing. The new magazine bottoms, made of aluminum alloy, were officially adopted for use by the German armed forces on May 26, 1925.

The P.08 Parabellum pistol finalized its design and design between 1914 and 1930. Later changes became less significant and noticeable. It was the P.08 Parabellum pistol of the 1914-1916 modification that became the most common of the entire line of Luger pistols. For this reason, its antique value is relatively low, typically ranging from $800 to $2,000.

To write this article, information and illustrations were used from the book “The Borchardt & Luger Automatic Pistols”, authors Joachim Görtz and Dr Geoffrey Sturgess. In this book you can find more more information about Borchard and Parabellum pistols, their varieties, as well as design features.

“The design of the pistol tunes the shooter’s psyche to confident, unyielding cruelty. This phenomenon has not yet been studied. In many countries, parabellum has been declared a weapon of targeted destruction and is prohibited for use.” This quote is from the book by A.A. Potapov’s “Pistol Shooting Techniques: SMERSH Practice” may well serve as an illustration of the established reputation of a famous weapon, but is there any basis for this?

It’s a strange thing, but after twirling it fairly in my hands and shooting a little (it’s still a rarity) from the Parabellum, the author did not feel any special attacks of cruelty. Light and short trigger, typical of most single-action pistols, good sights - and, in general, the whole experience. Perhaps, of course, a specialist in the field of psychology and industrial design is really required here, but, rather, in the territory former USSR, and in other places, this pistol is only credited with absolutely fantastic properties.

Birth story

Usually, when people talk about Parabellum, only one name comes up - Georg Luger. Meanwhile, in order for the history of its appearance to become clearer, noticeably more names need to be announced.

Assembly drawing of the legendary Parabellum

First after Luger is Hugo Borchardt. Actually, it was on the basis of its design (primarily, the locking principle) that Luger developed his pistol - which is why in a number of sources it is called dually, “Borchardt-Luger”. Initially, Luger was Borchardt's subordinate and helped him in fine-tuning the self-loading pistol, but later the paths of the two designers diverged. The company of the brothers Ludwig and Isidor Loewe, which “rose”, among other things, in the production of Smith & Wesson revolvers for the Russian army, merged with another German company for the production of ammunition, forming the DWM (Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken) concern. At the same time, Borchardt chose to remain in his previous place in Löw, but Luger headed the design group at DWM.

At the new location, Luger continued his work on fine-tuning the Borchardt C93 pistol. He created a pistol that was very advanced for its time, the main drawback of which can be fully described by the words “crude design.” On the one hand, the C93 introduced a number of innovative technical solutions, which in one form or another have become the standard for pistols as a class of weapons: the arrangement of cartridges in a detachable magazine in the handle, a push-button magazine latch, a bullet in a full metal jacket, a groove on the sleeve instead of a rim.

At the same time, the butt plate of the frame protruding far back turned the pistol into a rather cumbersome structure even without a stock, and its disassembly was quite difficult. complicated matter, especially in the field. Russian officers, after testing the Borchardt pistol, noted:

“Complete disassembly and reassembly of a pistol requires such skill and is generally so difficult that their production by lower ranks cannot be allowed without a significant risk of damaging the weapon.”.

The changes made by Luger were not so much radical design as layout. In particular, he moved the return spring to the handle, which noticeably shortened the pistol. The selected handle tilt of 125° ensured comfortable shooting in the then usual military style, with one hand.

With the light hand of the Swiss

The first to try out the new pistols were officers of the Swiss army, which was just looking for a replacement for the revolvers it had in service. However, the Versuchsmodelle III, also known as “Experimental Model No. 3,” provided by Luger in 1898 did not initially cause delight. Only after modifications did the “Pistole, Ordonnanz 1900, System Borchardt-Luger” begin to enter service with the Swiss army. In addition to a fairly substantial order for 2000 pistols, this order served as excellent advertising for Luger’s brainchild, as the military of many countries considered: “What’s good for the Swiss is worth trying for us too”.

Every whim for your money

Following the Swiss, Denmark and Brazil purchased new pistols. The success was also facilitated by the fact that Luger designed not just a pistol, but a pistol-cartridge complex. Initially, it was the cartridge that was modified - considering that the new smokeless powders were quite powerful, Luger shortened the 7.65x25 mm Borchardt cartridge, first receiving the 7.65x21 mm parabellum cartridge (the first pistols were produced for it). In 1902, the famous “nine” appeared, a 9x19 mm cartridge. To this day, this cartridge is the standard NATO pistol ammunition and is gradually becoming such in the Russian Federation, deservedly considered one of the most common and popular.

We also became interested in the new pistol overseas. Already in 1901, a representative of the DWM company delivered a 1900 model pistol to the USA. The result was an order for 1000 copies, distributed among military schools and colleges. In 1903, Georg Luger personally brought pistols chambered for his new 9-mm cartridge, with different barrel lengths. After a series of tests, the Americans first ordered 50 different pistols chambered for the 9-mm cartridge, including several “pistol-carbines” with a long barrel and a wooden butt, and then another 700 for the 7.65-mm cartridge.

German paratrooper with Luger

However, the full-scale rearmament of the Americans with the Parabellum never happened. The last attempt was pistols chambered for the new American cartridge 45ACP, manufactured in 1906. The exact number of “forty-fives” produced is unknown - numbers range from two to five copies are called - and, of course, their collectible value is difficult to overestimate. The last time such a pistol was sold at auction was at the height of the 2010 crisis for “only” half a million dollars, and one can assume that in more favorable times it would have cost significantly more.

The greatest success for Luger's brainchild was still in his native (for the pistol, since Georg himself was an Austrian) Germany. In 1904, a version with a barrel length of 150 mm was adopted by the Kaiser’s fleet - this is how the “naval” model 1904 appeared. Finally, in 1908, “that same” model 08 appeared, which was adopted by the German army. From that moment on, almost all the production of pistols at DWM was sucked out by the military, but still there was not enough P08 for the army - since 1911, the arms factory in Erfurt was connected to production.

The army became the customer and consumer of another well-known Luger model from the series of pistol-carbines - artillery, with a barrel length of 200 mm. It was for this purpose that a drum magazine with 32 rounds of ammunition was made in 1916, which was later transferred from the Ersatz-PP to the MP-18 submachine gun.

From the world by thread – it will turn out to be a Swedish volunteer for the Finnish army. Among the colorful weapons and equipment, there was also a place for the Luger.

“Parabellum” deservedly became one of the symbols of German weapons in the First World War, and even during the Second World War, despite the appearance of the more modern and technologically advanced “Walter” P38, it did not completely lose its position.

The Luger was officially ordered to Russia and the USSR twice - since 1906, about 1000 pistols of the so-called “Russian contract” were delivered, with inscriptions in Cyrillic and a mark in the form of crossed Mosin rifles. In addition, there is information about the supply of parabellums to the USSR Navy in the late 20s or early 30s, but without exact details. Also, the Luger could be purchased by officers of the imperial army at their own expense, but we can confidently say that the largest number of Parabellums ended up in the USSR as trophies.

Against former owners: American soldier with Parabellum and two captured Germans. The pistol, along with the Walter, was always a coveted trophy among allied soldiers

During tests in 1942 at the shooting range of the Main Artillery Directorate, Soviet specialists noted the smooth operation of the automation and the accuracy of combat, superior to the TT. At the same time, in difficult conditions - with thick grease, dust, freezing - the Luger worked with delays.

Curiosities of the name and costs of popularity

Separately, it is worth considering the issue of the name of the pistol. The name Parabellum, taken from the famous Latin proverb Si vis pacem, para bellum - "If you want peace, prepare for war", was the slogan of the DWM company and was applied not only to the Luger design, but also to its cartridge, as well as to other examples. Both commercial pistols and more serious systems were sold under this brand - for example, created in 1913 aircraft machine gun also called "Parabellum". On the other hand, Luger also created several models of pistols. All this can be briefly summarized as: Not every Parabellum is a Luger, but not every Luger is a Parabellum! The full name of the pistol is usually written as "P08, Parabellum, Borchardt-Luger".

The wooden stock and large-capacity magazine made the Luger a lightweight carbine

Finally, we cannot help but mention an amusing literary incident related to the Luger:

« It was a .45 caliber Luger with a long handle. He was lying in a puddle of water, and lumps of unmelted snow were still clinging to him; and while I was watching with my mouth agape, one lump fell off the trigger and fell onto the surface of the table. Then I looked around the hall. The hall was empty, only Lel stood next to the table and, tilting his head to the side, looked at me seriously and questioningly. From the kitchen came the usual kitchen sounds, the owner's soft bass voice and the smell of coffee.

– Did you bring this? – I asked Lelya in a whisper.

He tilted his head to the other side and continued to look at me.

His paws were covered in snow, his shaggy belly was dripping. I carefully took the gun. This was a real gangster weapon. The sighting range is two hundred meters, a device for installing an optical sight, a lever for switching to automatic shooting and other amenities...»

“He hung up a Mauser, then a Luger with a telescopic sight (Kopchik used this Luger to shoot two policemen to death on the last day of the Turn) and was tinkering with a 1906 model Browning - small, almost square - when a familiar voice behind him said:

– To the right, Andrey, a little to the right. And a centimeter lower."

The first quote is taken from the story “Hotel “At the Dead Climber””, and the second from the novel “The Doomed City” by brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

The controversy surrounding these pistols began even before the first book was published. Arkady Strugatsky gave the manuscript to the author of political detective stories, Theodor Gladkov, who was considered a weapons expert among writers. Gladkov, of course, immediately began to prove that Lugers with optical sights do not exist in nature. Further, the legend diverges - according to some sources, Arkady promised to replace the mentioned pistol, according to others, he stated: “This is my Luger, I do what I want.” Judging by the appearance of optics in the second work, the second version is closer to the truth.

Theoretically, it was possible to install optics on the Parabellum...

If the Lugers in caliber .45 were really made for the American competition - although, of course, the assumption that such a pistol could end up in the hands of a simple police inspector is too fantastic - then many more questions arise with optics. On a system with a movable barrel and levers that extend upward, it is possible to attach the optics only to the frame. In addition, the trajectory of the 9×19 cartridge, and even more so the .45ACP, at a distance of more than 100 meters, even for P08 models with an extended barrel, will be, to put it mildly, far from linear. The weapon will have to be sighted at a specific distance and then hope that the shooter, firstly, will be able to correctly determine the distance to the target, and secondly, that the field of view of the optics will be enough for correction. It is not surprising that optical sights have not taken root even on much more powerful submachine guns. So, fantasy remains fantasy.