Collector Grade Publications

Collector Grade Publications - Bookshelf #3

PISTOLE PARABELLUM - History of the Luger System

PISTOLE PARABELLUM - History of the "Luger System"
by Joachim Görtz and Geoffrey L Sturgess
$225.00

Deluxe 3-Volume slipcased First Edition, 2010
2,014 pages, 1,917 illustrations, most in colour

Comprising an Editor's Preface, Author's Foreword, Introduction, sixty-three chapters of profusely illustrated text plus a Bibliography, Glossary, and comprehensive 34-page Index, this is the most complete and authoritative account ever published of every aspect of the Pistole Parabellum—the world's most collectable handgun.

Volume I discusses and depicts the historical antecedents of the Parabellum with emphasis on the Borchardt C93, and documents the derivation of the Parabellum from the C93. The bulk of the volume is devoted to illustrated descriptions of all Parabellum prototypes and Old and New Model variations as adopted by the Swiss and German militaries and manufactured for foreign contract and commercial sale.

Volume II begins with an in-depth, historical discussion of the four Parabellum production lines (in Germany, Switzerland, and Britain) and all the military, contract and commercial models manufactured by each; the official production and military inspection and procurement procedures, plus an exhaustive, fully-illustrated study of markings (factory internal, proof, acceptance, serial numbers and unit), ending with a chapter on supplementary police safeties and selective-fire conversions.

Volume III covers all the many accessories and ancillaries produced for the Borchardt C93 and the Parabellum, including commercial, military and police manuals; holsters, magazine pouches and holster/stocks; magazines and drums; maintenance accessories; Swiss and German sub-calibre conversions; cases and cartons; and ammunition (7.65mm Borchardt and 7.65mm and 9mm Parabellum), including headstamps, special loadings, and military packaging and labelling.

This is the first and only Luger study to tackle head-on the vexing issue of fakery. The nearly two thousand sharp, clear illustrations in these volumes, mostly in full colour, painstakingly depict and compare the key details of hundreds of genuine examples of exquisite rarity with those of known fakes. In keeping with this as an ongoing theme throughout all three volumes, the exhaustive Index in the back of Volume III directs the reader to over 50 specific entries under the heading "Fakery".

See review below.

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Exceptional Review in Man at Arms !

The noted curator, author and researcher Herbert G. Houze has written an exceptionally lengthy and effusive review of our new three-volume deluxe cased Pistole Parabellum set, which appears in the June, 2011 issue of the prestigious NRA journal Man at Arms .

The full text of the review, which takes up an unprecedented page-and-a-half in the magazine, discusses the content and importance of each of the three volumes in detail.

Excerpts from this review, reprinted with permission, read as follows:

. . These are books meant to be used, not merely admired . . All three [volumes] are jammed full of information concerning the pistols designed by Hugo Borchardt and Georg Luger. Further examination . .will reveal that the content has been organized in an accessible fashion . . From a technical viewpoint, the set displays wonderfully high production standards . . the illustrations are all uniformly of exceptional quality. These factors, in combination with the set's contents, have resulted in the creation of a reference work that is without parallel in its field.

. . extensive use is made of photographic plates illustrating comparative views of particular constructional details . . This is of particular importance to collectors, since it provides them with the means to quickly determine whether or not a particular arm has been modified . . the authors have used the same method to unmask fakes [and] have taken particular pains to expose the tell-tale characteristics that differentiate genuine Luger pistols from fakes . . the true value of the work will only become apparent when it is put to use by collectors.

. . by virtue of the depth of research it embodies and the wealth of information it contains, [this set] is an immeasurably important addition to arms literature in general.”



We are pleased to announce that our title Pistole Parabellum - History of the "Luger System" has been recognized by the Printing Industries of America in its 2011 Premier Print Awards.

Certificate of Merit

"The Premier Print Award Competition recognizes the highest quality printed pieces in various categories from around the world. Each year, only the most worthy pieces receive Awards of Recognition, Certificates of Merit…
 
Many of the entries in the Premier Print Awards deserve recognition for the quality of their work. To honor those who have achieved an extremely high level of quality in printing and design, the judges bestow a Certificate of Merit.”



All prices in US dollars. US retail orders shipped post-paid. Canadian retail orders--postage extra.


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