German Polizei Firearms Display

[SARGE]

Gents,

 

Here is a display of 100 Years of German Police Firearms that I put on at the Missouri Valley Arms Collector's Assn. (MVACA) national gun show in Kansas City a few years ago. My large display won several awards in stiff competition for the three years that I set up a display on three 8 foot tables. Competing in these judged display events helped me to understand what judges, and show attendees, wanted and to improve my subsequent displays.

 

First off, here are views of the vertical elements of the display. The soaring vertical elements consist of two wire display walls showing the title of the display at the top. Below the two signs are rifles as well as four pieces of headgear to help bring the vertical elements together. The other vertical part of the display are several Polizei uniforms from Imperial to East & West German times showing how firearm holsters were worn during the 100 year period of use. These torso forms are interspersed between the wire walls.

 

 

[SARGE]

Here are views of the horizontal elements of the display. The table tops are covered with a floor length German Police green felt skirt providing a place to display police handguns. Each handgun is displayed as a complete "rig" with a police holster or a box and the same time progression from Imperial to East German Police is maintained extending from left to right following the time line placement of the uniforms. Notice that there are various related items such as capture papers, magazine articles, manuals, etc. placed in the display as well. Finally, notice that each firearm has a brief description of what the viewer is looking at. Each folding note explains what the gun is, how it is police marked, and other interesting information.

 

 

[Proud Kraut]

SARGE this is simply amazing! Would love to see this (museum quality) display first-hand.

[ww1collector1]

What a great display! Have a eagle L police luger and holster my dad sent home.

[Jack the Collector]

Amazing only begins to describe this.Having a brain freeze...whats the story on the Naval uniform?

[SARGE]

Thank you for the kudos gentlemen. This display is a real pain to put together, lug around, set up, and take down. All these guns are heavy!

 

The Naval style uniform is actually an Oberleutnant of the Bavarian Water Police (Wasserschutzpolizei). His rank is shown by the two "piston rings" on the sleeve cuffs and his Polizei function is shown by the multi-pointed Police Star worn just above the cuff rings. In this case the pistol is worn in a holster that is threaded through a slit in the right side hip pocket and attached to a shoulder rig that supports the weight of the pistol. The pistol is not worn on an external belt in the case of the WSP.

 

Let me know if anyone has questions about anything else in the display.

 

 

[Tony v]

SARGE

 

Great display ! Congratulations on the special award, well done. Thank you for sharing

 

Tony

[RRA227]

Fantastic display. Rich A. in Pa.

[Jeff V.]

Beautiful items and presentation!

[SARGE]

Thank you for the kudos gentlemen.

 

Here is an example of one of the items in the display that I guess can't be well distinguished in the photographs. It is an Erma sub-caliber 4mm police training single shot insert for the barrel of the 9mm P.08 (Luger) Pistol. These sub-caliber training units in 4mm and .22 caliber are quite scarce so here is a close up view.

 

 

[RRA227]

Never seen that before. Rich A. in Pa.

[Arkaidiyh]

Wow!  "Impressive" doesn't begin to cover these magnificent displays.  Thank you for sharing them.  

[SARGE]

Thanks for the look and comments.  I appreciate the kind words.

 

Here is another example of a sub caliber KK-Munition (.22 caliber) unit for the 9mm P.08 (Luger) pistol.

 

A circa 1938 boxed Erma M30a SEL .22 cal. P.08 conversion unit.  This wooden boxed Police marked conversion unit was manufactured by Erma Werk and is serial numbered and Polizei E/F marked on the box and toggle.  These magazine fed semi-automatic “Selbstlade-Einstecklauf fur P.08” were police training units.  They were also used by the Wehrmacht in their training regimes but those had WaA. inspector markings.