Hi Dan, I think the left hand grip is original (S&S one) and the right hand one is a reproduction copy ! Regards Toby.

 

I'm a long, long ways from being an expert, but I looked everywhere when I got my 38(h)

This info came to me in 2006

Early grips: had 43 'S' design & 242/25r or 25I, Commerical finish, high polish blue, variation 2 pistols, S/N's 273,000 - 332,000
Mid - late grips: had 43 'T1" design & 242/25r or 25I, war finish, variation 3, S/N's 332,000 - 485,000
Late grips: Ia within a circle, (no 242/25r) War finish w/o safety, variation 4, S/N's 485,000 - 507,000

I hope this is the right info because I ID'd my grips using it. Info came from luger. gunboards. com in 2006

Don

 

I am not certain on your grips but Jim and Martin, who wrote the two books, are on Jan Still's Luger forum and would know. There are some good repros coming out of C. Republic. The guy making them is using good originals to make molds and knows what he is doing with the materials. They look too close to originals for comfort.

My gut says you have two variations on your pistol but it could be one is repro??

 

The Sauer 38h grips often seem to have failed. I have seen enough US GI theatre-made grips on these pistols to make me consider that these were failing even in the 1940s. Bad design, poor materials, crap execution; I don't know but I DO know that these great little pistols are better than their damned fragile grips.