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Pictured is an actual original Chilean “second” trials production prototype, seven inch 30 Cal barrel, fixed rear sight Luger with matching prototype push-button board stock with after-market holster with original Marine-Modell 1904 instruction manual and possibly correct “standard” load 30 Cal period ammunition. The after-market holster, which was custom made by the immediate previous owner/collector, to replace the severely deteriorated original holster, which is correct except for the cover flap, is attached to the original push-button board stock, which is correctly serialized in two places with the last two digits of the serial number, one on top of the attaching iron, laterally placed, and the other on the right side of the board stock, in the rear portion recess, centrally located, normally covered by the leather holster. The replacement leather strap, located at the neck of the board stock is attached with what appears to be after-market replacement attachment hardware, being a wood screw and shaped washer, identical in size and design to the original screw and 19 mm diameter shaped washer, except brass, rather than the original steel screw and washer.
Note the very professionally added 23 mm wide x 4.25 mm thick leather (belt) loop, secured with four period steel wood screws and 9.5 mm, small diameter flat brass washers. One end of the strip of leather was secured to the board stock, then folded over and the other end, also secured to the board stock, below and covering the first two screws and washers, thus forming the loop. The belt-loop strap is located between the left side board stock shoulder carrying strap exit slots. Based on the aged appearance of the leather belt-loop and mounting hardware, it was clearly added early on, perhaps by the original South American owner, who could have bought the rig directly from a local retailer, or possibly with prior Chilean army service, acquired the pistol and board stock/holster from the Chilean military for civilian use, who thought the shoulder strap inadequate or awkward for carrying the rig and wanted the additional security, carrying capability, and convenience of the added belt-loop. Pictured are top views of the attaching irons of the three known production prototype push-button board stock Chilean rigs, 34, 35, 44 and a comparison of the last two-digits of the serial numbers of 10034 and 10035 stamped in the right rear board stock recess.
This could be the first instance, albeit unofficial, of the addition of a belt-loop for a board stock holster assembly, which was eventually adopted, several years later by the German navy, except in the form of a 14mm wide x 60mm long x 1.2mm thick, blue tempered, very stiff steel spring clip, curiously located, being attached with two rivets and two 11 mm diameter flat brass washers, 40mm apart, at each end of the spring where it attaches to the rather thin, 2.7mm thick x 20mm wide production leather carrying strap, where it exits the board stock, thus carrying the entire weight of the board stock, holster with cleaning rod and combination loading tool/screwdriver and loaded pistol, being a combined, hefty 62 ounces or 3.89 pounds on a single strap. Subsequently, when located, these production navy board stocks with the added metal spring belt-clip, the single load carrying shoulder straps are severely stressed, torn, or completely detached. Curiously, the first Chilean Trials model multi-position adjustable rear sight example, pictured in the four-page Spanish supplemental flyer, lacks the added carrying strap metal spring belt-clip, while serial number 10003, one of the first multi-position adjustable rear sight, push-button board stock configurations, pictured in Pistole Parabellum, Volume I, page 203, figure 210 does have a metal belt spring clip, which seems regressive or retro, as the only known identified, completely original, second trials Chilean fixed rear sight Luger rig, pistol serial number 10034 with push-button board stock prototype holster shoulder carrying strap, which came after 10003, does not have the added metal spring belt-clip, the method of attachment to the strap not completely visible. Additionally, in the same Pistole Parabellum figure 210, is pictured transitional navy trials model 51 with a production turn lever navy board stock configuration, without the carrying strap metal spring belt clip.
Pictured are two original Chilean second trials production prototype push-button board stock holsters and the subject 10035 second trials reproduction holster made for the 10035 serialized push-button board-stock, all with a holster body pistol pull-up strap, with the two original being covered by the tear-drop style cover flap. Note the slightly different cover flap tear-drop termination of the aftermarket example, exposing pistol pull-up strap. The original second trials holsters are different in the manner of the style of cleaning rod cover flap which has circular leather end pieces or ears stitched in a 180 degree or semi-circular pattern to each end of the cover flap proper. This is a change from the first Chilean trials holster pattern cleaning rod cover flap, which uses a formed, single piece of leather, folded over to form the end pieces, sewn together at each end with a single straight stitch line, interestingly, being identical to the cleaning rod cover flap of the 20 holsters supplied with the 1899 Swiss Test Trials Borchardt-Lugers. Notwithstanding the barrel length differences of these two holsters, 6¾ inches vs. 4¾ inches, represents the 1899-1901 rapid evolution to the final production version of the P.04 Luger holster used by the Imperial German navy. Pictured is the top half of an 1899 Borchardt-Luger Swiss trials holster with the cover flap open, which is what the first Chilean trials holster would look like. Also pictured is how the backside would appear, if a Chilean trials holster was ever made to be carried on a belt.