If you’re a daily reader here I’m sure you remember Håkan Spuhr’s Custom Luger, a quite extensive article on all the work that has been put into the project so far.

But the old Luger (what’s left of the old) project is progressing, and a special Luger like this requires a special grip.

Mr. Spuhr managed to source a jawbone from a Hippotamus (please read the special note about CITES below) and work started to make a Luger pistol grip out of it.

Below: Milling the Hippo jawbone with the teeth still in place. The material is extremely hard and is best cut with carbide tools. The milling machine is from Shaublin. Try not to imagine the smell.

Below: Is this the work of a veterinary dentist or a master gunsmith? Note the engraving “Custom by Håkan Spuhr”.

Below you can follow the process, including video, from the work:

Here’s a video of the work, almost finished:

Important note:

Hippopotamus, or Large Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) comes from Africa and is listed in CITES Appendix II (16/02/1995). However, if you have the right permits then it is allowed to export and use it.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. The aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

If you want to do a project like this, please make sure you follow the regulations to protect the Wildlife and endangerade species.  (Source)

More information

You can find Mr. Spuhr’s Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/spuhr_ex_gunsmith/

Do you know of other gunsmiths on Instagram or Facebook that share their work?

And just to clarify, we don’t mean people who build their guns out 80% parts and jigs or can put an AR15 together, but real gunsmiths.