German luger ammo question

[clb]

Those of you that have/had one......
Please keep the flamefest at bay, I just donot see much info here.

9 mm luger of course...
Of course brass cased would be preferable.
Toggle action p08 german luger, war trophy , thanx dad.
Not gunna shoot it much, before the cal ban on importing ammo I want to shelve some additional ammo in case.
What brand and weight work best???
Just want a box or 2 for posterity's sake.
Thanks for looking.

[Citadelgrad87]

I think that steel cased ammo in a collectible gun is a bad move.

I am not a Luger expert, and never shot any steel cased ammo, because IMHO brass is easier on the gun.

[ojisan]

Steel cases should not effect feeding on either gun.
They are often harder to extract and always harder on the extractor and ejector during cycling.

The Luger needs the right power level of loads to work right...not too hot and not too cold.
I would buy some different brands of ammo, test to find one that cycles reliably, then stick with that load / brand.

[edgerly779]

Use 9mm luger brass cased ammo not steel. 9mm cheap now at walmart around 10 bucks a box. I would not shoot that luger much.

[Tere_Hanges]

124gr 9mm Luger/Para (9x19) should work better than 118gr. The toggle action needs a little more power to cycle reliably. I would only use brass. BTW, Im pretty sure it is "Luger" not "Lugar".

[omega]

I was at a gun show recently and a dealer was telling a guy that had a Artillery Luger that it wasnt worth much and he should shoot the strongest 9mm ammo he can get, he said Lugers are strong, it wont break, then he made a low ball offer how much he would pay for it.

the dealer said it looks refinished? that will cut the price at least 50% what it's worth.

[sonofeugene]

The gold standard is Winchester white box. But I've shot Blazer, Federal, and others. As long as it's good quality, brass, and not + or hotter loads, you should be good.

FYI, if it's an all numbers matching original finish gun in good shape, you might consider not shooting it. If you break an original numbered part, it greatly reduces the value of the gun. Also, earlier Lugers are more risky to shoot than later Mauser Lugers, from a breakage standpoint.

The one I have was acquired by my father and was refinished, so it's not collector grade, even though all numbers match.

FYI, if the magazine numbers also match, that's even a bigger reason not to shoot it. It's rare to have the mag numbers match.

Pix?

And if you'd like even more info, the Luger Forum is an excellent place to go. http://www.lugerforum.com

[clb]

Thanks all...
Its a safe queen,if I recall the numbers\finish match... Mags I dunno.
I just have a sentimental attachment to it.
Its lonely with only one box of ammunition in storage...
As we learned after the firestorm,,,, DO NOT STORE THE AMMO IN THE SAFE!
I will see about a pic later on
I thank you all for the input.

[omega]

family heirloom

Thanks all...
Its a safe queen, numbers\finish match... Mags I dunno.
I just have a sentimental attachment to it.
Its lonely with only one box of ammunition in storage...
As we learned after the firestorm,,,, DO NOT STORE THE AMMO IN THE SAFE!
I thank you all for the input.

family heirlooms have too much sentimental value to risk damaging, it's part of your family history, it needs to be preserved.

my all matching P38 broke and it was ruined after that, dont risk that happening, maybe just test fire one box of brass cased factory ammo is the most I would do if you have to fire it, just to do a function test.

or leave it alone, and just make sure it's lubed and cleaned.

[Sutcliffe]

Pistols of that era were developed around ball ammo

Probably a high likelyhood that hollow point will have trouble functioning.

[Two Shots]

I had a 1918 DWM and fed it brass cases from PMC and Remington with no problem, I wouldn't run steel or +P in it.

[Carcassonne]

The P08 was originally designed around a 124/125 grain truncated bullet.

I wouldn't shoot Buffalo Bore or Underwood out of one.



.

[Flying Sig]

The gold standard is Winchester white box.

That made me laugh

[Lor]

Do your extractor a favor by not running steel cased ammo through the gun.

[Denver Dick]

Yeah, 124 gr FMJ ammo is what the pistol was designed to shoot. Not to say 115 won't work okay, but it is more likely to shoot closer to point of aim with 124 gr. ammo. I've had good luck with 124 gr 9mm Luger by Magtech, American Eagle and Blazer Brass. Good luck.