Anybody Know About A Luger?

[Rangem4]

I have always liked the lines and style of the WW2 German Luger.
Are they accurate, dependable?
What issues do they have.
Have you ever fired one?
What do you look for if you were going to buy one?
I know many of them were made by slave labor, I bet the quality suffered during those years.
Thanks

[littlejake]

I had one made in 1939 by Mauser at Obendorf. They are striker fired. The toggle action is unique. They are designated as the P08. Originally designed for the 7.65 Luger cartridge; rather quickly adopted to the 9mm Parabellum. Yes, I have fired mine.

Nearly every part is stamped with the last two digits of the SN -- you look for those numbers to match. Field strip is easy. One caution -- you must be absolutely sure the gun is clear as the receiver, barrel, toggle assembly can be fired without the frame. The sear bar is exposed when the frame is removed; and more than one person has found out the hard way to clear the chamber.

[XDRoX]

I have one. Accurate yes, and reliable if fed 124gr or heavier rounds.
The original 9mm bullets were just about 124gr.

You hear about reliability problems on the net quite often, but they are usually do to 115gr bullets.

If you want one for collectors value make sure all the numbers match and it's in good condition. It can get pricey very fast. If you just want a shooter you'll be able to find mix matched serial numbers for decent prices, especially at gun shows.

[Root66]

I've owned a half-dozen Lugers over the years and had some reliability problems; most related to ammo, not the grain but the overall length.

A well known Luger builder once told me than any ammo over 1.169" in overall length will most likely cause feeding problems and he was right.

[XDRoX]

I've owned a half-dozen Lugers over the years and had some reliability problems; most related to ammo, not the grain but the overall length.

A well known Luger builder once told me than any ammo over 1.169" in overall length will most likely cause feeding problems and he was right.

Ya, 1.169" is pretty long. But WWB comes in right about that or a little longer sometimes.

I load all my 9mm to 1.140". This functions fine in all 8 of my 9mm's.

[tboyer]

I've owned a half-dozen Lugers over the years and had some reliability problems; most related to ammo, not the grain but the overall length.

A well known Luger builder once told me than any ammo over 1.169" in overall length will most likely cause feeding problems and he was right.

Also the Luger seems to need a strong magazine spring.

[hyeg35]

Where can I find one?

[goofcat]

Where can I find one?

Martin B. in Culver City always seem to have a few in their display cases.

[hyeg35]

Thanks bud, i'll check them out! Hears they have an excellent selection and customer service is top notch.

[saki302]

Accurate? Yes, very- but the triggers tend to be a bit heavy and hard to work with (when in good condition).
Dependable? YEs, at leas tthe WW2 models are when kept clean. Mine cycles well with even 115gr ammo- anything FMJ profile is gobbled up nicely. Haven't tried JHP, and don't have any desire to.

I don't believe many (if any at all) Lugers were done by slave labor. They didn't make them at the end of the war- these guns are NOT production line guns. It took over 100 operations BY HAND to finish a Luger. Which is also why a numbers matching gun is worth much more, and tends to shoot much better than mixmasters.

Make sure you get a numbers matching unit (if not, some mixmasters do work fine, but won't be as accurate- I wouldn't pay more than $5-600 for a mixer).

Matching mag and holster also adds to value. Make sure you get an original mag too- if you must use aftermarket, stick to Mec-Gar.

-Dave

[zinfull]

The sights are more rifle than pistol and they are hard to see as you get old. I have a few and some work with out problems and the others you have to adjust parts to work properly. $600 will get you a shooter pistol but a nice shooter will be close to $800. This would be a matching with poor finish. The WWII pistol are tha most wanted and draw a higher price. Also one mismatch part number in a collector grade is not close to matching and will drop the value to shooter grade, example $1300 to $800.

If you go to collecting Lugers buy the books and take your time. It is a fun hobby.

Jerry

[tankerman]

I sold mine about 5 years ago and have been kicking myself ever since.
It was one of, if not the most accurate pistols I've ever owned, I really enjoyed that gun.


I put orange nail polish on the front sight, but it was still difficult to see in poorly lit indoor ranges.

[BradleyAbrams]

I had a numbers-matching 1938 model back in 1979. Best ergonomics I have ever experienced on a handgun,.

I sold it because it kept having feeding problems and at the time it was my one and only gun.

I ended up buying a MAC-11 and a PPK/s

I do regret selling that Luger.

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