Posted on 03/07/2015 6:10:38 AM PST by C19fan
The ancient Romans had a saying. Si vis pacem, para bellum—“If you want peace, prepare for war.”
George Luger took that statement seriously. The result was a pistol known for its accuracy, the ammunition it introduced to the militaries of the world and the evil reputation it later gained.
The P08 nine-millimeter Parabellum—or Luger—pistol was the brainchild of its namesake inventor, and it served Germany faithfully during both world wars. Often associated with the Nazi regime, it was the handgun of the Kaiser’s Soldaten before Hitler took power.
Yet it’s more closely associated with the latter. If you watch a World War II movie, you almost expect a barking Gestapo officer to start frantically waving a Luger around.
(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...
You are correct about post-WW I commercials in 7.65 - they tend to go for less than most but they are still an outstanding investment if you find a good matching example with original finish, no pits, decent bore. I’d buy them all day for $1200 each.
Pre-WWI commercials are a whole different breed of cat! Tell me that any export Luger in good condition from 1906 and before isn’t going to command a lot more than $1,200!
Bulgarians? Swiss Commercial or military? American Eagles?
That author was being either naïve or deliberately deceptive..
Broomhandle Mauser. I’ve seen a lot of them at gun shows. No idea how pricey they are these days but German WWII memorabilia is not cheap.
Nah. I’ve never had a Luger jam as long as it was good quality ammo and the action was oiled. The trigger is atrocious and it takes a gunsmithing genius to give it a decent, creep-free pull - but Lugers are accurate and dependable pistols. Maybe you had a bad magazine or your Luger was a “parts” Luger.
Yeah a lot of them can be in rough shape.
“Oyster Bay” used to make a nice refurbished pistol. Many now are heavily pitted and barrels in rough shape.
Talk of Lugers always reminds me of this sorry episode.
http://murderpedia.org/female.L/l/longet-claudine.htm
I don't have many ideas for what that would be - maybe an Erma .22? There aren't copies of Lugers that I am aware of, other than that Erma. The whole story sounds fishy to me: guns pointed at people "accidentally" going off is a standard excuse. There are very few people stupid enough to point a weapon at someone and pull the trigger by accident.
An actual Luger-related tragedy occurred back in the 1950s before the Gun Control Act of '68 when people could still buy guns through the mail. Some guy in Texas bought a Luger that was shipped in two parts: the upper and lower halves and the lamebrain that sent it left a round in the chamber. (The victim was also a lamebrain - Lugers show that they are loaded: their extractor is pushed up and the word "Geladen" is visible when there's round in the chamber). The victim apparently removed the wrapping with the barrel pointed at himself and squeezed the sear bar, firing the upper half of the pistol. He died while trying to call for help.
Yes, I remember it was one of the few guns that could be fired when partially disassembled.
The Claudine episode was one of your first modern day pre-OJ celebrity murder media circuses. I remember it well as a teenager.
She was guilty as hell but got away with it through a combination of police/prosecutor incompetence and favorable treatment by the judge. Sound familiar?
I would love to see what the civil settlement was. she probably got hammered.
You reminded me of some WWII items my Dad left me. He was with the 101st at Bastogne and got a P38 and holster among other items. What is a P38 worth and is a actual battle won pistol worth more?
Damn.
Luger.
The P-38 was actually a better sidearm than the P-08 Parabellum, in my opinion, although both exhibit the same fine craftsmanship common to German weapons.
Take your piece -- with the holster and whatever documentation you can put together -- to a gun show and ask around. There are collectors there who are experts.
The Walther P.38 (and post-WW2 Walther P.1 clone) is a go to war pistol. Its magazine is reliable, it stands up well to dust and dirt, it is a double action with a de-cocker safety, and good fixed sights.
The Luger P.08 is a good gun for your pistol collection, but not to be relied upon in a serious gunfight. The Walther p.38 (and P.1) are accurate and reliable handguns under all combat conditions. If you need a good combat sidearm, the P.38 (P.1) does the job.
I meant a p38 walther
The Browning Hi-Power is another go to war pistol for serious gunfights. Other proven go to war pistols are the Colt M1911A1 and Tokarev TT-33. These pistols use the three most common pistol calibers in the world: 9mm Parabellum (9x19, Luger), .45 ACP (.45 Auto), and 7.62 Tokarev (7.62x25).
I own a P-38 and have fired a Luger, but I cannot shoot worth a darned with either one of them. I think it is because they are so light on the front end. I own a Browning P-35 that I can shoot much better with. It has more weight up front. A 9mm x 19 Star (postwar) I have shoots even better. It has even more weight up front, being a close copy of the Colt 1911.
The Mauser C96 was designed to be used as a pistol carbine. It was equipped with a long range rifle-type rear sight graduated to 1,000 meters. Its wooden stock was hollowed out to act as a holster for the pistol and accommodated a leather suspender to hang the pistol from a Sam Browne belt. Ammunition was loaded in 10-round chargers and carried in a cartridge box attached to the belt.
Shooting the pistol with stock attached required particular caution. The shooter had to place the thumb of the right hand alongside the pistol and not wrap it around the grip. If you forgot, when the bolt stroked back to cock the hammer for another shot, the web of your hand between the thumb and forefinger was pinched by the hammer! Painful does not begin to describe the pain. I know, because it happened to me once...and only once. Ouch!
Trivia: The Mauser C96 was never officially adopted by the German military. It was purchased by the military and issued to troops during World War I and II. It was carried by officers and enlisted. The pistol was frequently issued to machine gun crews. All Mauser C96 pistols issued to German army units had the caliber changed from 7.62 Mauser (identical to 7.62 Tokarev) to 9mm Parabellum. To prevent confusion and loading of the wrong ammunition, Army pistols had large number "9" burned into the wooden grips and filled with red paint. During World War II, some German SS units carried the Mauser Model 712 selective fire pistol that had a detachable 10- or 20-round magazine.
“During World War II, some German SS units carried the Mauser Model 712 selective fire pistol that had a detachable 10- or 20-round magazine. “
“Schnellfeuer” (Fast fire)
Thank you for all the info.
Semi-Auto Broom handle in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXQEI0V8bvc
For one year only, 1992, Navy Arms imported the Model 711 pistol. This was a semi-auto only replica of the Mauser Model 712 “Schnellfeuer†pistol using the Model 712 upper receiver and fire control group (modified to semi-auto) and a newly made Chinese lower that took either a 10-rd. or 20-rd. magazine (1 each supplied with the pistol). The lower receiver was stamped “China†and has Chinese markings and symbols. Caliber was 9mm Parabellum. Here: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=462439842
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.