New to the site and lugers

[mrerick]

Check to see if you can get a copy of the Geoff Sturgess book "The Borschardt and Luger Automatic Pistols" on DVD (only) from Simpson's. IIRC, they were selling the DVDs separately for a period of time (but they are not listed that way on their website).

John Walter's "The Luger Story" is out of print now, but a good (if dated) overview. So is Fred Datig's book "The Luger Pistol". Both are sometimes available used for reasonable prices.

A collector Luger is as close as possible to it's original factory state. Matching and in original finish.

For many collectors, a mismatched part or refinishing or both take it out of collector status and interest. Count on values at least 40% lower than a collector pistol of similar finish and condition.

Today, a shooter LP08 artillery should be obtainable for $1400, perhaps a little less.

A P08 mismatch or quality refinish should be $1100 or so. If it's buffed to the point of destroying marks or rounding off edges, keep on looking on. I'd personally rather have one in original finish with mismatched parts (perhaps one gun's upper, and another pistol's frame). I have one all matching original finish Mauser s/42 shooter with finish loss and pitting that is a great shooter.