I'm pretty comfortable with the later S/42, 42, and BYF guns myself. They say the metallurgy was at it's peak toward the end.
dju

If I had to pick a Luger to use at the range I think I would choose a 1942 P08, when the metallurgy was supposed to be better and compared to a WWI perhaps the gun should be less used and abused.


Sergio

1936 is a VERY good vintage......quality respected across the board.........

I shoot my all matching 1918 Erfurt. I purchased ALL potentially breakable parts, and fitted them to the gun. Just in case. But honestly,......I'm an old selfish bastard, and I really don't care what happens to my "collection" (or the world in general) after I die!

I put "collection" in parenthesis, because I don't "collect". I just accumulated some weapons that I like, and I shoot them all, whenever I feel like.

I admire all members here that profess to be concerned about their collection been kept "for future generations". I have this one life, and I intend to live/enjoy it to the fullest. As far as I'm concerned, the world can cease to exist after me (as it will for ME!).

I never acquired a weapon that I considered "an investment" (I invest in other things), and the "future value" of anything I own doesn't concern me. Keeping a weapon (a car, a watch, or anything worth considering "collecting") for looking at it, is not my game. I WILL use everything I paid for with my hard earned money, and have a TON of fun doing it.

Just my 2 cents.

Instead I'm a gun collector, not an addict, not that there is a distinction... just sounds better...

jokes apart, probably you've got the right attitude after all

Sergio

Mauser marked S/42; 42 and BYF from 1937 to 1942 any of them would be a good choice.

And I didn't see your post that said pretty much the same thing I did. :o

Unfortunately that attitude has gotten us where we are today. I seriously feel we need to be concerned about the future. And I am an old fart.

+1

Oh, I am concerned about the future, but gun collections should be mostly enjoyed. There will always be some 'preserved' in museums, armory collections, safes, etc. But the preservation of individual's items that concern me more are the aircraft of the wars. They still fly the old B-17s and others, and every so often we loose one and those are REALLY irreplaceable. But I can't really fault those who own them and want to fly them. Because they see history and the future as remembering the sacrifices of the past in real time, which made that - this future possible. I guess that is also true for antique firearms shooters. Sometimes bringing a Luger to the range opens up conversations with others, including the future and the next generation of 'collectors.'

quote "...They still fly the old B-17s and others..."

Some people would be interested also on the most decorated US ships of WWII but come on an old Luger is definitely more easy to preserve!

:-)


Sergio