One of my Uncles brought back a Japanese Luger from his service in the WWII Pacific theater. Another Uncle had a Luger that he picked up serving in the European theater. Both Uncles argued about their war prizes. When I was about 8 years old they finally compared pistols. For me this was a very memorable experience.

The Japanese Luger was actually a Nambu Type 14. The Luger was the real thing. I have no idea about the maker or any other details, but it was a Luger.

My Uncle proceeded to field strip the Luger. I was impressed with the ease my Uncle disassembled the pistol and the pleasure he took showing off his real Luger.

That experience has made me appreciate the engineering, functionality and simplicity of design of the Luger. I have enjoyed collecting and shooting my Luger more than any of my other guns.

Having been around during WW2, ( I was born in 1936 ) and my father was a WW1 vet, I had an early interest in all firearms but especially lugers. Bought my first after I got out of the Navy (1941 byf all matching with correct holster ) . Had to sell this while in College. ($40). Have been interested since and as I could afford them been collecting. Am now at the age I need to start selling. Hard to do. Bill

I still own every single one I purchased, 15 to date! I can't think of anything else that I have purchased before in my life that I still have including two ex-wives! I plan on continuing to be a luger hording! Every day I can look at them and feel rich and hungry for more! Debbie no longer believes me when I swear its my last one! She says she only needs one to break my habit! I hope its the 1937 Krieghoff! ~~Eric

John Sabato

My uncle was in the 58th Armored Bn I think as that is what is
on the bring back paper for my Kreighoff.
I know he was on tank destroyers for the entire time.
Unfortunately I did not get all the info I would have liked
before he passed.

First time saw Luger on movie,,, it's a French produced WWII movie "Teheran 43" (French movie?), allied agents and German spies shooting each other with "Nambu-like" pistols. Later realized that's Luger :) Watched some Yugoslavian WWII movies earlier, but Yugo movies were full of P38, no Lugers.

One of the best sidearms conceived...

You're missing the best combat arm, the 1911A1 :D Okay, I am prejudiced, carried one for most of my army life :)

I voted other.

I started collecting with American Civil War rifle-muskets. Eventually the collection started to expand to cover US primary issue long arms. As part of that I picked up some representative opposing forces arms (e.g. GeW98 for WWI, Arisaki 99 & K98K for WWII).

Since I also owned a couple of 1911s, a 1913 made 1911 and my father's WWII 1911A1, as well as a Nambu he broght back, I figured I should get a Luger. That was back in January 1998.

Well, that infected me. My first Luger was a P.08, but I fell in love with the Navy ones. To my eye the P.08 barrel is a bit too short and the Artillery too long. Like baby bear's porridge it's "just right".

All of the above!
 

The Parabellum pistol touches my head, heart, and soul. Appreciation of history, mechanical devices, workmanship, ergonomics, economics, and design are a start!

In 1974 I was part of a French exchange between Bayonne N.J. and Bayonne France living with a Basque family. My French counterpart was Bruno Duclos and one day he showed me an old dirty luger he had found hidden since the war in their dirt basement. Obviously from the French resistance. Their family was Basque Awesome! I wish I could have brought it home. My first luger was a 1906 French contract. I happened to find our picture from 1974. I'm the long Haired on the right~I did take him to a Pink Floyd, 'Dark Side Of The Moon' concert and barely recovered!!~~Eric

Wow look at lines per inch on the wall and your shirt - high quality stuff!

My mom started but her neighbor had to finish it! She got dizzy, cross-eyed and almost fell off the ladder!!! Between the Doors and black lights it all came together~

Why Lugers?
 

My story is probably not unlike a lot of guys on the forum. I had worshipped Lugers from afar for years due to the Luger mystique. But I was intimidated by the wealth of knowledge needed to discern the wheat from the chaff. Finally I discovered that a gentleman very knowledgeable in this field lived not far down the road from me. Since my first contact with him about a year ago, I have been blessed by his willingness to share his knowledge and friendship with me. Now I have several nice Lugers starting with an 1920 Commercial and ending with a byf 42.

I have handled and shot a great variety of firearms over the past 50 or so years, but nothing else has ever given me the thrill of shooting any Luger. :) Bill

My interest in them started when I was still a kid. I heard stories from my Grandfather and Dad about my Great grandfather's massive firearm collection which his wife fooled away in the years after his death. The one my grandfather lamented over the most was the German Luger she gave away to a friend. From that point I wanted to get one to add back to the family collection and be able to show my grandfather that we have another one now. After getting that first one I was hooked.

they don't make them like that anymore
 

We had an old solid aluminum Luger when we were kids that we got to play with and sometimes used the butt as a hammer. So for me it was always the cool pistol. A ladies husband had died and while cleaning she found his old guns and asked my brother ( a police officer) if he would take it out of her house. He called and asked if I wanted it as he had no interest describing it as having a VERY long barrel. He wanted cash so i forked it over. Turned out to be a numbers matching 1916 artillery. that was 5 lugers ago. Finally shot it after many years of ownership and fear of breaking parts. 102 years old and very accurate... he tried it and offered to buy it back