Bought a luger today and need help
 

Does anyone know a good gunsmith in Arizona (or anywhere else for that matter) that can work on a luger? I bought a luger at an auction today. It has been reblued but is missing the front and rear sight. I am going to use it as a shooter, but I don't know anyone in Arizona (or any other state) that I can send it to so I can get sights on it. Any help?

The barrel does not have the dovetail for the front sight and it is not matching. I bought it for $400 dollars because it doesn't match and has been reblued. I have a collector byf I bought from Ralph Shattuck a few years ago, but I don't want to shoot it. I picked this one up as a shooter, but I thought I could get someone to fix the sights. It may take a barrel replacement and rear toggle replacement. But I don't think I want to try the barrel replacement by myself.

Please post a couple of pictures, so we can help you better.
No rear site? Maybe its an artillery action and the barrel has been replaced?

We are just guessing without pictures

thanks


Vern

Well, here are the pictures. Don't know if I did them right. I think LugerVern may have a point about the artillery luger. Notice the notch in the receiver right before the barrel.

Oops, forgot the best picture.

Remember, I am new to lugers. What does LP.08 cannon mean? - Artillery luger?

Yea, it has been reblued, but I bought it as a shooter. Still bad, but I can live with it.

Does anyone know where I can get an artillery barrel with the front and reat sights and who can install it for me?

Hi,

There is a chance that this gun was once an Artillery luger (LP08). The missing rear sight and the notch in the receiver are the giveaways. Erfurt lugers all had the notch at a certain point as well, so it may even be an Erfurt receiver. It would take some studying to determine whether the pistol was created from parts or that most of it started out together.

It had a thorough buffing and cleaning job, so good basic material for a shooter. Since you have the rear sight needed for an LP08, I'd go for a barrel/receiver job and try to locate an LP08 barrel and sight. (or a receiver without toggle, but with barrel and sight in place). Alternatively you could go the P08 way and find the missing P08 bits (but that would be a lot more work).

As shooting an LP08 is so much fun, I'd go for that option.

The least expensive recovery would be to have the gun rebarreled with a replacement barrel which would have the dovetail for the front sight.

Sell the rear toggle and buy a replacement that has the rear sight on it... (See Tom Heller -Lugerdoc about this work)

OR

If a shooter is what you would rather have and appearance like an original is not that important, Any competent gunsmith should be able to mount a custom set of adjustable rear sights on the now bare rear toggle, and an appropriate ramp front sight base and a sight blade of your choice...

Since the gun is not all original, modifications are easily possible without messing up a collectible...

Hi, Tom Heller is a great guy and so is Hugh Clark. Both have done work for me and I was very pleased. Doug

Herr Gun Nut, All of the gentlemen mentioned above are excellent at what they do, I can vouch for that.
Does the pistol shoot & function like it is?
The Luger has such poor sights anyway I would not hesitate to try and wear one out by simply shooting it and looking down the barrel. It will probably work about as well....

The longer Artillery barrel is always an appealing option.
Jerry Burney

BTW, the notch on the front of the receiver is not a guarantee that the gun once served as an Artillery Luger... the notch was required in order to accomodate the Artillery rear sight, but I am sure that it became a standard production requirement, regardless of the intended use of the receiver, so that either a P.08 or an LP.08 could be assembled without having to address carrying two different kinds of upper receiver assemblies in stock... Witness the enormous number of WW1 guns that have the notch and have 4 inch barrel serial numbers that match the frame...

If an artillery model shooter is your heart's desire, I am sure Tom Heller could acquire the parts for you, but it won't be cheap. The last reproduction artillery barrels I saw were well over $200 for the raw unfitted barrel, and the reproduction rear sights are even more... add the barrel changing process for at LEAST $100... and then there is shipping... not a cheap project... you are almost halfway to purchasing an artillery shooter.

My best suggestion is to go the 4" barrel route as I suggested above.

Actually, the receiver cut became a standard production requirement for Erfurt in 1916--ironic, because Erfurt produced LP-08s only in 1914.

This requirement was not applied to DWM, so any Imperial military DWM with the notch was assuredly an Artillery.

--Dwight

Since we're speaking of a reblued, probably a parts gun, I'd investigate a barrel band front sight and adjustable rear. No worries about matching up, etc., and AZ should have someone who could do this pretty quick.

Not at all authentic, but it isn't anyway, right?

Azgunut,

I have this 7" arty bbl with a non adjustable rear sight for sale. I have the tools to change out your bbl without harming the receiver.
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/arty7bbl1.jpg http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/arty7bbl2.jpg

After seeing Hugh's offering I change my vote to doing that.

Hugh, how much are you asking for your barrel?

Got my parts back from Hugh today. It looks nice and I hope to get it out to the range this weekend. Thanks Hugh.

I've seen many of these 7&1/2" LPO8 barrels that were modified after WW1. Appearantly, If the original fine tune front sight "froze up" (usually just the ajusting screw head, getting out of round) the perfer fix was to cut off the front sight barrel base and replace it with a fix "broomhandle type" front sight. If you decide to add the original type tangent rear sight in the future, I do have some exc German made repros available complete with the flat spring on the bottom, that Sarco does not supply with theirs, at the same price. Lugerdoc

Got my luger back from Hugh. Nice job. Shot it today and it worked great. Thanks Hugh for a great job and fast service. It was a pleasure doing business with you.

Shot my luger yesterday. Worked great.

Shot my luger yesterday. Worked great.