1916 Navy Luger to my collection
 

My 1916 navy Luger. These navy Lugers sitting next to a 1900 looks really cool. looks like a beefy version of the 1900. I just want to go shoot it, but that is not going to happen being all matching.

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:jumper:It was made for bullets to come out of the little hole in the end of the barrel! Go shoot it! Breathe some life into it!/

Go ahead! And if a major part breaks you have breathed some death into it. There are shooters and collectors and they don't always have the same perspective. If your joy is shooting, go ahead, if your interest is preserving your investment and history, give it a second thought.:thumbup:

P.S. An all matching Navy doesn't grow on trees.

My thoughts exactly! Don't know if it will seeing any ammo anytime soon. But who knows. I have enough other firearms I can just go shoot and enjoy.

Ron is right, there are two ways to look at the same thing.
As I've already said, as a "Luger fanatic" that I would never use a nice collectible gun, especially a rare matching Navy at the range; it's a matter of "respect" towards history.
I usually go to the range every week, where I shoot without problems at least 100/150 bullets (9x21 IMI or 40 S&W) every time but with a Glock, or at least not with a collectible.

Just my 22 cents.

Yeah i dont think there will a bullet down that barrel as long as i have it. And it does not look like many have. That bore is clean and shiny and for the rest of the insides.

Nice Lugers both of them........... :)

To me, my interests have changed over the years from collecting to other objects of desire, shooting Lugers and ZR1s.

Navy Lugers to me are a dime a dozen, no offense to the collector types, but the pistol below with the aperature rear sight stirs the blood.

Congrats on your new acquisition, hope it stirs the blood for you; that is what it is all about.

Rick

Good decision Glenn, as Ron said, "An all matching Navy doesn't grow on trees" My first Luger was an all matching Artillery with the exception of the rear sight, it shot beautifully, that is until about the tenth round when the receiver cracked. Needless to say I was heart broken as I had wanted a Luger for many years.

Lon

News flash! Imperial Navy Luger's are FAR from a dime a dozen..more like 5-8 grand a pop. Shooting ANY all matching Luger is a brainless thing to do. Much less a Navy. I would LOVE to collect all the stories..like LON above where people went out to shoot a Luger and lost thousands of dollars putting a few rounds down range.
Granted you MIGHT get away with it..but an all matching Navy is a thing to treasure..not shoot.
I have a mismatched Navy I shoot. I think I have a couple of grand in it but a broken part could be replaced. Even that would be bad but not like the end of the World. I think the last part I broke in that pistol was the flange on my toggle pin sheared off. These Navy large flange pins are so scarce I had to have one made. Not even a numbered part but it cost me 2-300 dollars to get one.
There are shooter pistols and collector pistols..anyone with a brain in their head and a sense of history wouldn't ever consider mixing up the two types.

Hey Rick, I don't think they are really a dime a dozen... remember that most of the German Navy Lugers were not captured but probably ended up at the bottom of the sea... that makes the ones that survived a small group of finite numbers in comparison...

I reckon to me,............... they are indeed a dime a dozen. Whether they are to others or not, is really up to those folks. I am glad people have a sense of history, as it reminds us of our past, good and bad.

I just cannot place funny money on some iron and steel that high anymore, those folks that made up all of those, lost two wars and their people suffered greatly. With a last name like I got, kinda hits home still.

I know that a lot of this variation was lost, and not recovered. Does not do a lot for the storied mystique for me really.

The poster has a very nice pistol, really both of them from my point of view. The one with the aperature rear sight is the more interesting, after all these years of gun accumulating. I bet it shoots well, a good friend in Berlin did a pistol up like that and shot it on the same range as G. Luger was a previous member.

Value has context..................always will.

Hope you and yours are well up that way, John.

Rick

the udder gun in post 1 has a interesting addition to the rear sight. any chance we could see more of it?

All my Lugers were bought as shooters; each one has an issue which eliminates it from the worries involved with its being a pure collectible. So, I have a "collection" of shooters. You can tinker with them,change barrels, install .22 conversion kits for shooting, put on some outrageous grips, etc.

I admire the collectors who make an investment and stick to it by not firing it. It takes fortitude NOT to shoot such a beautiful machine, which--by the way--was made to be shot! Now that I'm stocked up with a variety of variations to play with, I'll keep an eye open for a collectable one. Sadly, stuff like your Navy is out of reach for now, since I've, ahem, used up all my dough by buying shooters...

The one with the rear aperture site has a thread somewhere in the section for the 1900's. It was posted about a year ago I guess. It was my first one, a 1900 AE that was reblued. All parts were matching except the barrel which did not have a SN. I've shot it a few times, but it will not be shot again as its rear toggle has a small crack in one of the corners. So it just sits around now as a conversation piece. And I DAMN! sure am not going to do the navy luger that way and end up in the same boat. I got others guns I can go send lead down a range.

here's that link:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=28859

Thanks for the reference on the speciality sighted Luger. For me; as more a shooter type nowadays, it is food for thought. I have spare Lugers laying around, so perhaps the smallish dovetail cutter is the way to go for a sight like the one pictured.

Life is full of choices; hopefully some will use comprehensional skills and come to their own decisions. I do like to shoot the Luger especially in a wildcat form, but there is the collector world to experience too. Always thought there was room for both here and not the old my way or the hiway routine.

Interesting to me, and probably only to me, is that I can go to most gunplaces and place an order for a real or fake Navy. I have to really search for a artistan for the mod that you have already. Guess the old eye of the beholder thing.

Appreciate seeing the speciality Luger with the aperature sight.

Rick

I understand serious collectors getting queasy about shooting guns of this quality. But from a philosophical perspective, does it have any reality as a firearm if it NEVER fires again? It's purpose for existence no longer is......it's a lump of steel.

Should all P-51 Mustangs and Supermarine Spitfires never lift their wheels off the ground again?

p.s. Ron.........I've seen pics of you shooting a Borchardt! Maybe photoshopped? hehehe.......

Not photoshopped...but it wasn't my Borchardt! :)

I admit I'm a 'luger virgin' ~~~Eric!

I admit I'm a 'luger virgin' ~~~Eric!

Eric, it sounds to me like it might be time to go on an Old Fashion Shopping Spree, the ladies do it, why not the men? :thumbup:

Lon

Only a virgin shooting one! I own 12 so far and making last payment on another! Very addictive!!

Yes, I knew from your posts that you had a nice collection going but a dozen just isn't enough for a Luger nut like yourself, lots of Lugers for sale and so little time. :cheers:

Jerry, with all due respect to your established expertise in the field you are neglecting one quite important aspect of life.
Individual choice.
I have shot my Navy, and may well shoot it again. Your assertion that I am "brainless" for doing so is a personal attack that I don't appreciate.
You certainly have the right to disagree with the way I exercise my freedom of choice but if you are unable to express your opinion in a mature way and without resorting to subjective slams I think you would do the Luger collecting community a service by keeping them to yourself.

Gary

Gary..It's my opinion and mine alone. If you are offended by MY opinion it bothers me not one whit. Ever since you have been on here you have chosen to be offended at one thing or another. I am offended that morons don't have the good sense not to shoot and ruin good collector guns. I don't cry and whine about it. I just give MY opinion when the subject comes up.

What I keep to myself is my business and I will mind mine..I suggest you mind yours. Collectors come on here every day wanting opinions. To couch MY opinions in any other way than what I do would be a disservice to what I believe about the collecting World I know and love.

You are dead wrong. I respect personal choice but when I think it's brainless I say so. It's also reckless and makes the moron who does it a very poor steward of history. It also proves to me the idiot who does it has much more money than intelligence. If you resemble any of these feel free to insert yourself into the dialog at any time. I can exclude myself cause I ain't brainless enough to shoot an all matching Imperial Navy Luger pistol.

Is this a personal attack? Maybe, maybe not..kinda looks like it cause you have made it that way.In my post I was talking in general but if you want to make it about you personally I am willing.

I have shot my Navy, and may well shoot it again. Your assertion that I am "brainless" for doing so is a personal attack that I don't appreciate.

Here's a news flash..I didn't get up this morning overly concerned with what you appreciate or don't. So if some brainless moron wants to shoot his all matching Navy that's purely his business and he doesn't have to come here and read my opinion about it. Later on he can come on and whine like a little girl about his broken extractor.

"Jerry, with all due respect to your established expertise in the field you are neglecting one quite important aspect of life.
Individual choice.
I have shot my Navy, and may well shoot it again. Your assertion that I am "brainless" for doing so is a personal attack that I don't appreciate.
You certainly have the right to disagree with the way I exercise my freedom of choice but if you are unable to express your opinion in a mature way and without resorting to subjective slams I think you would do the Luger collecting community a service by keeping them to yourself."

Gary


Gary, please re-read Jerry's original post, he did NOT call you brainless, he said that in his opinion shooting an all matching Imperial Navy Luger was a brainless thing to do. I believe that the vast majority of members on this forum have a very high regard for collectible Lugers, particular all matching Imperial Navy Lugers and there will never be any more then what is in existence now. From time to time, although we do not regard ourselves to be "brainless" never the less we all are guilty of doing things of that nature and usually live to regret it. I am sure his intention was merely to prevent you and others from making a very costly mistake. As he pointed out Lugers such as yours generally fall into the $5,000. to $8,000. range, because of the problems his has experienced it is now in the $2,000. range. Just my two cents but I would say his comments in this regard should be very much appreciated. I have always found Jerry's advice to be right on the money. :surr:

Lon

How about we shut this thread down................