Baby Luger for sale on Gun Broker
 

I just noticed this Mauser Parabellum Baby Luger for sale on Gun Broker:http://www.gunbroker.com/item/570461042

I'm not related to the seller-just an FYI about this pistol for advanced collectors. The auction closes July 17.

By the way-if anyone can spare one of those blue Mauser Parabellum hang tags I'd like to buy one please, thank you, Joe (JLSJOE55@hotmail.com)

you fellows recognize that serial number.....?

no, who had 101 ?

Sturgess collection?

Says it is courtesy of Dr Gminder archive.....

I was unaware that Mauser had produced this prototype during the 1970's production run. It is quite a rarity if that is the case. I am surprised that it isn't already in VLIM's or Mauro's collection!

the no-reserve bid at the time of this post is only $505.00 with 6 days of the auction left. I think it would be a bargain value at 5 times that price.

Just my humble opinion here...

Well, its in the USA, so harder for the European based guys (Vlim and Mauro) to get.

Its one of three shown in their book...

Ed

That bid it is more than it is worth!;)

Stay away , those '70s Mausers are troublesome, should go only to a good home in NC.

No need to stir the pot on these sleepers, jmho. :(

I have the same dilemma sometimes, over a gun that I'd like to have (but cannot afford!), if it seems that it is relatively undiscovered/underbid. There's a decent-looking 4" X 9mm '06 AE on Proxibid that I passed on to the forum the other day...did you see that one?

I don't search proxibid often, I find more stuff than I can afford with the "usual suspect" sites!
But thanks.

I do need/want a special luger frame for another project, one with a grip safety and stock lug.
Some of the early commercials and navys fill the bill, but then you run into those cussed long shank frames, AND they are hard to find or expensive or both. This would be for a carbine clone.

The Mauser firm, for the first time in the Luger history, codified the caliber of the pistol in the serial number pattern. The following pattern is used for the Parabellum in .30 Luger 10.xxxxxx and 11.xxxxxx for the 9mm. Another important point to correctly understand the Parabellum serial numbering is that Mauser reserved the first 1000 numbers for prototypes and special production. Therefore, the first commercial model in .30 Luger is numbered 10.001001 and 11.001001 for the 9mm. For example the pistol numbered 10.001019 is the 19th pistol made in .30 Luger. Note that only the pistols sold in Europe are dated, the models exported in USA present only the FBM (Internal Mauser Proof).

The nature of the original post and the flow of responses to it make me think this thread belongs in another section--perhaps the General Discussions area. I urge a moderator to move it, otherwise we're running roughshod over the rules of the For Sale section!

Well said and I agree 100%.

Moved the thread.

Baby Luger on GB
 

This little beauty sold for $4800 yesterday!
Aldo35

My Baby luger
 

Yes it did sell. It is now in my collection :cheers:

Excellent buy! :cheers:

Do you have plans for a detailed pictorial of it??? I would be quite curious as to whether they took a completed frame/barrel and chopped & channeled them, or whether they machined it to size from scratch... :)

Congratulations!

Same seller also sold the Swiss equivalent/brother to this gun since. More info/photos would be appreciated a very curious audience for either pistol!

Hats off to Mr. Duke on that score!

As a novice collector I am learning that there are some every special and rare Lugers out there. Geez, on my budget, I would be happy if I could acquire a nice Navy or Artillery rig. :)

Hi All, Thanks for the information. I haven't received it yet ,but my evaluation from just looking at the pictures tends to make me think that this was a re work of a Swiss Bern Luger. From what I have been able to find out all of the production Mauser equipment was dismantled and disposed of after the war. There was a need for smaller pocket pistols. Because of the huge expense for re tooling the thought was to take a already existing Luger and re machine it into a smaller version. Since there was a large quantity of virtually new Swiss lugers available this seemed to be the best option. Rumor has it that only 3 to5 of these factory prototype babies were produced. For some reason the project was stopped. Perhaps because of the already existing ppk , walther, sauer, and many other available options the belief could have been that a smaller version of the Luger would not be a profitable option. Also from what I have been able to find these prototypes were not from the 70s but closer to the 50s. What can any of you add to this ? Have any books been written on these babies. Google does not give much in the way of information on these prototypes. Thanks guys

I think you will find all you need to know here:

http://www.theparabellumisback.com/

Authored by two of our very recognizable forum members...

I am sure you will find it an interesting read.

I think several of us would still be interested in a detailed pictorial, especially of the frame. There have been several smiths make 'baby' Lugers, cutting & welding/brazing the cut pieces together after removing a section of the frame. Thor has posted an excellent pair of pictures on how he did his. John Martz has also done some this way, as well as Eugene Golubstov. :)

Besides sectioning the frame, the recoil spring and recoil spring guide must be shortened, and the magazine sectioned & re-bottomed. Grips shortened too, of course.

As an amateur fabricator and general all-around busybody, I like to compare the pros & cons of how each smith did the modifications.

Knowing how others approach a project helps me to learn how they apply their knowledge and experience. This helps me to do the same.

There's dozens of ways to skin a cat. I like to see how others do it, and learn from them to be a better catskinner. :D

This little gun is my pride and joy, and one of my favorite Lugers. It is a full-house John Martz creation...a M1900 baby that has not only been cut down, it has been converted to a coil mainspring as well. A true gunsmith work of art.

This is the one I have been fiddling with for 30 years and still haven't finished it.

Evan. The pistols are discussed in our book 'The Parabellum is Back - 1945 - 2000'. Mauser set up tooling in the 1970s and produced them again. Your baby is made out of a postwar Parabellum as a feasibility study for a commemorative version. The handwriting on the magazine is most likely that of Prof. Dr. Rolf Gminder, then manager of small arms production at Mauser.

baby luger
 

Vlim, thanks for the info. I received the pistol on Saturday. I don't believe that it has ever been fired.

Looking forward to seeing photos and more info...........

+1 !

Your pistol was made in July 1974 and received an 'Original Mauser' toggle description.

The first prototype was made in May, 1974 and got the 10.000101 serial, with a toggle with Mauser banner, but without 'Original' text.

The pistols were initially numbered as follows:
I = 10.000101
II = 11.000101 (your pistol)
III = 10.000001
IV = the reference pistol.

The original document describing the production of these pistols is dated on the 2nd of August, 1974.
A progress document dating from the 31st of July, 1974 indicates that the 4 pistols were made as prototypes for possible sales by Renato Gamba in Italy.

Maybe you should put your baby up for adoption... :D

Nah, I have grown quite fond of the poor little beast...even unfinished it pleases me. The work I have done is kinda neat. :bigbye:

What happened to the baby for sale on GB??? Did the sale fall through??? :confused:

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I hate to say it, but IMO Eugene has gotten the proportions and the correct donor Luger to make an appealing 'baby' (or pocket) Luger...

http://www.lugerman.com/Pages/SamplePages/Work_22.html

There is no way I could ever afford one, and I couldn't wait that long even if I could afford it...But it just looks "right"... :)

Rich,
You could make one yourself!

As I did with a lot of help from my friends!:D
This bbl is 2.75", I think maybe Eugene's is a half inch longer? I think I like the slightly longer bbl better myself.

Jim Solomon has the frame now, to make a set of simple "normal" checkered grips without border.

I think you're right about the barrel. Blowing it up on my scanner, I get 3 1/8" from his web site pic. But in another thread, Ron says the early 'babies' were made from shortened fat barrels...IIRC, Navy fat barrels...(I might have not remembered that correctly)... :p