Hello all
 

I have an opportunity to purchase this 1939 S/42 Police luger. Can I get some opinions are what you think and a fair price to pay?

Thanks all

John

Blue book is $4,500.

According to the book, add 50% for one matching mag and 100% for 2.

Maybe just me, I don't see police acceptance marks.

Your right Mike. I did some research and I'm pretty sure this is an army Luger...It should have a Police acceptance stamp IMO.
The one I'm looking at is #9877N

1939 DATED S/42 CODE ARMY LUGER

Figure 5. S/42 code,1939 dated Luger, serial number 9078n. Left slant view. Note the exposed style of serial number placement and Mauser hump at rear of frame. An Army Luger. Note: the reddish receiver. This was the result of an in balance in the bluing chemicals. The hardened receiver took a more reddish hue.

Wouldn't the sear safety still be an indicator of police use?

Good question. This one has a story to tell.

The magazine in not correct for the year; should have an aluminum base.

Otherwise it appears to have the original finish and is in really nice condition. The lack of police acceptance stamps will effect value.

I think "the book" is way out of line on this one(and many other items).
I've never been able to sell a pistol to "the book" either.

If you said what the price was you might get a "good, bad, or maybe" answer.

JMHO.

John, Very nice looking pistol but it is not a Police per se. it was born an Army and accepted as an Army. It shouldn't have any police markings except perhaps on a replacement aluminum Police magazine. If these Army examples conscripted into Police usage indicated by the sear safety bar have any police markings, I am not aware of them. But even with some sort of Police proof..that isn't worth any kind pf premium to me.

By the bar over the sideplate..we know it was used by the Police at some time somewhere. As a straight Army in this condition it would be more valuable than as a Police IMO. Police in most configurations like this are not as desirable as an Army. I don't know why, that's just what I see.

The mag is improper & broken. Is it the only one?

Too there are other considerations, is it ALL matching? Bore condition?

Personally $1,500 would be top of the mark for me. $4,500 will buy you a WHOLE LOT of Luger..and this ain't a WHOLE LOT of Luger worth $4,500. Although the condition from the pics is dang nice.

Of course Blue Book assumed a genuine police luger, and this is missing police markings. Just trying to give the guy an idea of what he had.

Just trying to give the guy an idea of what he had. Yeah, me too.

You folks are...just really something else. Goodbye.

Thanks everyone. So not a police issued but may have been used by the Police, is that correct?

Again Thanks to all

John, This is not confusing at all. Re read the posts. Born an Army gun conscripted/drafted into Police use. We know this because of the sear safety. Not any more complicated than that. There is little else to discover...



Mike, It's a discussion board/thread? How is this alien to you? Give & take, we all give a little and get a lot. I'm not always right..I stand corrected often. It's the way it works.
No reason to get your feelings hurt.

The book "The Mauser Parabellum"(pages 193-200) estimates 2,350 1939 S/42 Lugers were redirected to the Police in Berlin. Most of these are in the "n" suffix block. These all have military acceptance stamps, sear safeties, and no Police markings. The original matching magazines may have a 1 or a 2 added to them.

Tom

I've never understood how the bluebook can be so out of line with reality. They claim it is a compilation (average) of all guns sold at auctions, retail, etc. in a given year.

Well, pricing a pistol or other gun is an impossible task.
Just read the thread here- with estimates from $1500 to $4500!

Often a case of mis-identification, mis-grading, and run-a-way auction pricing?

Probably a lot more reasons why the book is "never" right-
same reasons I'm never correct on price/value.

"Value" is in the eye of the seller, as is the price; often the price is set when evaluating the piece with rose colored glasses.:evilgrin:

Then add in when, where, how, to whom, and the phase of the moon and one has a set of variables that can come together to give an astute buyer a real bargain, or get him ripped off if he is lazy or impatient and does not study prices for a while and really do his homework.:soapbox:

Also why I "quit" doing prices- one is never "correct". :eek::cheers:

Don's observation is particularly true of Lugers, as compared with other firearms.

There are just too many variables, including market conditions and relative collector interest.

The price is what you negotiate between buyer and seller.

You can get an idea of how others value a Luger on the online auction sites by looking at completed sales. With Lugers, this can be complicated because some rare variations are very rarely offered in the marketplace.

To get a value estimate from even knowledgeable collectors online that have not held the pistol in hand, and had an opportunity to closely examine it is fairly useless. Any value estimated here is not an appraisal, and could not be used in a sales negotiation or insurance estimate ethically.

What we can do is identify information about a Luger's characteristics and classification based on what we can discern from a photograph (which isn't complete knowledge).

We also publish an extensive FAQ to help everyone do this on their own.

Question? When did they stop using the magazine safety on Police P08's? Are they only on Weimar issued pistol's?

1937. Yes, only Weimar.

Thanks for the answer Don!