What was your first Luger?/ What got you into collecting Lugers?
 

I saw cirelaw ask this question in another thread and thought it could use its own thread. I will also expand on the topic. I'm still kinda new here and this felt like a good opportunity to get to know everyone a little better.

My first Luger was a 1939-date Mauser 42 code, original finish and all matching including the mag. I bought it about 8 years ago sort of in remembrance of the Luger my Dad had when I was a kid. He inherited it from his uncle, who fought in Europe in WW2. That Luger was the coolest gun Dad owned by far, in my childhood opinion. I showed it off to all my friends.

After buying the Mauser, I got several books about Lugers and was hooked. I jumped in with both feet! My second Luger was a 1902 AE fat barrel... :rockon:

My first Luger was a Post-WWI 5 digit DWM Commercial. Got it from a guy I knew that ran several booths at an antique store filled with WWI and WWII materials that he claimed to get at tons of estate sales.

byf found under seat of car traded in by WWII vet at Ford dealer i worked at as a teenager - used car manager contacted owner + was told to keep it - he in turn sold it to me at a very low price -

I tried to collect lugers then reality set in......lack of funds! ;-/
But I do own one, my first, a 1920 7.65 cal. 4 inch barrel all matching and shoots great!

1972 I bought a mismatched 1917 artillery from my girlfriends brother. I paid $175. Later I found out he robbed me as all-matching ones could be found for not much more.

My first Luger wasn't
A 1970's era Mauser parabellum in 7.65.
I wanted a shooter and decided newer metallurgy was the way to go

After a bit
Only sorry it did not have the little blue medallion.

Second Luger is a Luger, 1913 DMW 9mm

Third Luger is NOT a Luger again Erma Werke KGP 69

as said I am a shooter and .22LR is cheap fodder
(many thanks to Ithacaartist for Grips and advice)

My first was 1906 French contract as I lost My cherry in Bayonne France on August 8th, 1974 and bought it years later to celebrate the event!

My first luger was in 1984 - sold a 4 inch python and then bought this,a 1914 Erfurt Artillery. It is buffed hard and reblued. MY 2nd luger was totally mismatched, upper matched and bottom matched (1940/42) but not to each other!
Retired from the army and found this board. Met several collectors to include Bill Munis, who convinced me to center on a certain type, and I chose Weimar era, especially police, since that was what I did in the army.
Still have my first artillery.

Perusing an airgun catalog , I noticed a very well made Luger replica CO2 pistol for $100. It reminded me of how I had always admired the Luger design. I was getting ready to order one and thought, why not get the real thing?

I joined this board and read that patience was important in finding Lugers. At that time I assumed "patience" meant it might take a week or even two weeks to find one (I had only previously purchased new firearms).

After searching for nearly two weeks, it was obvious that Lugers were nearly gone. I was relieved to find local older-gun store that had some of the few remaining ones in existence and badly overpaid for a rough finish '36 Mauser military.

The good news is, I learned from the adventure.

I think I have told this story on the forum before. I bought my first Luger in 1957, the summer after I graduated from high school. I was working with my Dad and Uncle on highway construction, and as we were traveling from our home in Pennsylvania to the work site in Baltimore (we worked during the week and came home for weekends) my Uncle wanted to stop for some fishing supplies in a little country gun and tackle shop. In a display case there was a virtually mint 42 byf with two matching magazines and an equally nice holster. I had an interest in Lugers from an early age and this one spoke to me. He wanted $100 for the rig…I gave him $5.00 down and spent the rest of the summer paying it off. My first Luger. Sure has been a long journey.
Ron

Bought my 1st from an ad in some gun magazine back in 1956. Think it was @25.00 and had it re blued by the best gun man in Erie Pa at the time. Everybody liked it Of course because it was a "Luger" About 20 years ago a nephew ask if I still had it - I said if he needed it I would give it to him. About 10 years ago I started getting into guns again and of course lugers came to mind. Looking around on the computer did the trick and of course this site and a few books later I got around and wanted to look at the old luger. I ask and he said that he had sold it for $800.00 some time back. All I wanted to do was see what I had bought way back when. He said that the numbers matched and someone had told that there was something special about it but he could not remember what it was...So much for my 1st luger.....

I bought a '41 BYF when I was about 14 in 61.
$25 with holster at a show.
Matching but about 10% finish, nearly smooth wood grips, and bore.
I always wondered how something could be that worn.
Later, in Special Forces Training Group at the foreign weapons pool, I handled a couple that were nearly the same.
They were used for familiarization and occasional firing. They got handled a lot.
The 1st I handled was owned by a local jeweler who had brought it home.
It was near new condition, but I never noticed any marking stuff at the time.

hayhugh, as a kid, I kind of considered the Luger my Dad had as mine someday but he and my mother split up when I was a teenager and it is now only a memory. So I kind of lost my "first' too, but the memory had profound impact and I will kind of always "have" it in that regard.

I proclaim this as THE BEST under-seat find EVER!!! LOVE IT!!!

Tom,

I had the same problem. But I REALLY, REALLY like Lugers.

I think I may have some sort of strange and rare addiction...

I work a full-time job, a part-time job, have one successful home business making tie-dye apparel and jewelry, and am ramping up another making custom stone pistol grips to pay the bills, fund my habit, and get the missus something sparkly once in awhile to keep her happy (distracted). There's nothing you can't accomplish if you really want it!

i still have it + talked to vet who owned it - he got it from a pile of surrendered weapons at wars end -

Is it steel case ammo on the picture? Was/is it used on Lugers?

I once found a gold class ring in the fold of the front seat of a surplus police car I bought from the state. I managed to get it back to the owner (it had been stolen, and tucked in the car seat by the thief after he was arrested).

As to Lugers, my first was a 1924 "m" block 7.65mm .30 Luger DWM Alphabet Commercial in excellent condition. lI bought it from a firm that makes reproduction grips in Wilson NC when they brought it to our local gun show to sell.



That one just whetted my interest in Lugers, and lead to the next being a 1940/42 Mauser made WW-II Luger.

The first Luger I bought was a 1942 Russian capture Mauser P08, completely re-arsenalized by the Russians, it was still in very good condition, and excellent for the range. After that I started buying the main Swiss Luger specimens. I had two 1900s, one 1900/06, two W + F 1906, and two W + F 1906/29 plus a 1900 AE and another 1900 AE with original Ideal Stock as well as a 1920 Commercial.
All of these were in their original .30 caliber Para.
Then I made the big mistake of buying another dozen Lugers that went from Erfurts to Mauser s / 42, I had a Krieghoff, and some "rare" models such as a 1934 "Persian" Mauser. Too bad they were all in 9x21 IMI practically devoid of a real market except here in Italy.
Slowly I sold the whole collection together with some C96s and some K98Ks.
For some years after that I still kept several M1911s and M1911A1s, until about three years ago when I sold the whole collection.
The market has reached a standstill, so I've kept only a couple of the pythons that I had and some guns that I use at the range ever week.

Are there restrictions in Italy?

I purchased my first Luger in 1972. I knew absolutely nothing about them, but had to own one. A local M.D. had this 1921 DWM Alphabet Luger in 7.65P. It was in better than average condition, and I purchased it. I have since figured out that I paid Waaaay to much for it, but we live and learn!! I still own that Luger and it makes it to the range quite often. The bore looks like a sewer pipe, but still shoots quite accurately when I do my part. I will just say that that Luger "started it all", and I now own a few more. ;)

Like a pretty women they never grow old!

While my father and I together bought a mismatched 1939 Mauser Luger, the first one I bought personally was an Alphabet commercial. All matching with an excellent bore, I paid $70 for it in 1966 in a pawn shop on First Street in Seattle. The stock lug had been partly ground off but it shot well and was reliable. I finally sold it some 30 years later.

In case someone on this forum might have it, the serial number is 6885n

I think it is steel cased ammo. The date on the one box is 44 and they may have been re-packed. My brother bought these for me at a gun show not long after I bought my Mauser P.08 because he insisted I needed some period WW2 ammo to go with my WW2 Luger.

I believe the steel cased ammo caused extraction/ functioning issues in the P.08, prompting the Wehrmacht to try to reserve brass cased ammo for them. Apparently the P.38 was less finicky. But I imagine in the heat of battle any ammo, even ammo that jammed, was better than nothing...

My older brother had 2 P-08's back about 1976 or so, after a year or 2, he got hard up for cash and sold them both, much to my dismay. My first one is the 1940 42 code Mauser that I have. Got it about 5 or 6 years ago, and haven't stopped since. Got a DWM on the way, and am lining up a couple more. It's an addiction. But I don't seek a cure, just control....

The only person trying to control it here is the missus...

I don't seek a cure OR control, just my next fix! :D

Eric,

The Italian gun Law is much more permissive than in other European countries. To own one or more weapons you need a Gun License, of which there are three versions, Personal Defense, Hunting, and for Sport. A maximun of nine guns, plus an indefinite number of "hunting" long guns can be held upon POLICE registration.
There is also the so called Collector's License under which only one specimen per type of weapon can be held, so you can't have for instance more than one specimen of Mauser S34 with the same caliber, marks, and year of manufacture.

I hope we survive the next 4 years!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a latecomer and won my first at an RIAC auction in early 2011. My first Luger was also my first pistol, a very nice, all-matching 1917 DWM Artillery--with the stock lug ground off. Fine tune rear sights, not in front. G.T. hooked me up with a segment of rear grip frame with intact lug, from some other project where somebody chopped up a Luger, I presume. The plan is to excise the offending area from the gun and TIG weld the replacement into place, then spot-refinish.

The stock iron in my Pakistani repro holster rig fits the replacement part nicely.

I bid on this Luger on GB for $550... But then went off to the Virgin Islands for a week of sailing and was sure someone watching would bid more. When I got back I was amazed that I won and quickly purchased this 'bring back' nickeled, dual date Luger. It is a DWM, 1918/1920, 2336 i frame, mismatched, 9mm pistol. Since then I bought about 5 with parts for another 2 or 3, if I find frames. All in the $500 to $700 range, but all would be considered 'shooters.' I have almost a full set of INOX Mitchell Luger parts and looking for a frame. So if you have a Mitchell frame for sell or would like to trade, let me know.

my first luger
 

In 1960 bought a double date 1917/1920 DMW all matching for $40. Mag didn't match, it was stolen in 1979. Had several go thru my hands since. Given several to my two sons who fortunately share my interest in guns as we trace family back to Zella Mehlis in the 1600's.:cheers:

My first was a late 1937 all matching minus period correct mag. Used to shoot it often took my liberal hippy California girlfriend shooting one time and took pics of her using the Luger. When to visit her several years later in CA and met her parents and there it was a framed pic of their hippie daughter shooting my Luger, to find out her dad had a small Luger collection himself. Told me the pitfalls of shooting a matching pistol. Girlfriend married someone else and long gone but still have my Luger that I bought in 1990 for $400 with holster. Love my Luger, girl was fun to just way more expensive!!

My first luger was one assembled postwar at the Kreighoff plant from left over parts in their own serial number range (now very collectable), Purchased mail order from Ye Olde Hunter (become Interarms) in 1959 for $40 + $10 more for a nice orig WW2 era holster, which joined me on a trip or two to Viet Nam. Too bad that I cut it down into a Baby luger years later. Lugerdoc

Tom, You never cease to amaze me! Nice gun!!!

Earlier I mentioned that my father and I went together in 1958 to purchase a 1939 Luger. It has a mismatched toggle train. The muzzle had apparently been damaged as it was countersunk about 3/16 of an inch and braze was used to fill a gash of some kind. I still have the barrel.

It wasn't reliable at all so my father ordered an Italian made 8 inch barrel and had it installed. It was very accurate but still not reliable. Years later I would finally realize the problem and radius the chamber mouth. It now works flawlessly.

I shot it just last Friday. At a measured 24 yards on 8 inch steel plates, I shot two magazines without a single miss using my reloads. 115 grain Berry plated bullets, 5.6 grains of Hodgdon CFE Pistol powder and an OAL of 1.155".

The composite picture below shows the Mauser in B&W as it was when we bought it 63 years ago. The color picture was taken not long ago.

https://i.imgur.com/YQZsKDN.jpg

My first Luger was a 1941 BYF rig with holster, 2 mags and tool. My father and I had been looking to collect German automatic handguns. An old gun show horse trader we knew named Chet (had a long Santa Clause white beard) came up with this excellent original condition BYF rig. We bought the BYF 41 and an almost new Remington 700 BDL bull barrel .22-250 from Chet. That was in the 1970's. Still have both today, plus a few........;)