Lugers in the old west
 

I've pretty much lost my pictures of the old west and lugers, but here is one I saw today.
I have a couple of pictures I've bought off of ebay, a lady shooting from the 30's or so.

The third one I have - it's some Texas Rangers (1907) - Del Rio, Texas (on the border).
Capt. John H. Rogers is holding the Luger.
Standing behind him is Frank Hamer - part of the team that hunted down Bonnie and Clyde.

Those cowboys also had 1921 Tommy Guns, too!

Shooting Times

I have a 1900 commercial Luger that looks like it might have been used by the boys in the old West.
Nothing wrong with it just that it is well worn, Ya know like an every day carry. Stamped America so it was sold here and used here...

Neat picture - my 1900 had a story that I don't have a reason to disbelieve.
Guys were hunting (in the area of the the frozen lakes between USA and Canada, but not sure of location except that is where he is from). And they are sitting around a campfire and a trapper comes in and they played poker and evidently lost, as he lost his AE 1900 and I bought it from the son that got the pistol.

Great photos great story, thanks

Found this Luger at a gun show this weekend and thought it might go with this thread. I asked the owner if I could take a picture of his display and he was very good with that!

Honestly this picture breaks my heart. :( This gun should have outlived us all.

many decades ago Elmer Keith wrote in one of his magazine columns that one of his wranglers he used on his pack in trips carried a luger - his reason being that the luger would shoot clear thru an oak wagon tongue , while no .32 , .38, .44 , or .45 could !

from Skelton articule
 

Hi,

Please explain just what "an oak wagon tongue" is.

Thanks!


Sieger

The wagon tongue is the part that extends forward from the wagon that the harnesses are attached to.

The wagon tongue is the wooden shaft that the horses or mules are attached to pull the wagon.
It's usually 3-4 inches thick.

I’d still like that 1900 as a shadow box.
Best my dad found was a hunting knife next to an old stump. I’ve got it now.

Ed

Wagon Tongue
 

Thanks for your response!

Well, as much as I really love the original 9mm Parabellum round, I really doubt that the other rounds listed were such poor performers.

Remembering that even the German Army round was only a 123 grain bullet at 1,076 fps, Keith's comment seems to lack accuracy to me. Penetration tests of the other rounds listed should easily verify the truth here.

Respectfully,


Sieger

Back in the day, Keith was probably talking about the 30 cal instead of the 9mm.

+ the other calibers mentioned were probably low powered or utilizing very soft lead projectiles - the fmj .30 luger cartridge would exhibit superior penetration -

May be, but the 7.65 Parabellum really is not all that powerful either, a real toy compared to a 7.63 Mauser or a 7.62 Tokerav.

In the original booklet, that came with the Parabellum Pistols, there are penetration figures included. Yes, the 7.65 penetrates deeper in wood than the 9mm does.

Sieger

definitely Mauser broom handles in old west , but the Tokerevs came much later -