new member - first Luger!
 

Hi,

I will be buying my first luger in the next week or so. It's a 1918 DWM in very nice condition, matching numbers and comes with what I'm told is the original holster.

I'm not sure if you are aware of the firearms laws in the UK, but all handguns are banned. We are however, allowed to buy pistols of 'historic interest' i.e, those dated prior to 1919. We are unable to keep these at home, they have to be held at a Home Office approved range and only fired on 'approved' days.

I'm paying �£700 for the Luger which is roughly $1200 (U.S)

I've been reading the posts on here for a while now and I must thank you all for the depth of knowledge and experience I've found. I may post some pictures but from my inital look at the Luger, it is nothing 'special'. I intend to shoot it as often as I'm allowed and plan to reload for it (and hope to replicate the WW1 loads) but that is for the future.

Hello there!

I understand your frustration and anger. I was also made to pay for the actions of one madman. I only lost 5 handguns, but one of which was put togeather for me for practical pistol shooting and cost �£1800 (which was a good price) I managed to shoot it in competition for about 12 months before I handed it in.

I fail to understand any youngster who 'joins up' nowadays. As you say, trusted whilst wearing the uniform of the Country, but put your 'civvies' on and you can no longer be trusted with firearms. Madness.

I gave all shooting up after the ban as I just couldn't face it any more. But after a while, I thought why let them win. I now shoot in PP comps abroad as often as I can afford to. I also own several rifles and a nice hi-cap remi 1100 s/a shotgun.
I will be adding the 4" luger to my ticket soon, and as my FAC is up for renewal in April, I'll be adding a few more calibres to it.

There are a few of us at my local club who have 'historical interest' pistols. Today I saw a nice Artillary Luger and a very nice 7.63 Mauser both owned by the same guy. I believe that there are several more Lugers held there but I'm yet to see them.

Nice to know I'm not the only Brit on here!

Cheers.

A frightening thought: It could happen here !
Luke

Hi,

I hope it never happens in the U.S.

Where do you think I enjoy my holidays as much as possible ;)

That is a very sad state of affairs and you have my deepest sympathies for having to live under those rules. If it ever happens in the US there will be plenty of folks not turning them in. Myself included, you want em come get em.

I'd recommend that you save your seven hundred pounds and just move to the USA. You will be able to own firearms, even as a legal alien, and you'll be one less immigrant that needs to learn the "language".

Why canâ??t us Brits accept the fact that handguns are banned, and the conditions under which they can be shot are incredibly restrictive. Moaning on here and being jealous of our American cousins is not going to change the law.

What I have done is to get myself a Section 7.1 Firearms Certificate, which enables me to keep all my live pistols at home (albeit a restricted selection). That way I do not get overstressed about UK firearms law. In addition, get yourself a glass-fronted gun cabinet (fitted with shelves and back-lit) and sit back, relax and admire your collection with a glass of chilled Chablis

While I don't know a great deal about the British political system, I do think it allows for laws to be changed. As long as that's true, I don't think I could accept such a ban in the sense that I'd be okay with it and not be concerned about it.

Here in this country I'm amazed that members of our armed forces can't keep firearms on base. The troops are trained in their use and expected to use them at times, but are restricted from possession. Very sad. This isn't just the grunts, but high ranking officers as well. I first became aware of this in an article by then Marine Col. Craig Boddignton, since promoted to general I hear.

When did that take affect? When I was on active duty we could keep as many guns on post as we wanted. All we had to do was check them into the Arms Room. One of the guys even had several full auto's he brought from home. That was a lot of fun when he brought out that old Thompson!

Pipeman, I don't know any details. I just know that the Ft. Bliss R&G club provides for the storing of GI guns which can't be kept on base.

And one of my dreams is to have a full auto Thompson with a drum mag!

Troops can't keep guns in their barracks, but I kept firearms in housing throughout my career.

So troops can keep them in the arms room or at a designated place such as the Rod and Gun club....

I doubt the rule was change in then last 6 years since I retired.


Ed

I always had my firearms in my on base quarters. Troops living in the barracks had to have them secured in the arms room as the barracks are rarely, if ever locked. I have never heard of this requirement unless it's something new, or perhaps it only pertains to them jarheads.

Stallturn,

I agree with you about moaning does not get the law changed but it's nice to chat with like minded people.

You mention the section 7.1 which is a valid point. The 7.1 pistols can only be those of obsolete calibre, a problem for me as I enjoy shooting guns as well as looking at them!!

You also mention a 'glass fronted gun safe' to enable you to view your collection. A nice idea but one I think my local firearms officer would not agree with. I have started to collect 'airsoft' and non firing replicas to display in such a cabinet. At the moment I have three, a 4" P08 Luger, 1911A1 Colt.45 and a berreta model 34. I would like to add a Broomhandle Mauser, Walther PPK, Walther P38, Enfield .455 revolver, Japanese Nambu, and prob. a few more. As you can see, my interest is mainly in military sidearms.

I also know if I was in the U.S.A, they would all be real. :)

Mr Brit,
My glass fronted gun cabinet is fully approved by my local firearms officer to hold my Section 7.1 weapons. They are no good for Section 7.3 weapons, as they must be held in designated places, and not at home. These cabinets are not cheap, and it wouldn't be worth buying one to hold replicas or de-activated weapons.
My interest is in early semi-automatics, which luckily fits the Section 7.1 criteria. For a pistol shooting enthusiast, like yourself, it must be a frustrating business.

To the respondent who said that the UK law could be changed, I'm afraid you don't understand the anti-gun culture that exists over here. The laws have been getting tighter, and if some policemen I know had their way, they would be even worse. And it is the police that the law-makers listen to when drafting up legislation. So the chances of getting a more liberal gun-owning environment are precisely.....................................nil.

You Brits really have it easy. All you have to do is look after a couple of guns at most, which leaves you free to engage in other pursuits. Pity poor Americans like me with so many guns I have time for little else. With four safes full at my city home and another couple of safes full at my desert hideaway, it takes far too much time to ponder and decide which weapons I will fire today and clean this evening. And think of all the time I waste practically every weekend attending gun shows and buying even more guns. Lugers? I haven't got the time to count them! And what about all the gun shops packed with so many firearms it dazzles the mind. And that rascally bunch of manufacturers, bringing out practically a dozen new offerings every few weeks. No, you gentlemen have a far simpler situation, and you should thank your nanny government for relieving you of many of the distractions of permissive gun ownership. Perhaps we can get some of that really meaningful gun control over here!

Aaron,
That's the kind of language we like to hear!
After all, why have four cars in your driveway if you can only drive one at a time!

(edited for irony)

For my British friends,

If you ever find yourself in the southern US states, please don't hesitate to look me up. I'd love the opportunity to take you shooting.

Whether you are into shotgun, rifle, pistol or submachine gun, I can accomodate you. Have you ever fired a 37mm launcher? Not as many ammunition options as the 40mm, but I've handloaded some nice surprises that are still legal.

PM me prior to your next vacation if I can be of assistance... :)

I feel quite complimented in that my feeble attempt at sarcasm ALMOST went over the head of our esteemed British comrade! After all, British sarcasm is so highly developed that most Americans are completely unaware when it is being directed at us. But seriously, I really took a great dislike for British firearms law when visiting a cousin in London some years ago. He had just proudly showed me his prized shotgun, when a car full of bobbies arrived, knocked on his door, and confiscated his weapon. It seems his ownership document had expired two days earlier!

Mr TAC,
Thank you for you put-down, which I think is a little undeserved.
To enjoy what you said you enjoyed last weekend you must have a Section 5 Certificate, and to have one of those (to my understanding) you have to be a registered firearms dealer.
We cannot all reach those lofty heights of privilege, and the rest of us (with ordinary jobs) have to be content with Section 7 of the 1997 Act.

For our American friends, these are all Sections of the UK Firearms Act of 1997 which goes into great detail as to what can and cannot be held by members of the great unwashed public.

To get this thread back on topic, I've uploaded a few photos of the Luger I bought last night. It's just a standard 1918 DWM, nice condition, lovely to shoot and very 'natural' to hold and point. It shoots high and right for me at 25 yards but I am reluctant to alter anything with out the correct tools, so will leave it all 'as it came' To be honest, I will not be shooting it that often, so I'm happy to just allow for the sights.

It is a pleasure to hold such a piece of history in my hands and to shoot it is a joy,( but I 'spose you all know that already eh!)

One thing I noticed with the spent 9mm cases. There is a mark on the ends of them which looks like chamber marks. I've took a photo of them and you should be able to make it out. It's as if the case has a very minor 'bottle neck affect' on it. Has anyone come across this before?

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/marked_cases.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/lugerrhs.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...oggle_open.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...leclose_up.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/rear_toggle.jpg