Here is my 1916 Erfurt. What ya think?
 

Actually, I like it. :thumbup: Looks like what a tired old war horse should look like, mismatched side plate and all. Seems in pretty good condition. Really should have checkerd grips though. The new smoothies are pretty, but it is kind of like white sidewalls and chrome hubcaps on a John Deere tractor.

Well used, hard and fast, sat around somewhere. It is real and a decent one, good for anyones collection as a WW1 rep piece... :)

What are the markings on the left side of the barrel?


Ed

I will try to get some Checkered Grips from Hugh Clark. The side plate is imperial, but not matching to the gun. It really looks better than you can see in this pic. Great candidate for a refurbish, but my son says to leave it in its original condition, maybe he is right.

I think you son is right, it realy look good the way it is! Missing sideplate.. but that might be from damage to the original way back.. I would have kept it just the way it is.. only with a different pair of grips;)

btw. is there a cut in front of the trigger bar?

I will send more pics with a pair of checkered grips. I agree fully that the checkered grips look alot better. The gun has no pitting or rust (excpet side plate) the side plate although not same s/n is imperial marked.
Side plate could have been a field replacement. Anyway this Luger is my most prized possession. I've seen better, but this one is mine.
Bob

yep, that is how I feel about my buffed bad 1914 artillery, at least its real and its MINE :D

more pics of my 1916 Erfurt
 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/luger120_copy2.jpg


ADMIN: You can always reply to your own thread, I have merged the two threads to keep everything together ;)

Use ADD Reply to Thread not NEW Topic :)

New pic with original grips
 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/lug16.jpg





Pics do not do this Luger justice....tell me what you guys think.

ironcross4148,

Like all Lugers... it has a beauty about its engineering that is elegant despite some mismatched or lightly rust damaged parts... I fully understand your admiration for your Luger...

A comment about the front sight... it appears in the photos that the front sight blade may also be a replacement because the tail of the rear of the blade appears to extend past the front sight base, leaving a sharp point... be careful not to catch this point on clothing as it may easily tear something. A small stone or file can remove this protrusion without any damage to the collectors value because of the mismatched parts...

She's a good ole girl who has led a hard life... love and respect her for her devotion to duty ... and she will reward you with continued service till your (or her) last day... :)

Looks much better with the original grips.
Bernie

My local gunsmith here in Pennsylvania says he can do just as good of a refurbish as Lugerman or Thor. Be that true, im not so sure, but all the Luger pros have one thing in common and that is that they all say that the job will tie up the gun for months if not longer. The Lugerman says he can do it in 2 weeks for an additinal 50 bucks. I have seen his work and im impressed and the 2 weeks turnaround sounds sweet too.

Nice gun, Seems they all have a special character about them! So much history & an engineering masterpiece. Agreed I like the original grips better, but the after market one's do look pretty cool! Enjoy it!

I like it! Just the way it is-or was... the original grips add to the character, IMHO. Also - I wouldn't touch the sideplate, either (if I get a vote.. ;) )

Like so many others have said - a wonderful piece of history wrapped in a truly elegant design...

John D.

I am now only collecting Lugers. It is the finest pistol in the world (IMHO) and it has a mistical quality. It was the soul of the third reich. Im not rich, so another shooter Luger would be ok for me. This one I will keep the way it is and get me another Luger to take to the range.
Bob

I love this gun with the original grips, and I thank you for keeping it the way it is. It is a fitting tribute to the service it has seen. Some of us old geezers have been collecting and upgrading for so long it is refreshing to see an example of a new collector and his first Luger that is starting out where we did. Brings the joy and reality back into collecting. I for one am getting a little tired of minute details that are being examined and criticized. There is nothing wrong with an honest piece that is a testament to the wars and passage of time that brought it to where it is today. Congratulations on your fine Luger and may it be the start of the same sort of enthusiasum that I have had for these guns for nearly a half-century.

Ironcross

Nice Luger, that seen some history.

I disagree with your openion that the Luger was the "soul of the third reich". Production of the Luger was stopped in late 1942 at Mauser and the final guns were sold to Portugal. The sale of the last Lugers to another country should show you how "valuable" they were to the Third Reich war machine.

Krieghoff continued to make them until the end, but their production was nothing compared to Mauser's.

The administrators of the Third Reich replaced the Luger with the P-38 because it was cheaper and quicker to manufacture.
Joe

The soul of the Third Reich was evil.
The Luger represents the ingenuity of the German mind and excellence of fabrication. It represents a great deal of history. If it ever had a soul, Hitler and his crowd killed it.

Russell