Lugers in America
 

Just wondering how the majority of the Lugers in the USA got here. Are most of them Vet bringbacks or were they imported after WW2. Has anybody ever investigated this? Also, what is the history of the import marks found on Lugers?

This is covered, here and there on the forum. I think the FAQ discusses this a bit.

After WW1 GI's brought trophies home
After WW2 GI's brought trophies home
After the war, they traded and bought trophies

Before ww1, they were sold commerically in the US and Canada
After WW1 they were sold commercially and then through WW2 it probably happned but not much, and then after the war, PX and blackmarket guns were sold

Imports were required to be placed on germany guns legally imported, you see GERMANY stamped on many, yest sometimes you don't see this... when it was done and who did it makes a big difference...

Ed

Tom,

According to Walter (The Luger Story) before WWI more than half of the Commercial Lugers manufactured were being exported to the North American market.

--Dwight

One reason for my question is that a seller of a 1942 Luger on Gunbroker.com stated it was a Vet bringback. I asked him how he knew it was a bringback and he said it was because it had no import marks.

All Lugers destined for commercial export to the United States (including military guns sold to the US market as surplus) were required to have GERMANY or MADE IN GERMANY stamped on them in accordance with U.S. Customs law. Any Luger in the US not so stamped did not arrive in conformance with that law.

Your seller's claim is a bit of an overstatement. Although vet bringbacks were certainly not stamped, there might be any number of other reasons--one hears the most interesting stories--that a Luger might not be so stamped.

--Dwight

I don't remember an import stamp on the "ye ole' hunter" type of mail order guns we did in the late 50's early 60's...please correct me if I am wrong

Still have one of those "Ye old hunter" buys just dug it out to look . No import stamps. Forgot I had the damn thing. All original all matched but only about 40% finish . I think that grade was 29.99 "The good old days" try buying a mag for that now.