my first luger
 

Hello all! I found this forum last week and I've been looking around - more knowledge here than I've seen in any book so far. I'm here because I have a luger I'm interested in knowing more about. As the screen name suggests I bought it as a shooter more than a collectible. The fact that has been nickel plated pretty much ruins the collectible factor, and I knew that when I bought it. I'm still interested in a background on the weapon and a guess at value.

I also know the mags aren't original. It's marked 1917 erfurt on the top of the gun, which tells me it should have wood base mags if I remember correctly. One of the mags has a serial number (the blued one) and the other has no markings. All the numbers on the gun match, including all the internal parts, it's chambered for 9mm and it shoots well.

Any thoughts?

closeup of proof marks - I apologize for the grain. My digital camera isn't too good without the flash, and the nickel plate makes detail impossible with the flash.

welcome to the forum, I saw this one on the gun auction, and almost bid for the same reasons as you ;)


The only history we can guess at is Erfurt, the gov't arsenal, and it was made in 1917. A full serial number and suffix and you can "guess" at the month of manufacture.

Ed

If you care to, list the number of the mag. Who knows. It may be a match for one of the members guns.

The silver-ish magazine looks like the ones made in Denmark much after WWII...

It wasn't in the gun auction - I bought this prolly four years ago at a local gun show and found your forum about two weeks ago.

Gov't arsenal - so that puts it at either a military or police weapon? Serial is 4468H off the registration card - I've never found an H on the gun so that's info that's been passed from who knows where. I don't have the numbers on the mags - I can post them later. If I do happen to have a match to a member gun I wouldn't mind trading mag for mag.

Where is this "gun auction" you speak of?

It "looks" like one that was just recently on gunbroker, I guess not?

Gov't arsenal, yes.... DWM made them and Erfurt made them, read through the FAQ for some basic info here on the forum.

I would guess there is a "suffix" on the front of the frame, under the serial number, it MIGHT be an "h" and it might not be.


Ed

the silver-ish mag has no markings that I can find. The blued mag has the serial number 2455, suffix b, and a + designating it as a spare if I'm not mistaken. On the side of the mag it also has P08 (surprise) FXO and the number 37 with some lines above it in two spots.

I'm gonna tear down the gun and look for that elusive h this evening if I get a chance - I am curious what I might find that I have previously missed.

it won't be elusive, it will be very obvious. Front of the frame, just under the serial number. If not there, then someone made a mistake and it is not part of the serial #.


BTW, a correct legal definition on say 1917 Erfurt would be;

1917, Erfurt, 3214d, 4 inch barrel

Ed