Your help, pls - photos (update)
 

Hello,

As I've posted before, I'm looking for a shooter I could rebuild and let it looking like (or as close as possible) to Thor's wonderful rebuilds.

By pure chance I've met a guy that have 2 Lugers - a 9mm and 7.65mm and is willing to sell both.
The negative side is that he lives very far away from me, so all the dealings will have to be done through photos (and trust!).

To me, they look like Mausers made by the end of WWII.

Photos attached (these are first photos, I've requested more and better photos).
I was informed he has the magazines (not in the photos).
The 7.65 has a grip safety.

Thanks for your help.

Jorge, Neither of these lugers are Mauser made. The 4 inch barrel luger has an unrelieved sear bar, making it probably a DWM WW1 military luger. The other is a 1906 type DWM 7.65mm commercial luger. Both appear to be reblued. The safety levers are blued and not strawed. Both look like there are imperfections (rust?) on the barrel and receiver. It's kind of a shame that both of these fine lugers have been degraded. Price is a major factor here. My guess is that the WW1 luger should sell for about $1000 USD and the 1906 commercial $1200 USD. If they can be had at these prices, then they might be worth restoring as shooters if you have the skill and knowledge to do it. Good luck!

Wondering this -- There have been no war in Brazil in the past 100 years (?) How could guns become this shape? Were there "X" stamp on the guns.... Soviet Union captured guns?

Alvin -

It has been my experience that firearms from many of the Latin American countries have been very poorly cared for. The appearance of these two Lugers is typical for weapons from that continent.

Mauser720 - Ron

Thanks, guys
So the 4" barrel release lever (is this the seal bar?) is not broken, as it looked to me due to the lack of a round knurled part?
Regarding price, as it can be seen in the pictures, the guy doesn't care for them, so maybe a good deal can be achieved.
Regarding rebuild, there's a young fellow I know that's considered a very good gun smith. Never saw something he rebuilt, but he says he can do it. BTW, he owns a quite nice 7.65 DWM.

Alvin
 

Many of these old guns have been taken into the country by immigrants.
I once saw the history of a really nice old Luger & holster from the czarist Russia lot taken into the country by the father of the seller that worked in the Czar's police.
After his death It was sold by a bundle a few years ago.

Jorge, The 7.65mm M1906 may be a surplus Brazilian military contract pistol. You may want to check your laws concerning ownership of former military firearms. TH

Ron
 

These 2 Lugers have been in the rain forest area for who knows how many years...

Lugerdoc
 

Thanks for the warning. Had the Brazilian contract the longer barrel?

You should get more pictures, they have not shown you the right side of the gun, only the left. There appears to be surface water damage, right now you have no idea what your buying--it could be ugly on the other side--got to have more pictures.


Vern

Vern
 

Thanks for your advice.

Picture 1 as sent was upside down - so I flipped it before posting...

I've already asked for more pictures - higher resolution, close from both sides, close from above to see brand and data, magazine photos, asked about rifling and if they work overall or the mechanism is broken.

Jorge,
Yes, a Brazilian contract Luger has the longer barrel and grip safety. If the gun you are considering has a small B inside a circle on the left side of the receiver, it is a Brazilian.

Ron
 

Thanks for the info. BTW, nice looking photo!

Seller says these guns are registered with the Brazilian military (otherwise I wouldn't be considering them - one may be arrested for owning an unregistered weapon), but I will double check the Brazilian contract.

Hello, guys

I received the close up photos.
Both guns are by DWM, the 7.65 is from the Brazilian contract, the 9mm from 1916.

But overall they are quite rusted, and I'm afraid restoring them may prove more expensive than the price of a good quality shooter.
My gunsmith took some vacations (it's summer over here) so at this time a decision will have to wait.

Brazilian contract Lugers are made in the total amount of 5000, so the serial range begins at 0001 and ends at 5000. The pistol of this contract was made only in 7,65mm; there is no Brazilian contract pistol in 9mm, and all of them may have the inscription CARREGADA in the left side of the extractor, similar to the Portuguese contract and grip safety. Since I am an brazilian resident, I saw several issues, some of them in mint condition, but the major pistols are in bad conditions. My own pistol have serial 47xx, very good condition.

Carlos
 

The gunsmith opinion was they were too rusted to be worth restoring.

Nice to know you have found a good one!

See my brazilian contract Luger at my album. Regards.

Nice ones!

Regards,

A "brazilian contract" is a very desirable Luger to own... I dream of one of them...even rusted :)

I lived for 4 years in Cayenne, french Guyana, near brazilian border, and I know that it's very difficult to prevent guns from rust cause to the equatorial climate and humidity.

Regards,
Fran�§ois