New to this
 

Hello all,
I have been around guns since the mid 1950's but never have I handled a Luger. A few days ago a good friend brought over some guns for me to look at. One is a P.08 Luger. There is what I think is a date stamped across the top of the receiver, 1937. There are at least five places marked on the gun with the number 65. What I think is the serial number is on the receiver and the last two digits of the s/n are on another part of the receiver. The barrel is 7" long and there are pen "dents" on the bottom of the barrel the line up with the receiver. I have been told that this means the barrel is original to the receiver. The bluing show age but no rust nor scratches nor pitting. The wood is in GREAT condition. What is the best way to determine the value of the gun quickly? My friend is facing foreclosure. I am not using this forum as an ad, I'm just asking for what direction to go. I'll try to post some photos below.

Thanks in advance,
Steve H44

Sorry, I don't think this gun will save anyone from foreclosure....it is a mis-matched, re-barreled, re-blued shooter,with incorrect grips, perhaps in the $700 range.......

Thank you for the info. Can you please explain to me how you can see all of those things? Please do not take this as an argument but all of the numbers match. The bluing appears original, the wood.....what is the clue there?

The grips are Italian made reproductions in the bordered Swiss pattern. A 1937 Luger was made by Mauser for the military and was never produced with a 7" barrel. Does the barrel have a serial number and proof marks?,,,it should.

....it is a mis-matched:
Receiver (not frame) is numbered 3741, sear bears #41... rest of parts marked with #65

...re-barreled:
The barrel length is not consistent with any 1937 Mauser production

...re-blued:
Polishing is evident on the proof marks

...shooter:
Maybe we don't know that (unless you test fire it)

...with incorrect grips:
They are not original pattern

...perhaps in the $700 range:
That's an approximate value


Jack

Thank you all VERY MUCH. I have been around guns since 1955 and have never gotten around a Luger. Goes to prove you still can teach an OLD dog new tricks. You are all gentlemen for helping.

Thanks again

Steve

if I had this, I bet I could get closer to $900 for it (although I'd want to buy it for $600-$700 :))

Folks like the longer barrel, but not too long for fun shooting....


Ed

All that above said... it is still in fine mechanical condition and has plenty of finish left so it will be a great shooting gun... Mauser production was very high quality stuff right up to the end of the war...


BTW, the chip missing in the left grip near the safetly lever can be repaired so it doesn't even show that it ever happened. See member HUGH for grip work. You won't be disappointed.

Very good explanation in detail of all the visual anomalies Jack! :)

I guesss everyone said it for me......

Also, Caliber has not come up. We don't actually know that this is a 9mm.

I did load the mag with a few 9mm's & hand cycled them thru. Would I be correct in assuming that it is a 9? they cycled fine.

yes, a 9mm would fit, a 7.65mm would feel loose, and vice versa, if it was a 7.65mm, the 9mm would not fit in at all.

Its best to use snap caps for most older guns, both for safety and for saving the firing pin from damage ;)


Ed

NO......both will fit chamber and may not feel loose because of case body size......check at muzzle with an EMPTY chamber.....30 cal will fit inside muzzle, 9mm will not if gun is 9mm

Wait... a 9mm loaded round will fit in a 7.65MM chamber and allow the toggle to close? :confused: Are you positive H?

No.....never said toggle will close, sorry if I alluded to that and thansk for look out here...

There is a MUCH simpler way. Most people cannot come up with both types of ammo..Get a common pencil...On a .30 Luger the metal end with the rubber erasure will be a tight fit. On a 9mm it will be really loose.

PoliceLugers right too. At the muzzle end a .30 will fit to the case rim in the muzzle..with a .30 Luger round. If it's a 9mm you can see right away.

If you try to chamber a 9MM in a 30.... the toggle will in no way come close to closing.

Not all that hard to figure out really.

Jerry Burney

Why not just measure the bore?
:cheers::

Jerry covered it in a very simple way, not everyone may have a way to measure bore, I bet everyone has a pencil..........

You might be surprised, I'm not sure some of the people I run into even know what a pencil is... let alone what to do with it. Doubtful they own any lugers though. :rolleyes:

Jack