Luger Owner Seeks Advice: Shoot, Hold, or Sell ?
 

New member greetings to the forum. Very impressive website. Anyway, here is my story: I recently retired and am attempting to inventory some of my "treasures" from the past. At least 25 years ago I purchased a 1937 s/42 from a collector friend who bought it at a gun show. So it has no personal history other than I was fasinated with the pistol and just had to have it. I remember we went to his pistol range and fired several mags and I paid him $200.00 on the spot. I have enjoyed reading and studying this forum for weeks but now have reached the point of "more info just confuses me more".
I need to try to determine exactly what I have and decide its fate. Would not be disappointed if the gun is a shooter, I now have the time.
The sn is 6050 w/suffix of "q or g". All visible part #'s appear to match. Some are faint and if the sn was unknown I may not be sure. This bothers me. The ejector and grips are not numbered and the mag does not match. Finish is excellent so I guess could be a reblue. Trigger, safety, sear, etc. are strawed. I have not checked internal parts yet.
I just bought my first camera so pictures are coming as soon as figure out what I am doing. Any advice is welcome and thanks in advance.
Ronald

Gatornavy, welcome to the Luger Forum!! If your Luger is all original the suffix is a "q". The 1937 production did not have a "g" suffix. It appears to be a first variation with strawed small parts. The ejector shouldn't be numbered, but the grips should be numbered on the inside surface. Looking forward to the pictures.

I would offer you a large profit if you want to sell it. How about $250? :D

Frank
Info much appreciated. Will sleep double extra hard on your offer. Still messing with photos.

Photos (I hope)
 

Sorry if detail is poor. Total novice

It certainly looks reblued in these photos judging by the rounded edges and overall shineyness. Some less glaring closeups will help, but regardless it is great as a shooter and you have invested wisely.
Welcome!
dju

More
 

Struggling with uploading photos

Final try today
 

May have to outsource this pic posting thing.

dju
Thanks for the response. Now my concern is if I do decide to keep it as a shooter, what is the best/safest ammo to use. There seems to be a ton of conflicting info on the subject. Personally all I have ever fired in it was some remanufactured 9MM "pistol range" stuff. I know now that was not the best thing to do. Any advice from the board is still GREATLY appreciated.
Ronald

Winchester white box works well with most Lugers. You will enjoy shooting your new piece.

Charlie

Nice looking pistol.

Hey gatornavy, ever serve on the Juneau or the Denver?

You guys gave me a ride to the sandbox back in 90-91.

Vermillion 66-68. "Old" Gatornavy.

My father served on LCTs in the Solomons in WW2. If interested i can post a couple of original "Gator Navy" shots when I am at my home computer.

Heinz
I assure you he never rested a minute. OK on the photos. A PM is OK if you want. My old ship attached on WestPac trip hauling Jars to Nam. It is part of an artificial reel off SC coast now.

And to the forum, thanks for all the advice and info. Me and my new best friend "Shooter" have been to the range and fired The Win White Box 9mm FMJ 115gr that was suggested with no problems. Nobody told me that an old goat can still be a babe magnet. I know its just Shooter but the wife has not figured that out yet. Having fun.
Ron

Ron

What year(s) in WestPac? I was on Swenson, a Tin Can '69 to '71 out of San Diego. I remember seeing a bunch of AKAs at 32nd Street NavSta. Separated in '73 from U.S.S. Dixie AD 14 as a Boat Engineer. What was your Rate?

Ron

A few shots of the WW2 gator navy:
5th flotilla battle flag
LCT 67, part of LCT Flot 5
LSM 469
Dad on right with Arisaka
Japanese destroyer in Solomons
Japanese transport Guadalcanal
Good Zekes on Munda
LVT(A) coming in to LCT to be taken for repair. Note bow damage

If some of those Jars were from 3dMarDiv 1971 floats from Okinawa to Nam, then you transported some of my buddies...and our trucks...We had 60 day and 90 day floats going out pretty regularly...Some to Nam, some to Korea, and some to Fuji for cold weather training...

I'm glad I was a REMF... ;)

Great pics!!!

Ron S./Postino
You are shaking some memory. Year was Jan-Feb 1968. Ship was out of Norfolk, VA. Marines out of North Carolina. Don't know any unit or Div. I do remember Ordnance, 6X's, Jeeps, Water Buffaloes, more Ordnance, and No Hummers. I was a Boatswain Mate 3rd. To steal from Bob Hope "Thanks for the memories". Good and bad.
Ron
-Heinz, check PM

I didn't enlist until '69; didn't get to The Rock until '71...The floats we were on had 1/4, 2/4, 1/9, 2/9 grunts and our 9th Motors on them...yep, water buffs, 5-tonners (ours), M151 jeep's...maybe a generator trailer or two...The 3rd Div had already pulled out of Nam; the 1st Div was in progress...

Funny story: From '83 to '98 I was in the AF Reserve; lots of Nam vets [pilots]...Our Squadron Commander had flown a C-130 in Nam; when he rotated home, he was ordered to turn his aircraft over to the ARVN AF...he gave it to them with the only paperwork he had; an Air Force Hand Receipt...Col Hall kept his copy of the 1297 framed on the wall of his office...No one ever asked for it or asked him what happened to the aircraft...lol...(sample receipt below)...

makes you wonder about accountability in the military... :p