craftsmanship question?
 

Hello Guys,

I would like to know which LUGER model has the best craftsmanship?? I have a Mauser S42-1938, a DWM 1917 and a salty DWM 1914/1920 . If you compare them side by side the DWM 1914 looks and feels like a different pistol , craftsmanship is by far superior than the other two. Is there a specific year model where this difference is obvious??

thanks,

More like a jewelry? I would vote DWM 1900. Guns are for shooting, but this gun is a little bit too nice to be fired.

Military guns are a different taste.

I agree that 1900 and 1906 models make better eye candy. A nice artillery rig has a certain charm that is hard to beat too.
In the end it is probably personal taste, but the WW2 models just don't spin the crank as hard.
dju

Quality began to deminish after 1914. WWI required expedience which sacrificed quality. The early Mauser Lugers seem to be of better old world quality than the later years, for the same reasons. Although less so, than the Imperial WWI production Lugers.

1936-----period..........
 

..

Don't have a Mauser Parabellum in hand, but saw a few in gun shows. It's definitely top line of the era, roughly sat at same level of craftsmanship as those post WWI Bolo Mauser, much better in appearance than wartime production, but probably still misses a few percent comparing with those pre-1910 Mausers.

Very subjective on this one, never mind. And most important, those guns cannot replace each other. One variation, no matter what it is, cannot replace another variation. You need all of them.

I don't agree about the quality.

The Parabellum pistol has been improved constantly during its life time, of course with some concessions to appearance during the war years when output volumes were more important than a smooth finish.

Major improvements, especially in steel types and hardening techniques were made in the 1930s and 1970s, with an added improvement of production techniques on small parts.

So from a technical point of view my favorite pistols are the 1937-1946 Mauser pistols and the 1970-1997 Mauser Parabellum. Second in row must be the Swiss made Parabellums, especially the 06/29, followed by the DWM pre-1914 pistols.

From a purely aesthetic point of view, the 1906 type DWM pistols, especially with the sleeker looking 7.65 Para 'pencil' barrels are the winners in my opinion.

ps: I actually prefer a nice deep black salt blue finish over the rust blue :)

Salt blue is a taste. Commercial Mauser's salt blued guns were all highly polished before bluing, and their salt blued post 1927 Bolo was a beauty. 1930's salt blue was a little bit less (1%? hard to quantify) than that of salt blued Bolo. Comparing Astra (rust blue) and 1930 (salt blue, same era) side by side, I still feel rust blue finish is a little bit more classical.

Agree with Vlim. Post 1933, were mechanically/materially improved. Yes, I do like the look of the strawed parts of the earlier ones.

As for finish, its all in the polishing beforehand. I've read somewhere that all the Krieghoffs were salt blued. You can't argue with that finish....

FN

Certainly mechanical features were corrected over time but when it comes to finish quality the Imperial Luger seem to be nicer. According to Jones from The Luger Variations book the DWM 1908 has one of the best finishes and is one of the most wanted by collectors.