My first Luger, a 1940 42
 

I finally got my first Luger at a local gun show last weekend. It was sold by the grandson of the vet who brought it back. It is matching except for the side plate and magazine. It also came with a spare unnumbered magazine.

Would this pistol be in the "collectible" or "shooter" category because of the non-matching side plate?

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/t...r/DSC03864.jpg
http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/t...r/DSC03865.jpg

This is an area that has been discussed many times. Personally to me it is a collectible. It looks like an honest 1940 that had a sideplate replaced. I think if we knew the number of truly all matching lugers we would be surprised at the relatively low number. There are certaintly many more perfectly matched lugers now than when I started collecting 50 years ago. Any way nice luger. And yes the sideplate will reduce the value but to me not the collectibility. Also 42 was an official replacement code but seems like smaller numbers ? Bill

There are more perfectly matching Lugers now than when they were made over 50 years ago... :D

Congrats on your first. All depends on the collector. Your first is better than my first. I still have it and learned a lot from it, and I now have...??? Geez, I dunno...

FN

My first Luger is also a 42 code 1940 in almost exactly to same condition. It happens to be the one my father took off a german Captain during the "Bulge". Not only do I have the capture papers, I also have letters he wrote from Europe in which he mentions having possession of the pistol. The firing pin is unnumbered and both grip panels are off (46 instead of 48). Collectibility? Like FNorm said, "All depends on the collector". Is that the way my father's gun left Mauser ? No, probably not. I that the way it left the German Army ? Without a doubt.

Shoot it! The only Lugers that I would not take to the range are my pre-war (WW1) restorations. Way too pretty to shoot.
My first luger was and still is, a 40-42 also, all matching. Would I fire a bulk box of 115gn out of it? Probably not. Just a mag or two on occasion.
MR

James, Bill said it very well..Looks like a good honest pistol to start out with. Like Mark says..shoot it some. Enjoy!