"Shoot through a tree"
 

I'm a brand new member of the Luger Forum, having just joined earlier this morning.

I've collected military style firearms now for decades, and while I will readily admit that Colt pre-war automatics are my favorites, I will also freely admit that I believe German Lugers were probably the most finely crafted and best manufactured mass produced handguns of the 20th Century. I've owned numerous examples down through the years and my very first one was a 1920 Commercial Model in .30 caliber Luger. Since that time over 30 years ago, most of my Luger collecting has centered around World War II models manufactured in the 1930's and 1940's.

But the real reason I am posting this message here today is because I wanted to relate something that my grandfather used to tell my mother back when she was a kid. My grandfather was a veteran of World War I, and although from my research he never severved overseas, I still remember to this day the thing he used to say when it came to a German Luger. He owned a local "beer joint" as they liked to call it and from time-to-time people would come in with various items they wanted to either sell for a drink or get money for. My grandfather, being a sucker for a good story and a bleeding heart when it came to helping people out, nearly always loaned or at times gave away money to the guys that would tell him about their hard times. Often times these guys would bring in different guns they had and asked to exchange them for drinks and/or a little cash. Sometimes they would return latter to recoup their items, but most of the times all they wanted was the money and he never heard from them again. He operated more or less like a pawn shop at times, the only differences was he never charged any interest and no one ever reclaimed their property. My father, years ago, was given a Luger from my grandfather and from what I can tell that's most likely how he acquired it. But what I remember most is what my mother used to tell me when it came to my grandfather and the German Luger. According to her, he always said, "A Luger? That'll shoot through a tree!" Now, as we all know, a 9mm isn't going to shoot through a tree, but I suppose the allure of the iconic German Luger through two World Wars is what prompted that surprising, if somewhat mislead, assumption. My grandfather died back in 1969 and the "beer joint" was later torn down and the land now sits vacant and abandoned.

Nowadays whenever I buy a new Luger at a gunshow or wherever, I always tell my mother about buying a new gun. When she asks "What kind?" I always reply with "It'll shoot through a tree!" And, she always knows what type I'm talking about.

Interesting story of "Luger-lore". But when it comes down to it I guess the diameter of the tree is all important!

Very true. But the way my grandfather apparently talked about it, you would have thought a Luger would shoot through a hundred year old oak tree and still kill the guy on the other side.

Bobby,

Great story! And yes, I guess the diameter of the tree trunk is crucial. On a side note, I did chop down a Christmas tree with a G-3 on full auto while I served in the Army.

Balder

Curious... I wonder if instead, he meant that you could "thread" the round through the branches? Flat trajectory, that type of thing?

I grew up on a farm where various targets abounded-rocks, old cars and machines, ponds, trees, you name it.
Got my 1st Luger at 13 and a Garand about the same time.
Got to learn a lot about various effects and capabilities.
Also debunked a myth or two.
I found that 7.63 Mauser had a lot of tree penetrating capability.
Having known so many vets over the years, I've heard various versions of similar tales that simply ain't right.

Bobby..Welcome to the Forum! Great story!

Right after Viet Nam I worked as a surveyor in the high mountains surveying mining claims behind Crested Butte Co. We were issued an International Scout to climb as high as we could get untill we went on foot and we often said..that Scout could climb a ladder!
Sayings don't always ring true exactly...

This has nothing to do with my grandfather or the story above, but years ago around the time I bought my very first Luger, I remember hearing the owner of a local gunshop talking about the abundance of them following World War II. This guy was an "old school" kind of guy and operated a small, one man, gun store for years until he finally retired one day and spent the remaining years of his life playing tennis. Getting back to the Luger story, I remember talking to this guy one day when I was a kid and we were discussing Lugers and the price they had come to bring on the open market during the 1970's. He said he could remember when, following World War II, you could walk in just about any gunshop or sporting goods place in the country and find plenty of them for sale. He said he remembered seeing a wiskey barrel full of them at one place and a sign saying "Your pick, $25." And this was back in the 1970's when everyone was crying about how the price for an average Luger had then "skyrocketed" to $300 or $400 a piece. My, my. How times have changed. The 1939, code 42, I bought a few weeks ago costs me $1600.

One of the rarest Lugers I own came out of a bar in New Jersey. Supposedly it changed hands way back when to settle a fairly substantial bar bill!

Neighbor of mine's father had a framed copy of the constitution decades ago. Traded it to a bar on the way home from fishing for $5. It had been riding around in the trunk of his car for a long time.

It hung over the bar for years and turned out to be one of the original copies and sold for 5 million.

At least that's how she tells it.

Very interesting stories, y'all! Back in the early '60s, my dad was at a well known local gun/surplus store and saw a lady trading a mint artillery luger for a Saturday Night Special! Being 11 or 12 at the time, my dad tried to get his mom to buy it for him, with his money, I believe. Think it was relatively cheap once the guy put it out. But she wouldn't do it. :(

Lev

He said he remembered seeing a wiskey barrel full of them at one place and a sign saying "Your pick, $25." And this was back in the 1970's when everyone was crying about how the price for an average Luger had then "skyrocketed" to $300 or $400 a piece. My, my. How times have changed. The 1939, code 42, I bought a few weeks ago costs me $1600.

Back in the middle or late "60's" I remember a recurring add that appeared on the back page of one of the gun magazines for German Luger's and C96 Broomhandles, the prices listed were, I believe, $25.00, $29.00 and $35.00. I don't know how that compares with todays prices adjusted for inflation but I'm sure it's a long way from current prices.

Middle to late 60's gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and my rent was $35.00 a month. I joined the Army and was paid $98 a month.

I started working for the government, at the Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda Ca., in 1961. Prior to that time, I worked in a couple of pawn shops in downtown Oakland. One afternoon, around 1959, this guy comes into the pawn shop, and with him, a like new Luger with holster along with an extra magazine. He tells the story that his brother, during the war, raided a German arsenal, and the Luger was a war trophy. He wanted to sell it and I gave him $50.00 for it. He never returned to pick it up and I remember that in sat in the gun display case for some time. I distinctly remember the amber coloring and the newness of it. The memory haunted me for years, and maybe it's that memory that got me into collecting Lugers. It sure was a beauty!

The luger's big brother certainly had no problems with it :)

This photo was taken on Sigmund Loewe's estate. Sigmund Loewe was a manager for Vickers, Sons & Maxim and was a brother of Ludwig and Isidor Loewe, founders of the Ludw. Loewe & Cie., owners of DWM, FN and Mauser.

Small family :)

My grandfather was right after all!

That tree got it's ash kicked :)

Rate of Inflation
 

According to the Historical CPI-U Data the rate of inflation from Jan. 1970 to Nov. 2011 (last available), the rate of inflation was 598.4%. That would make a $25.00 item worth $149.60, a $29.00 item $173.40 and a $35.00 item 209.44. Still not a bad price for a Luger or a C96 Broomhandle.

Lon

This photo was taken on Sigmund Loewe's estate. Sigmund Loewe was a manager for Vickers, Sons & Maxim and was a brother of Ludwig and Isidor Loewe, founders of the Ludw. Loewe & Cie., owners of DWM, FN and Mauser.

And that is Mr. Hiram Maxim on the right.
dju

Whatever happened to backyard fun like this?? 8^)