What is the difference between 04 & 08 Lugers
 

Hi Guys,

Probably a silly question but what is the diference between the 04 & 08 Lugers ???

Am I right in thinking the 04 was in 30 Luger & the 08 was when the 9mm Parabellum was introduced ?

Thanks again for your help.
All the best.
Jason

Main differences were '04: grip safety,no stock lug, long frame; '08: no grip safety, stock lug, short frame.

.30 Luger came first, 9mm later, I think around 1906. The Swiss bought .30's, and usually commercials were .30's. 9mm tested by US Army, and commonly German military. It depended, though on which market/contract they were being produced for, not on date/time, as you suggest.

Hi Jason, If you are referring to the P04 and the P08 Lugers, these are the official German designations for Navy and Army Lugers respectively. The main difference between them is that the P04 has a six inch barrel while the P08's is four inches. Both use 9mm ammunition. Regards, Norm

First issue P08's from late 1908 or early 1909, till late 1913, did not have stock lugs.

Thanks for the help Guys.

it clears a few things up now.

Thanks again & all the best.
Jason

Jason,

Parts of my response may be accurate, but much is just mixed up or wrong. Norm's answer is more informative, and pertinent, I think. The generalization of "P.08 = stock lug" was incomplete enough to be misleading, so thank Mike for tightening us up. There's a rich tapestry that is Luger History, so vast that sometimes it's possible for me to upload a corrupted file from the memory banks. (or mix metaphors)