Lugers too expensive for military use
 

Die Herstellungskosten der P08 lagen 1942 bei hohen 32.-RM, die Herstellung allgemein sehr lange, aufwendig und kostspielig.
(The manufacturing price of the P08 in 1942 was a high of 32RM, the production in general too time consuming, too much trouble, and wasteful of money)

So vielen insgesamt 778 Arbeitsschritte an, von denen 642 handwerklich durchgef�¼hrt werden mu�?ten.
(There were a total of 778 work actions, of which 642 had to be done by hand)

So in 1942 the dollar cost of a Luger was about $7.50 which was considered too expensive.

I'd go, ten or maybe even twelve dollars for a new S42.

http://www.waffeninfo.net/waff_p08.php

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Roadkill:

So in 1942 the dollar cost of a Luger was about $7.50 which was considered too expensive.

</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">That works out to about $88.16 in 2002 dollars. Still a bargain in my book.

--Dwight

In contrast, the M1911 A-1, was about $2.50.
Statement of Charges value when I was a junior officer was $65 as I recall.

Tom A

It's wonderful that the stupid Nazis wasted skilled labor and resources to make these beautiful expensive, hand-crafted weapons long after their prime. It's not unlike other illogical military/industrial mistakes made by the Third Reich.

Thank God we are collecting their crap instead of the other way around! I love my 41 Byf (Black Widow)

MM

The German Army was in need of more and more equipment and needed stuff produced in greater quanities. The Luger took 2�½ man hours to produce while the P.38 dropped it to 1�½ or less. You can see that from the estimated production figures. 1.2 million Lugers versus 1.1 million P.38, and the Luger had a much longer production time...