Surviving Lugers
 

Just wonder if any one has studied the subject on what PERCENTAGE of Luger examples are ESTIMATED to have survived to date. I know a lot of the early Navy and Artillerys met their fate during the end of WWI (and during the war as well) You look at some of Mausers estimated production numbers of say 128,000/year. I wonder how many are still around? What percentage of those are in the US. I have heard that we have MOST of the Lugers that are left in the world due to our gun ownership freedoms. Any ideas? Are we talking ball park 10%, 20%. Thanks! [img]confused.gif[/img]

Thor,

If I had to make a wild estimate, I would say that the figure would be around 20% in general. However, the figure could be higher for some models such as contracts (55% for 1902 Cartridge Counters) and lower for other models such as experimentals (6% for Tangent Sight Lugers).

Albert

Very interesting question. I would also like to know. But realistically speaking, I just don't see how anyone could even begin to know. How many G.I.'s brought them home without anyone knowing, etc.??

I did like that photo I saw on this site with the G.I. and the large boxes full of "discarded" Lugers. I can't remember which thread it was in, but that was pretty good. It looked like hundreds of them. Who knows where those are now (and if that guy only knew what he had around him....).

I think that there would have to be quite a few still in Germany! I know everyone pretty much thinks all were turned in or destroyed, but they continue to turn up on both sides of the ocean! Maybe some even buried away in a few of those fancy ammo cans! Make for a good dream! till...later...G.T. <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

Kelly, I have seen and grabbed 3 or 4 pictures, just like that one you are discussing. It is amazing to see piles like that.

Also, I have seen photos of LA & NY Police about to melt or dump 1,000's of guns in the ocean or a smelter and in those pictures I remember seeing broomhandles, old winchesters, etc.
So, my point is that besides war booty and those destroyed after the war, there must be 1,000's that have been destroyed on purposed and in fires and other accidents.

As a side note, I saw on gunboards that a guy made a comment about 13 million rifles being made for WW1, and how only 1.4 were turned in after WW1. The point being missed that millions would have been destroyed during the war, captured or lost to the elements, mud sucking up huge numbers...

Did you guys see in Shotgun News a couple of months ago, an article on "Black Pathfinders"? These are people who go out in the dark of night to WWII battlefields in Russia to dig up old firearms. Photos include lugers, Mausers, Mosins. These guys "restore" guns to working order for sale to Evildoers & the Unenlightened. Some really ugly stuff after sixty years under ground and often restorable only to single shot but the impression is that the stuff is plentiful and easily found.
I wanna go.

My imagination wanders when thinking of what might be under ground in Germany that is unfound. I've seen pictures of jet airplane factories that had to be underground due to the bombing. What other caches are there that we don't know of?? Who knows, maybe huge quantities of small arms (Lugers, P38's, K98's, MP44's, MP40's, etc.) that were burried and are well preserved and forgotten about. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />