Pastor Munkel Revisited
 

Spoke to Fred Datig at the PHX show today. Struck out on the good Pastor.
Fred told me he lived and worked in Europe for over 20 years, from the mid 60's to the mid 80's. He has no direct knowledge of the good Pastor and his work, other then a vague remembrance of his name.

User # 545

posted 09-20-2002 02:43 Ã?Â*Ã?Â*Ã?Â* Ã?Â*Ã?Â* Ã?Â* Ã?Â*Ã?Â* Ã?Â* Ã?Â* Ã?Â*Ã?Â*
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Many years ago when I collected Military Handguns I bought a Dutch colonial Luger from Harry Jones. Don't remember the exact date, believe it was in the late 70's or early 80's. It was in sad condition and I wanted to have it restored.
Strangely enough the person who was recommended to me for restoration was a Lutheran Minister from Minnesota. It was said that he had restored Lugers for many years and had a reputation for doing excellent work.
I wrote him and explained what I wanted and he agreed to do it.
At this late date I don't recall If I had sent him the Luger for inspection prior to his agreement.
To make a long story short I eventully got the Luger back with restorations I requested.
When I was corresponding with Pastor Munkel he told me he was retiring and that my Luger was the last one he was going to work on.
From my correspondence with him, he seemed to be a very good and genial person.
I wonder at this late date if anybody remembers Pastor Munkel and can say how long he worked on Lugers and how he got started in the restoration business?
I always wondered how a clergyman from a small village in the rural midwest got into the business of restoring Lugers?

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Sooooo, I wanna know about this here Pastor also.

An old Thor? Except if he was a master, you wonder how many 95% guns out there are his?

I wonder if he marked his work?

Hey Ted,

I think 50-60 years ago, some new guys on a holographic Luger Forum site will be postulating that that the little triangle of little dot's on a few and very rare number of lugers just above the lanyard ring might have been some special hardness testing...in the olden days... [img]wink.gif[/img]

Regards,

Pete... <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

Hey Rufe,

Did you happen to ask Mr. Datig if he he browses the Luger Forum at all ?

I really liked his books; he seemed to be one of the few luger experts who has been writing books that included the "stories and history" rather than just some dry mechanisms of ID'ing some pitols and their markings...

I find myself going back to his books for a re-read, over and over...

Wonder why he never finished up those luger monographs ?

Regards,

Pete... <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

I'm fixing to go back to the show tomorrow.
If I see Fred I'll ask him about the Lugerforum.
I'm a old fart now and I know Fred is even older then me, his Luger book came out when I was a freshman in H. S.. I don't know how computer savvy he is? I'll get back to you if I get to talk to him.

Hey Richard, say hello to Mr. Datig for me too, I enjoy his books also!

WARNING! To those of you planning to install 9x120mm barrels. Recently a couple of Forum members have sent me GPC 6" barrels to install in their PO8s which had front sight that were off-center by a few degrees from lining up with the extraction groove in the chamber. These are no good and I will not install them. I do have a few much better Mentor Arms made barrels available for $75 each. I also have in stock both of Fred Datig's Monographs (books) on the Swiss luger and German Military PO8s 1904-1930 @$15 each or both for $25. Hellerarms@webtv.net

Anyone know which small town in Minnesota that Pastor Mukel lived in?

When I was corresponding with Pastor Munkel, regarding his restoration work on my Luger, his address was in Zumbrota Minnesota. This was in the early 1980's.