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One of the most valuable assets to beginning collectors is Steve Fjestad's Blue Book of Gun Values.
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John,
While I understand where you are coming from, I believe you are missing an important point. I also agree with Gerben's assessment.
Your writing above and your point of view, and obviously the point of view of the book you have mentioned is based on the premise that all members of this forum, and all who wish to buy Luger pistols are "collectors" or "dealers"... and many simply are not...they are shooting enthusiasts who like not only the Luger but many different types of guns. While your espoused philosophy well suits the person who deals in firearms or collects rare examples, it is not a one-shoe fits-all for everyone who likes Lugers or just wants to have a functional example to shoot. "Parts" Lugers are not mentioned in the book, because they are not collectible and the book is about collector values.
Many Luger enthusiasts (especially members of this forum) are new and old shooters who want the experience of owning and shooting a Luger pistol, but don't want the concern of potential damage to a Luger that a Collector might someday hope to own. They also don't want to invest in a shooter at collector prices.
Some of these people eventually become "collectors" after being exposed to people like yourself... Their tastes and viewpoints evolve with time. While there is certainly some historical signifigance in what ever Luger one happens to own, or desires to own, the value of each gun is a very subjective thing to the owner or prospective owner that is not subject to market conditions, or collector standards.
In my 61 years, I have never purchased a firearm because it held a specific collector value... I bought all my guns to shoot, or modify or carry to protect what is mine. Some of the firearms I purchased have become far more valuable than the paltry price I paid for them way back when. The fact that I own a few valuable firearms is a matter of chance... not intent.
As an example, My TDE .44 Automag, purchased for $325 (at dealer cost years before Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movie made it famous) made me very happy to own it, shoot it, and reload for it, making my own cases, and casting my own bullets... But now it is a safe queen. I probably won't fire it again except to impress my grandchildren should the occassion present itself.
Theoretically, if I came across an obviously original, but unknown variant of a .45 caliber Luger at a yard sale in an obscure town... I would probably bust the caps on a box of 50 rounds of .45 ACP long before I told anyone that I owned it...
and of course, then I would do a photographic essay and post it here on the forum and sit back and wait for those interested to put my grandchildren through college by bidding on it.
A functional FrankenLuger can provide as much joy to the novice shooter enthusiast, as holding and admiring an all matching gun does to those who collect, without required the novice to take out a mortgage.
A non functional or poorly fitted parts Luger is a challenge to new or old gunsmiths who have never had the opportunity to examine and appreciate the 100+ year old engineering... Finally getting a FrankenLuger to shoot reliably is a real accomplishment to be proud of for someone like that.
In short, (now that I have not been brief), your opinion is considered, respected, and acknowledged, but obviously not shared by all who frequent this forum. Being different from each other is what makes this forum so great. Shared ideas and shared comaraderie... If we were all the same and thought the same we wouldn't have anything to talk about.
kind regards,
John Sabato
