Re: getting started..
Tom,You are doing the right thing , seeking information. Good shooters can be had for around $500.00 and up. Good collector pieces go for $500.00 and way up. Buy what you can afford and take your time looking. Remember the pleasure is in the hunt. Internet auctions are a great way to judge the market. Pawn shops and gun shops in your area are another way to find a Luger. I had good luck putting an add in the paper looking for one. Bought a Police with matching mag and holster that way. Buy a book or two. Do a lot of reading. Study so that when you do see something you have a chance at knowing what you are looking at. Do not make your decision on emotion but solid facts concerning the pistol you are observing. Take it apart and look it over from the inside out.
P-38's are great shooters but at the chance of irking P-38 collectors I personally believe they are great pistols but do not have the same magic as the luger. I also collect 1903 and 1908 Colt pocket Auto's and they do not have the magic either. They are great little guns but they are not Lugers. Are we weird or what?
DANGER! DANGER! Stay away from the C-96. It is a fancy way to say boat anchor. Just kidding(sort of) They are hard to field strip and clean and every part on them except the round barrel is sharp and will cut your tender flesh. They have a square bolt for God's sake! It seems to grate as it is shot and sounds like the parts don't fit together properly. Besides they are ungainly, off center and ugly. I have heard rumors that this pistol was a favorite among German officers but I consider that to be outlandish. I stand ready to take the heat...Jerry Burney
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