[mrerick]

Hi Robert, and welcome to the forum. I'll add my thoughts:

- First make up your mind about whether you primarily want to shoot it or keep a collectable. For the $$$ you're discussing, you could get a nice collectable pistol.


1. What are the specifics that I should be looking for in a Luger - condition, matching, manufacturer, etc? Again, in my mind, I would like an "attractive shooter" built somewhere between '33 and '45.

OK - so look for a Mauser manufactured Luger from the WW-II period or just before that. Something from 1936 through 1942 should work. Look for something over 90% original finish and all matching numbers, including grips but not including magazine.

2. This one could trump question #1 immediately - is my whole idea of an "attractive shooter" just plain foolish?? That is, should I instead pick either an attractive, matching collectors piece, OR a shooter - instead of trying to do both?

No - it's not foolish. For $1000 or less, you should be able to find a high condition refinished or mis-matched WW-II era Mauser pistol. If just one part is not matching, the value comes down into this range. You could shoot this and break a part and not lose more than the cost of replacing the part.

3. Am I likely to find anyone on this board or perhaps in the wider Luger collector community who would be looking for a trade as I have described (i.e., for my DR200 or FAL)? Or should I just cash-out one of these rifles and go shopping?

Put a WTT offer on the forum. Spell out your deal. You may find a taker right off.

4. Am I better off trying to find a private deal (e.g., on this forum) or going through one of the big dealers like Simpson Ltd?

Both options have their advantages. Deal with Simpson, FGS Firearms, Legacy Collectables, Checkpointcharlies, etc... and you'll pay retail, but get the dealer's support. I like these dealers personally...

Ask here about a dealer before you deal with them. There are some with very high quality lavishly illustrated websites that are misrepresenting what they sell.

I have also bought excellent Lugers form members of this forum. Generally, you'll deal at a lower collector price that doesn't have to help pay for employees or rent / overhead.

- - - - -

There are remarkable variations of Lugers that occurred over the long period that they were manufactured. For this reason, and the fact that variations have unique and expected markings, features, appearance and history. For that reason, two very similar looking Lugers can have vastly different values and rarity.

Luger collectors like them as close to original factory state as possible. Those are the ones most highly valued. They were sold commercially, taken into government service, police service and military service. These have vastly differing rarity, and each are unique niches of interest.

For these reasons, it's necessary to educate yourself before spending a great deal on Lugers. The books seem expensive, but the knowledge they contain can help you save even more when acquiring them, and also help you appreciate the history even more.

Marc