[ithacaartist]

Welcome to the forum, Lee.

You pose the age-old question. If yours is original, you could swap out the most commonly broken parts for others to save them the possibility of breakage. The Luger is a sturdy, robust pistol by design, meant to be shot. However, messing up a collectible is sad, and expensive when you consider that some damage can reduce the value by half.

So, here's what you do: Post pics of your weapon. There's a sticky or FAQ around here somewhere about how best to do it--outdoors in the shade or on a cloudy day, tripod, white balance adjusted, close-up setting on the camera, highest res that will fit on the site (another sticky about how to post), etc. Show full left, right, top, bottom/front under barrel, rear, and closeups of all proofs and other stampings. The "community" will take a look at what you have, discuss most every aspect that needs be, and you can make your decision from as thoroughly informed a position as possible.

Your pistol might be refinished, albeit well, but this would remove strict collector status, making it a more-handsome-than-average shooter, and it can still have a relatively high value. If it turns out to be collectible, you may want to preserve it intact, take no chances with it, and simply buy another as a shooter.

Winchester white box form WalMart, 115gr FMJ is the go-to ammo (I just picked up a box today.). No P, +P, or NATO rounds! There are other manufacturers of ammo whose stuff might work as well in your gun, but WWB is the basic starting point.

Sorry to tell ya, Bud, but the Parabellum pistol is the potato chip gun--can't eat just one.

Sounds as if you have a 1917 P.08, likely military. We shall see...