[ithacaartist]

They are important for another reason. They may be out-dated and contain some incorrect information while lacking other information, but they illustrate the state of the body of Luger knowledge at the times they were written. I think it's important to have them as a perspective on the evolution of Luger collecting.

The Parabellum pistol has been and continues to be the passion of many--From Georg L. to the next guy/gal who joins either forum. We neophytes, it could be argued, have gained more understanding--and faster--than our veterans and leaders in this collecting field, who had to do it all the hard way with phone calls and letters, gun shows, film pictures, and, as Eric points out, hours of working over hard-copy in libraries and archives, or wherever information and data surface. I'd credit both forums, the internet, and our contemporary authors--who are able to put together the best-researched books ever, combined with the up-and-coming enthusiasm, all of which make this passion the best it can be.