[mrerick]

"Is collecting shooters shameful? Heresy? Worthy of excommunication, shunning, stoning etc...."

Wow... that's certainly deep...

To me, Luger collecting is a hobby. I am attracted by the history, unique design and the precision of manufacture of these pistols. For me, at least at this point, it is nothing approaching a religion or cult.

You commit heresy against and are excommunicated from some religions. Modern (Western - at least) society and culture gave up shunning and stoning quite a while ago.

When I consider acquiring a Luger, I take a good look at it, try and classify it and value it based upon condition, rarity and whether it's matching, import marked and in high or some other condition. A "shooter" gets a shooter price offer. A "collectible" gets recognized as such and gets an collectible price. Nothing in that transaction gets emotional. It is, what it is...

If you're going to buy firearms to shoot, leave the historic and collectible ones to those that want to preserve them.

In my view, the excommunication offenses (from society) center around fakers and the destruction they cause...