[minigun]

Hello everyone,
I was just approved to get onto this site. Excellent. I just bought a P.08 Luger at a gunshow about two months or so ago and wanted input (and also just to say hello).

I would like to first say that I am not very good with computers and have a very old one at that. I don't have a digital camera to post pics yet(however, I have friends that can do this).

My collection consists mainly of HK (Heckler and Koch) firearms and I wanted to add a Luger to this "German Weapons Collection" that I had.

Here is a description of what I purchased:
Mauser S/42 1937 (dated pistol).

No import marks of any kind on it.

All matching numbered parts.

Serial number is 39XX with a letter under the serial number (or block number) either an "X" or a "K"-it's hard to tell.

Where most "strawing color" is (trigger, safety lever, etc.), mine is blued.

Right side, pistol has an "eagle 63" and two other different types of eagle stamps on it.

Bluing is, I would say, approximately 95% (This is what I would rate it, but look at the description and please feel free to advise further if not correct):

The muzzle (on both sides), in the middle portion of the muzzle, is down to its silver color (I guess holster wear). The length of the barrel retains its blue, but looking in good light you can see it beginning to "freckle" (not rusting-just a little more silvering I guess) a little.
Middle part of frame, the pistol has typical wearing from moving parts. Two small "freckles" of rust are visible on the little side plate on the left side of the handgun (that disassembles first thing-don't know the actual part name).
The handgrip bluing is a little more fadded where your hand goes, but still retains most of the bluing.

The inside of the barrel and bore look to have no pitting or anything-however; looking in good light, you can see a color of rust starting to appear.

Also, if you take a magnifying glass and a mag lite, and look at the outside of the handgun, you can see a hint of rust coloring starting to appear overall. You have to have really strong light to see it, but it is coming up.

The wood handgrips are numbered to the gun and are in excellent shape.

The magazine is not numbered to the gun, but has a serial number stamped to the bottom of the aluminum floorplate and a "t" with an "eagle 63". The bottom portion of the mag has three real small dents in it (which bothers the heck out of me-but I just discovered it).

It had a lot of "crud" in the insides of it. I spent litterally a couple of days with a small toothpick, cotton swabs and small brush just cleaning it up. It's really pretty now.

I paid around $1,500 for the pistol. I just wanted one really bad and the guy I bought it from has been a Luger/P.38/HK seller for a really long time and has a good reputation. I have also bought other guns from him and they were excellent. I didn't know if I was paying too much, but I figured that if I bought one from him I would be getting a "real Luger" and that it definitly would not be misrepresented in any way (which was why I went to him). I figured I would pay a little more and get what I wanted (which was an excellent condition specimen-if you will).

My questions are:
1)Should I shoot it? I am thinking of getting aftermarket grips so that I will not damage the originals. Good idea or not-opinions please. I wanted it as a collector piece that I can take out from time to time and shoot a little bit. I have shot 14 rounds through it so far without a hickup.

2)I have read here about "kits" that some use to replace the small parts when they shoot their guns so that they will not damage the small parts to this gun, what's up on this topic?? What is being replaced and what do I look for???

3)Any special history on this handgun??

4)Any "de-value" of the handgun for the non-matching magazine. Will this hurt the "authenticity" (I guess) of the gun?? Are most Lugers that are in collections (not shooters) with mis-matched magazines???

5)I know without seeing the pistol it's hard to tell, but is the finish about average for a collectors piece, or does it sound to be in better or worse condition??? If it were an HK, I could tell, but I can't with these.

6)What ammo should I use? The dealer that I bought this gun from sold me a box of German manufactured 9mm called "Geco". Any experience with this ammo??? The 14rds that I have fired so far have run flawlessly

7)Anyway to get inside the mag and clean it?? Any suggestions?? I am really trying to get every piece of crud out of the gun that I can. Any way to disassemble the mag?? Or, if there is, should I try??
In conclusion, I really like this pistol and only intended to get one for my collection. I think I am going to get a second. I am thinking of getting one around the same date as this one because I like the non-strawing color better and I have heard that Lugers dated before the actual War were better produced (is that ture?).

I am really new to the Luger world, so please help me out. I am also thinking of getting a P.38 to add. These are just the neatest guns.

The only other experience I have with a Luger is that my father bought one in the '60's (way before I was born). It was a DWM 1918 dated piece. He told me that he bought it in a pawn shop for around $80 (back then). The gun had (what I would rate) about 80% of its bluing and some small rusting areas. The gun had an aftermarket mag (Mexican made) with it. All parts matched, except the mag. The gun jammed quite often (probably mag and ammo related). I also remember that an internal piece broke once when he was firing it. He had taken his DWM to a local gunsmith that welded it back together. I think the piece that broke was the piece where the firing pin goes in (I don't know the offical designation of this part). It's been so long that I had forgotten. Anyway the gun was sold a while back as a shooter for around $300. So I know first hand that these pistols can break. My father really wasn't into cleaning, so maybe that had something to do with the breakage. Are these areas prone to breakage?? What do you think happened in this case?? Oh yeah, one more weird thing about my fathers DWM, where the actions rails are, the top receiver portion was "polished" (as one collector told us). Why would someone "polish" this area?? The bluing was deliberatly taken off and this area was "slicked down".

Sorry for the long windedness, just really currious and wanting a lot of info for my own education about these neat firearms.

Thanks in advance for all responses and opinions.