Gun Shop Inspection Etiquette...

[Zonaken]

Newbie question...

Considering purchasing one of two WWII era Lugers; one with vet bring-back papers, one without, from a local shop.
I've purchased a few modern firearms from him and have reasonable trust in him, although I have never bought a C&R from him. (I mean no disrespect in not purchasing through this forum, just need a tactile, in-hand, connection to the purchase.)

Both pistols are in the $1500+ range.
I'd like to support my local dealer and am willing to pay a reasonable amount to support his bricks & mortar.

My question is (albeit subjective):
What is considered "acceptable" to ask of an in-store, countertop inspection of a Luger, to observe part #'s, overall finish condition, wear patterns, rust/pitting, bore condition, etc? (i.e. to what level of stripping the gun down at the store, should I expect or ask for?)

I will be asking for an Inspection Period, but being a new Luger person, I'm not yet skilled at the breakdown & reassembly myself.

Thanks in advance, for your info and patience.
Zk

[Savage11]

When one drops that kind of cash on a firearm, a throughout inspection is warranted imho! Im also a newbie non luger owner here so take what I write with a grain of salt.

[alvin]

Unless you know a type of gun well, you cannot tell it's correct or not in a few minutes in store. For that matter, if you don't know it, actually, even give you three days, you probably cannot tell. Reason is simple -- correct or not came from comparison on many many samples of that type. With a single gun in hand, if you don't have how it should look like in mind, it's not easy.

Asking three-day non-firing inspection, take it home, posting detail pictures here. For people familiar with it, it's just a few minutes.

It's not a trust or not trust issue. Most modern gun dealers don't handle C&R very often. They don't know details either..

[Edward Tinker]

Watch some youtubes on taking lugers apart

If its me, I ask, can I take it apart, I tell them I am a collector and can take it apart AND put it back together, which is their fear.

If you are not familiar or they say no, you ask if they will take it down. If they ask "why, all the numbers match"

Then you can say; the interior parts, trigger, hold open, firing pin, rear toggle pin, grips numbered (not always) - are all numbered (if military or police - most of the time) and I just can't spend that much without knowing if matching.

Many shops won't want you to take a gun apart, due to the fear stated above that you will screw something up...

[DonVoigt]

If you don't already know how to take a luger apart and put it back together blindfolded(field strip)-don't ask, you will only look like a fool and PO the dealer. Not to mention you could perhaps not be able to re-assemble it.

Ask THEM to field strip and show you the inside; but they probably can't do it either.

JMHO.

[mrerick]

If you purchase it, get the 3 day inspection (non-firing) in writing on the paperwork, and the commitment to a complete refund if you return it for any reason.

Explain that you have to disassemble it and check every part to ensure it's matching.

Anyone that occasionally deals in C&R should respect that we have to do what they might consider strange things to ensure it's right.

If they won't agree to that, you can always offer them a shooter price for the gun and explain why (you're taking on the risk that it actually is a shooter).

I would not attempt disassembly myself in front of the dealer until you become expert at it. At home you can take your time and follow the videos without any pressure.

As Don says, very few dealers will know how to field strip or reassemble a Luger. There are a couple of tricks to doing it smoothly.

Be sure to check that the inside number on the side plate (if there is on on the variation) is correct. Alvin's advice to post pictures is a good idea if the photos are taken in shaded natural sunlight, are sharp in focus and without camera shake and show all the important details.

If you're interested in Lugers, the reference books are a good idea, but they are expensive and it takes time with guns in hand to develop judgment.

Remember that the goal in a collectible Luger is to be as close to the original factory state as possible. That's in finish, all matching parts, mechanical operation and overall impression. The farther from that you get, the closer to a shooter category gun you are, and the lower the price.

[Zonaken]

Great advice gentlemen!
Been grappling with the chicken/egg dilemma for a while now and wasn't sure how to pop that cork.
I realize $1500 isn't going to get me museum quality, and that's not what I'm going for.
I have a few specifics in mind and want a fair representation of that. I'll learn the breakdown when it is in hand, but you are correct that most modern dealers don't know much about C & R's.
Thanks for the info; I may forego the tactile requirement and post a WTB here, to avoid making that infamous "rookie mistake".
Thanks all.
Zk

[G.T.]

Hi Zonaken, Hey! I'm in Chandler, next time up here, stop by and in 20 minutes I can have you looking like a champ in proper Luger etiquette? Always open door for luger fanatics...... And even, the slightly interested...... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

[Zonaken]

Rekindling my old thread to provide an update...

Finally took the plunge!
Purchased a '42 Nazi BYF from Simpson LTD.
SKU: D8410
It arrived today and am very very impressed with both Simpson and of course the Luger.
I bought up to this level for personal reasons, so if I overpaid, I'm not sorry as this purchase pushed me way up in my Luger University standings, and it just plain makes me giddy.

The reason I'm tagging onto my original thread, is that as I look over the Luger in hand, I now see clearly what all of you guys have been talking about.

1) Mechanical workings make so much more sense to me now that I can see it in action (sorry YouTube - you're good but no replacement for reality).
2) Part number identification actually makes a lot more sense now. Interesting how they put many of the numbers where they just make sense.
3) And as far as fit, finish, and functionality go, I can only say (in awe), that them Germans really know what they are doing (not my first German firearm, but certainly the most interesting so far). Pretty amazing that this hand-fit, 75-year old pistol, slides and glides so smoothly.

Perhaps it's a little early to be critical, but at risk of being slammed, I'm going to just point out two things I've noticed that I'm not too wild about on this Luger.

1) Grips - no wonder there are so many Million-dollar-chips. May just be mine, but they are surprisingly flimsy at the top and around the edges. They aren't joking when they say to be careful taking them off.
2) Haven't had the pistol out in good sun yet, but I think I already can see that the sight picture is gonna be challenging on this pistol. I think I've probably been spoiled by modern night sights...

Anyway, I just want to throw out a sincere thank you to everyone on this forum for your patience with me and for the informative posts and info you've posted up here. I've been searching and reading all over the place for about a year here and feel I've learned so much. I still have a ton more to learn, but I think I've now unbolted the training wheels and can venture further down the road with confidence.

Thanks!!!
Zk

[DonVoigt]

That is great, got one!
But don't expect to be able to stop at one.


And you are correct about the foibles of the grips and sights.

For shooting, you can always get a pair of cheaper replacement grips and "save" the originals.

As to the sights, they are small for a reason, like many/most military pistols, they are not for target shooting; but, I think they are better than the original very small 1911 sights! But target sights they are not.

Enjoy.

[Major Tom]

Surprising number of left side grip panels have that 'chip' broken off by the safety lever. My advice is to remove the grip screw and slide the grip panel down while holding it to the frame. At the top of panel is a small 'ledge' that can crack off very easily. If the panel will not slide down easily, tap it lightly from the outside, not from opposite inner side. Old oil/rust may be holding the panel.

[Sergio Natali]

In my opinion it depends on what you want, a shooter or a collectible, for a shooter it's mainly a mechanical thing, while if you're looking for a collectible thigs can be a lot more dfifficult.
In these cases the best thing would be to take with you a friend more expert on that kind of firearms , which I realize is not very easy, as an alternative a) first try to educate yourself as much as possible and never be in a hurry. b) buy from a reputable seller.

Good luck.

[Edward Tinker]

What is fun and especially if you have a range with a bit of freedom and no one else around.
Set up a table and be about 25-30 feet away, then standing with one arm, shoot a luger, and a few other handguns) a 1911, and a couple of others. But do it by arm pointing down (loaded but 25 degrees towards the front), then bring it up to eye level and then open your eyes, if reasonably on target, shoot.

The luger has more natural pointing abilities than many other guns. Not as wonderful as some folks claim (at least for me), but it does point very well


Ed

[Jim Mac]

your in trouble now! for some reason most of us can't stop at just one. The luger was one of my bucket list guns. I was actually unemployed when 1 popped up for sale locally, I was lucky and able to convince my wife that we needed to buy it anyway. I'm up the 3, sold 1, wished I kept the one I sold but I'm happy with 3.
One popped up for sale a couple months ago on tucson backpage, I was going to buy it but already drank the prep for a colonoscopy. I just couldn't chance the drive over and it sold 30 minutes later. jim

[mrerick]

Your friendly enablers salute you! Congratulations... Welcome to the addiction!

[Zonaken]

All I can say is, Wow!!!!
I LOVE THIS PISTOL!!!!
The more I work with this P08, the more I find to appreciate about it.
...shoulda done this a long long long time ago...

Any suggestions on a 12-step program for newly addicted Luger owners will be filed for future use...
Thx
Zk

[rhuff]

It is just so much easier if you just "give in" to the addiction, and enjoy the ride.....that is my story, and I am sticking with it.

[1994Stoeger]

Zonaken - I am sure the two lugers weren't at Murphy's. They never sell lugers, but a couple of people in the shop would know how to break them down. Which shop did you go to in Tucson?

[Zonaken]

The shop was Tucson Guns - now closed.
He sold the ones I was considering before I could make up my mind.
No problem, taking the extra time allowed me to learn more and firm up my mind on what specifically I wanted.
Zk

[rhuff]

Sometime the one(s) that got away was actually a blessing in disguise.