Got my first Luger Today!

[Adam_M]

Hello everyone, I've been a member on the forums for awhile lurking in the background, haha. But I got my first Luger today at the military show in, Iola, WI. Its a 1936 S/42, serial #6893. I field stripped it, and its all matching as far as I can tell except for the magazine. Sadly its lightly import marked Cole Dist. Sville, KY above the right grip. Its also looks to have replacement grips and has been reblued I believe. However, the rifling is pretty strong, and I bought it mainly as a shooter, and because I've always wanted a luger. I paid $850 for it with 4 magazines, was that a fair deal?

Also, I have a few questions on the magazines. Firstly, I can only tell one is origninal for sure, the one with the aluminum base. I think the spring is getting weak on it though as the action doesn't lock back when cocking it on empty. Are the follower springs difficult to replace? Also, how do you tell if any of the others are original. 2 have wood bases and one has plastic, all with plastic followers.

Sorry for the crappy pic, all I have is my cell for my camera and lighting in my apartment isn't that great. Thanks!

[Edward Tinker]

Adam, welcome to the forum. Your price you paid was a bit high, but not unreasonable. I can't see the other magazines to see if any are newer or older.

After a while you can spot a luger mag from across 2 aisles at the gun show, at least I can.

Please post pictures here on the forum and not on photobucket or the like.

A camera phone is not the best but to tell the truth, their quality is probably as good as hand held cameras from just a few years ago.

Take some more, use plenty of light and do some close ups.

Does the hold open work with the other magazines? If so, then its not the hold open, but the magazine.

ed

[Adam_M]

The action locks back fine with all 3 of the other, so it must be the magazine. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow, should be able to get plenty of light outside. Sorry about not posting the picture through the forum.

And I'm glad to hear that I didn't overpay too much, I did searching some online searching before I bought it but the only values I could find on some other forums for import marked ones were threads from a couple years ago and even then couldn't find a real clear value.

About how much would a good price on it have been? And thanks a lot for your help!

[Edward Tinker]

$600 is a cheap price for a 9mm in nice shape, so $600-$800 is about normal for a 'shooter', unless pitted or heavily buffed before being reblued.

The 3 extra magazines can add, $20-$30 ea or they can add a couple of hundred to the value, but I believe they are aftermarket, so I would guess the two on the left are aftermarket, so say, $60 for the two. The other two, I would need better pictures of them. The follower button on the magazine is a dead giveaway usually, and also the double pinning on a body to hold the base.

Ed

[alanint]

Welcome Adam,

You answered your own question when you stated that all the extra mags had plastic followers. No original magazine would have a plastic follower.

[Doubs]

To me your Luger sounds very much like a Russian Capture pistol. AFAIK, they were usually dip blued and fit with grips not original to the guns before being sold to importers. A mis-matched mag is the rule rather than the exception.

[Adam_M]

Welcome Adam,

You answered your own question when you stated that all the extra mags had plastic followers. No original magazine would have a plastic follower

I kind of figured that when comparing them, but I didn't know for sure. Heres some better pictures of the pistol and the magazines.

Are the spot welds on the magazines also another giveaway that they aren't original. Also, is it just one pin holding the follower in on the original should I want to put a replacement spring in?

[Doubs]

The "X" on the side of your receiver behind the serial number is typical of Russian Capture Lugers. You can be certain of one thing: it saw combat on the Eastern Front.

[Adam_M]

Thanks for the info guys! I've seen the ones in the for sale section since buying it, however I figure this way I'm not paying shipping or transfer fees. Also, right now I can only buy handguns through private sellers in WI as I'm 19, so still have a couple years before I can go through dealers.

[Adam_M]

Oh, and one more question. I've found some strange marking on the extractor and I can't tell if its pitting or a marking that has been scrubbed, or something else altogether. Any idea what it is from?

[alanint]

Yes, an original number, which no longer matches the gun was peened out in an effort to still make the gun appear "all matching", which was a tactic to get the best price for the guns here in the US

[Adam_M]

Alright, thanks. That sucks, were extractors commonly replaced or did it most likely just get mixed up before it was imported here?

[alanint]

Although Russian captures initially when through a rebuilding program where whatever part that made the pistol function was swapped out or replaced, the Russians became aware prior to selling their stocks that Americans placed a premium on all matching pistols, so in many cases sideplates and other parts were milled down then force matched to give an "all matching" appearance, at least on the major assemblies.

Look at it this way: That peened out extactor is "correct" on a Russian capture gun!

Have fun owning it and shooting it!

[MFC]

Adam,
Welcome to the forum. As Ed stated, you probably overpaid a little. If the gun shoots you did OK though. I've seen much worse deals for others first attempt at purchasing a Luger. The mags don't add much. I beleive all 4 mags are aftermarket.
Have fun.
Be careful... they're addictive.

[Adam_M]

Thanks again for the warm welcome guys. I don't plan on this being my last Luger, haha, though my next will probably be a collector not a shooter and I'll have to read up some more on them. This is a great forum