First Luger.

[Ingvarg]

Hallo

My name is Ingvar, I live in Iceland and this is my first post on this great board.
I just got my first Luger p08 and wanted to get some more info on it. Year, unit etc.
This is a DWM with no year # on the reciever and the serial# is low 800.b
There is a unit (i think) mark on the front of the grip 8.R.6.2.
The pistol is numbers matching exept the magasines and there is some light pitting on the outside.
I would apriciate if someone could tell me something about the year manufactured and the unit marking.
I will post pictures soon.

Thanks
Ingvar

[Steinar]

Greeting to Iceland, and God bless during the difficult times.

As you might know, your Luger is made by 'Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken'.

When it comes to the unit mark and such.. since I have a memory like a hippo, this came to my mind:
http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...threadid=19133
I quess it's the same gun?

..no year stamped over the chamber?

[Ingvarg]

Hello and thank you for your kind words and responce.
btw. the life is not as difficult here now as stated in the world news. I still wakes up in the mornings, got my family, my house, car and plenty to eat and shoot.............. And just got a Luger, Something i have dreamt of for almost 30 years.

And, yes this is the same gun, and i just got it this morning.
I didnt know my frend Hinrik had posted this here
There is no year stamp over the chamber.

Thanks and all the best from Iceland.
Ingvar

[Steinar]

Good to hear that things are not all bad. It's beside the topic.. but I think many norwegians (like me) feel especially "attached" to Iceland and therefore would like our government to come up with something helpful for our neighbors..


-No stamp on the chamber? that's weird.. how is the right side of the receiver (that's the upper part of the Luger), any markings there?

[George Anderson]

I would imagine that your pistol is what is known as a 1908 first military. Most of these were made in 1909 and have no date on the chamber. Whether or not it is an '08 can quickly be determined by the location of acceptance stamps and proof. If these stamps are on the left side of the receiver it is an '08. From 1910 forward all miltary Lugers are dated and proof and acceptance stamping is on the right side of the receiver.

The unit marking indicates Reserve Infantry Regiment 8, Company 6, weapon 2. How about posting more photos when you get a chance?

[Ingvarg]

Hi again
Morgan, Your government was, i think the first to offer their help as well as the russians and we are really greatfull for that,
But the british (Gordon Brown & co) are not wery popular around here by now But that is another story

Back to the Luger. There are three proof marks on the left of the reciever, just in front of the side plate, one on the barrel and at least one on the left side of the bolt. (Breechblock?)
I need to clean those up and take some macro pics of them and post here. I am at work now but will take some pics when i�´m back home to night.

Thaks again.
Ingvar

[Steinar]

Great, pictures makes it more easy to say more about it ..more interesting as well
You can upload them here in this forum (look at the menu on the left side of the screen).

[Ingvarg]

Hi
Nothing pesonal Tacfoley. Your prime minister is not your fault so please stay

But I agree.. no more politics, Only lugers..... and some pics within few hours.

cheers mate

Ingvar

[Steinar]

Tac, just to make it fair.. if you should aim it to someone, it should be me throwing that ball to Ingvar.
That said, I can't really see that we are talking politics here. More like blabbering to a new member.. If everything has to do with Lugers, I guess I'm at the wrong table.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures.

[Ingvarg]

Hi
here ya go !!










Sorry for the pic quality. I should rather have spent the monney i paid for the Cannon eos 400 camera, on guns
At least I know better how to use them

Ingvar

[Steinar]

You did well Ingvar! Started out with a rare Luger in good condition.. not bad!
At work now, so I'm away from my books.. out of own curiosity I will find out more about these 'first military' Lugers later tonight. If I find something and nobody beats me to it, I will post any findings here.

One thing.. does it have a 'hold open' function? (toggle stay open after last round)

The pictures are not that bad.. but if you are not happy with the result, you might want to try this setting next time (from one Canon EOS owner to another);
"zoom" inn on the object, focusing manually, tripod, AV mode, set aperture to about 1:10 or higher, bring it outdoors (cloudy sky is fine) or use a lot of light (don't turn on the flash)

[Ingvarg]

Thank you Steinar and George, i apriciate your help.

The proof marks are on the left side as the pics shows, so, as I understand it is a 1909 made, p08.
And yes, the pistol has the hold open funktion.

I took it last night for a through cleanup and inspection. Most of the pitting on the outside were loose and came off easy and the blueing turned out to be much better than i expected. On the inside it was simply excellent. Everithing tight and funktion is flawless. The barrel is a bit pitted after corrosive ammo but the rifling is bright and sharp.
All numbers match except the magasines which i got two of, one grey with wooden base which i belive is the right one for this pistol, and one WWII, blued with aluminium base. I also got a WWII holster (1939) and one box of orginal german WWII p08 ammo (16 rnds.)

But.....To the range tonight and lets see how it shoots as I am going to enjoy this pistol to the full, both on range and off.

And....Thanks for the camera tips. I will try this during the weekend.

All the best:
Ingvar

[Steinar]

The quantity of the 1909 Lugers has never been confirmed according to the book "the Luger story", though 15 000 is mentioned in the identification list.. 17684 where produced in 1910 and 28040 in 1911, so I guess it's an estimate from that information.

The "standard" holster 'PT08' fist came approximately the date your Luger where produced.. out of curriosity, is your holster dated 1909?

[Edward Tinker]

looks like a early one, markings on the left show that, plus no stock lug


nice turkeys on the table too


Ed

[Ingvarg]

Steinar, The hoster is not the right one with the gun, but it is a 1939 with the usual nazi eagle stamp with svatzika nest in the claws.
I can only see part of the manufacturer stamp, looks like: "????RLBUSSE MAINZ", and the colour is dark brown.

Edward: I had no nazy eagle large enough to capture on the pics with the Luger so the turkeys had to do it.


Well I�´m out to the range with the Luger. About time..... It has not been fired for at least twenty years.

[Vlim]

It's nice to see the small inspector's mark near the holdopen hole on the frame. It indicates that the holdopen was added at a later date and that the modification was checked.

Very nice early P08!!

[Ingvarg]

Hello again

Well......I�´m back from the range
The pistol turned out to be exellent. I fired about 100 rnds. Magtech 115grs. and everything worked perfectly, not a single malfunction and unbelievebly accurate.

This is the first time I shoot a p08 but did fire some 50 rnds through a 1906 Navy Luger couple of monts ago and I,m absaloutly fallen in love with the Luger.

And thanks G. van Vlimmeren for the info on the insp.mark and the hold open. This is something i did�´nt know.

All the best from Iceland.
Ingvar

[Steinar]

It's interesting to hear if you have that mark or not Ingvarg, to find out if the design changes with stock lug and hold open where implemented at the same time.

Incredible that a Luger can survive 99years and still be in such a great shape! Now you just need to find a shooter grade luger, so that you don't risk braking anything on this higly collectable Luger

[Ingvarg]

Hi Steinar
It does have that mark so according to given information the hold open was added later.

Finding a shooter grade Luger could be a huge problem her in Iceland. Lugers are wery few and far between here, importing not allowed and the price high. Getting an oppertunity to buy one is almost a once in a liftime chance, so getting another one is almost impossible.........but who knows ?
I have been in guns for years and first got my hands on a Luger this year.
But there is always room for one more in my safe....or two........or......????


Gretings !
Ingvar

[Steinar]

Thanks for checking! Seems like both changes where implemented at the same time.
This is a guess; if DWM started their numbering for the German army with 1, yours is the 10809 delivered from march 1909 (9999 + 810) out of the approximately 15000 made that year (think the estimate is a bit high, as it was not a full year of production).
Does anyone know when they implemented the design changes? ..and from wich serial number?

Too bad there are so few shooter grade Lugers over in Iceland.. Good luck in your search for the next luger