Do you remember your first

[cirelaw]

Everbody started with that one precious luger. Holding it in your hand like a newborn. Probobly hearing your wife say' You spent that much on that piece of crap!!My first and fondest was the '1906 FRENCH MARKED COMMERCIAL' pictured on page 106 in Kenyans 'Luger At Random' Serial #51872 I could have collected other thing but sure I wouldn't still have them. Please What was yours?

[CavScoutEurope]

My first, and so far only, is a 1916 DWM VOPO that I bought while stationed in Germany. When I bought it my wife forbid me to buy any new guns for two years!!! I was fine with that because I always wanted a Luger since hearing my grandfather talking about his that was stolen back in the late 1950's or early 60's. He got really excited when I told him what I brought home from Germany!!! By the way, the importer forgot to put his import stamp on it!! I wonder how many VOPO's are here in the states that don’t have one?

[cirelaw]

Beautiful. You could never forget that beauty!! PS I never saw one!!!

[Arizona Slim]

My first Luger was a 1917 Artillery, matching numbers that I purchased at auction in Feb. 1964 for $56.00, that was shortly after my discharge from military service and represented a substantial portion of my pay but just had to have it. There was a second Artillery in that sale and I have been kicking myself ever since for not bidding on that one too.

[WG dog]

Mine was a 1937 S/42. Still shoot the pistol once in a while.

[MikeP]

1st I owned was age 15 in 1962.
A matching wood grip byf 41.
No finish smooth grips and bore
I always wondered how it got so worn.
Later I saw a few in the foreign wpns pool at Ft Bragg that were as bad.
I had paid $25 for pistol and holster.

[guns3545]

Eric,

My first Luger was purchased in the Dolomites during Spring 1961 from a former Italian WWII partisan, then farming a meadow in a mountain valley.

We were low on rations, and besides wanted something other than 5 in 1s to eat. So I was foraging for eggs and fresh milk and approached a farmer asking to buy some.

As we were having a cup of coffee waiting for his daughter to fetch the eggs and milk, we talked about things and I discovered he had been a partisan in the War. One thing led to another and he pulled back a stone on his front step and showed me a Luger wrapped in oil skins. I now know it was a 1940 42 Mauser P.08 but then to this Second Lieutenant, it was a LUGER.

Long story short, I bought it for 9000 Lire, a princely sum to said Shave Tail. I brought it back to the Alpini Caserna that we had been operating out of and asked the armorer to "clean it up as a favor". Well, unfortunately, the favor went beyond cleaning it up (it was in bad shape). He basically took it down to bare metal and reblued it. But it was, and is, a great shooter. It was my first Luger and today has a lot of brothers AND it still resides in the collection. The magazine, by the way is a post war magazine made in Denmark that I bought from a local gun shop. Had to order it.

Excuse the poor photograph, I just took it out and shot a snapshot of it.

That's the story of my first! BTW, it was all matching!!! But the magazine was really bad, so stupidly I discarded it and bought the after market replacement!! Dumb, huh??

John

[cirelaw]

John your history is the iceing on the cake. History will repeat itself.Ten years from now a WW1 all matching unit marked artilley that you pay $2-$5k will be $10k. Ralph sold me his one of many test pieces #6786 and questionable holster for4 monthly payments of $1200. Debbie swore I was nutz. You decide!

[cirelaw]

Lugers are the one item when there gone you are filled with regrets.I have every luger I've owned sitting on and in my gun cabinet!

[mrerick]

A nice original finish matching "Made in Germany" 1923 Alphabet commercial DWM in .30 Luger got me started...

Still have it. Won't part with it!

Marc

[Ice]

1936 S/42 bought in 1971 for $100.00. 98% condition

Charlie

[alvin]

I had an Interarms Parabellum for range use many years ago. First collector grade Luger was the following pictured one, a super nice 1900 (my Luger collection is small. I had only two, including this one).

Browning was also a top one. I almost sold it back two years ago for a little bit profit but I changed my mind. Later, I bought a newly published FN Browning pistol book, and felt I made the correct decision.

[alanint]

Russian Capture, force matched, 1939, Vopo Grips with sear safety was my first.
Paid $350

[FNorm]

My very first was an 1914

[cirelaw]

Can't go wrong with an early Erfurt!

[captkurt]

Just bought my first; 1916 DWM P08. The weird part are the numbers; the slide (and all internal parts), barrel, trigger plate and toggle, grips, and two magazines all match. The frame and safety have different (matching) numbers. Came in a beautiful 1942 P38 holster (with waffenamt & manufacturer) for $595. Did I do O.K.??? Oh, and finish is about 65% with minimal pitting, but some worn areas. Thanks for any help!

[cirelaw]

For that price you really can't go wrong.BUTTT Please get it checked out. I would hate for you to get hurt first time out!!

[captkurt]

Thanks cirelaw! I bought some cheap ball ammo and a new aftermarket magazine to test fire it soon. It's in great mechanical condition; I've disassembled it, cleaned, oiled, and reassembled it properly. The slide components are in great shape with 90% blueing; most of the wear appears to be "holster wear". I cleaned the barrel and it is sharp and clean; no pitting. I think it is a decent shooter. Next question; since the two original mags and grips match, I was thinking of replacing them with new ones and setting the original aside to preserve them when I shoot it. Is that a waste of money, or smart? Won't be firing it for a few days so I'm definately listening!!! Thanks! KF

[alvin]

Probably no reason to spend extra $$ to replace magazines on a mismatched Luger (unless existing magazines do not work). Just use those two already in hand, IMO. I saw people replacing this, replacing that on guns, I've never done that, just shoot a working gun as is. Damaged spring on a FN 1905 and firing pin on a Mauser 1910 so far, nothing else. Interesting enough, both are 6,35mm pistols. Those tiny C&R guns have weaker parts and prone to break.

[TheRomanhistorian]

My first was a 1921 mismatched pistol with Weimar Republic markings and a DWM toggle. Refinished but she still holds a place in my heart for being my first (and only firearm for something like 10 years now). She's recently been joined by a Russian capture 'double-date' WWI era mismatch and an Erma KGP-69.