Magnificent 1918 arty

[Big Norm]

OK gentlemen. We too often criticise Lugers on this forum. But now its time to show something special. This ones a keeper!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=65690004

This gun is going for a pretty steep price, but it is worth it in todays collectors market on the internet. The only draw back that I see is on the base of the grip where there seems to be a few small bang marks. Its just too bad that I found this magnificent specimen so late to show others on this forum. Its fun to watch auctions of good Luger specimens. At the moment, it looks like Izzies son is going to get something great that rarely comes on the market. But we are looking at something truely special in my humble opinion.

I have one in matching described condition (I whipped mine out to compare while looking at this specimen), so I was giving myself a VERY BIG pat on the back while really enjoying this auction play out. Just for a little bragging... I also have a rare 1918 holster and a questionable matching stock with my Luger. But I bought my 1918 arty Luger pistol a few years ago for $850 (with the stock and hoster bought separately) and I am thrilled to see the price in this one. (Mine is NOT for sale...sorry Izzys son)
Big Norm

[Steinar]

I'm always in search for something "wrong" with any arty I see..
I think the reason must me that my reasonable part of my brain (who controls the financial part of my life) is trying to convince the much too superior ..unreasonable part, that I don't want it! (read.. can't afford it) In fact, I would like to have them all.. including this one! Still tend to look at the bright grips and a little too perfect blueing.. If that does not works, it helps to think that I'm living in the 'wrong' part of the world anyway :P

[Big Norm]

Morgan,
from what my friends in Borgheim, Norway tell me and what the travel logs, that I have, refer to as Norways exotic outpost in the Arctic, Svalbard is not exactly a place that you will meet bikini clad ladies or get a good sun tan. So I hope that you didn't pack a swim suit. Go to southern Norway to Pulpit Rock with your computer and check out this artillery again. You'll like this Luger as well as the view from that big old flat rock on the edge of a Norwegian fjord. With the money that you saved from not paying Norwegian taxes on meat and booze, you could well afford this gun.
Big Njorm the Blond

_______________
The nail that stands out the most is the one that gets hit the hardest.

[Aaron]

I remember only three years ago at the Big Reno Show there was a very similar Luger in brand spanking mint condition with matching mag for sale at $2000. Everyone in the show offered the seller from $1700 to $1900, including me, but all offers were refused. I guess we're all kicking ourselves for not giving the man his $2000.

[Big Norm]

Oh Jeez Aaron, don't get me started on kicking myself. I've got callous upon callous on my petuty from doing that. It just a good thing that I don't punch myself on the side of the head from all the mistakes that I've made. But I do laugh at my older brother. He got me started when he bought an artillery. I still have the email that he sent to me where he said that his artillery hadn't gone up in price for a couple of months. He said that I shouldn't buy anymore then I already had because it was a bad investment. I know my brother (he's an engineer) and so his advice got me started buying even more. To make matters worse, he graduated from the University of Michigan and I graduated from Michigan State University. So I frequently remind him of his mistake regarding the purchase of Lugers by resending his old email to him. (Hee! Hee!) I also tell him of all the new Lugers that I purchased since my last email. (talk about turning the knife in someones back) I'll never get rid of that particular email. It shuts him up during football season.
Big Norm

[Pete Ebbink]

Parallel discussion over on Jan's Gun Boards about this offering from a week ago :

http://luger.gunboards.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10713

[Big Norm]

Pete is correct in that this artillery has been written up on Jan Stills website. Its a great write up and should be required reading for all newbies who are contemplating becoming Luger collectors. Its also a great show on what can be done with a digital camera and the proper software.

Personally, I thought that the markings on this gun were just too crisp for this gun to be redone. Granted that some restorers are very good, but these marking just hit me in the face to the point that they had to be original. Looking at the halos around the marking was just frosting on the cake. Some of the markings on my 1918 arty are a little shallower and so the metal displacement does not stand out as much as the markings on the gun up for auction. I guess that I am making a case for not putting white lacquer in the markings of a WW1 Luger. It may look nice, but it may also hide something important.

Now for people like me who cannot afford to pay the big bucks that this piece will demand, lets sit back and watch the action in bidding. I would love to take my 1918 arty to the winners house and compare over a cold brew. Too bad that the seller is on the left coast, which is much too far from Michigan for me to hitch hike to.
Big Norm

[Big Norm]

I am having fun watching this auction play out. I am also not getting any of my work done while the action is going on. There is just a few hours left and I can imagine the tension of key players here. One, the seller probably never dreamed that this gun would be selling for this amount of money. He has to be in a state of shock. Two, the bidders are wondering just how far they should go. Somebody has to fold his cards and the clock is ticking. And finally, this auction is like many other gun auctions that I have watched where it becomes a poker game with maybe someone unknown sitting in the wings waiting to get the last bid in in the last second. The complicating thing on that is the 15 minute rule on Gunbroker. A little mano au mano going on here. I hope that Mauro is watching this since he seems to love the artillery Lugers. As a spectator, I am enjoying the last few minutes of this poker game. Its just like a James Bond movie. Ah, life is good.
Big Norm

[Dante Di Pietro Jr.]

I just bid my limit $5102.99 Im out. Cant havem all.

[policeluger]

wow....and for a few buck more it could have been yours

[Big Norm]

Anybody know who the buyer is? He is not rated, so he is new? I'll bet that the seller is going nutso. He got more that double what he expected. Personally, I had fun watching this auction go on. It was almost as much fun as going to a real, but small, live auction. I wonder if he is on one of the forums? This gun was talked up a lot. Oh, where was Izzys son? I expected him to get in on the action. Oh well, I gotta go back and see who was doing the bidding to see if I know any of them. Chow everybody
Big Norm

[Dante Di Pietro Jr.]

maybe policeluger but one never knows what his limit was

[policeluger]

so true

[Dante Di Pietro Jr.]

If I had lots of money to play with I might have gone for it but I have to be realistic, I never know when one will pop out of the woodwork locally and need to be ready with the cash. Picked up a nice 1915 rig not to long ago locally, if I didnt have the cash to pounce on it well you know the rest. Just picked up a minty 1911A1 RS the other day same story. Anyways nice luger, in that cond a good investment. Norm, sonofizzy was 3rd higest bidder, I dont know the winner but hes smart to buy condition, Nice LP08
Dante

[Big Norm]

Yah Dante, S-of-I got his licks in. I saw that after my last post when I went to the bidders list. There was a lot of enthusiasm on this auction. I hope that the winner didn't just get carried away with the bidding excitement. He got a nice piece but he paid plenty for it. The only thing that I saw about this gun that I didn't like was the little nicks on the base of the front strap. Outside of that, it was nice.

I guess that I, at first, watched it because it gave me the opportunity to get my 1918 arty out and compare. My gun is every bit as nice but w/o the nicks on the front strap or anywhere else. I also have an equally nice 1918 holster. So my ego was getting soothed during this auction. I have been thinking about oiling my prize and putting it in an air tight plastic shrink wrap so that I don't do something stupid and ruin it. This just happens to be one of my better artilleries. But I won't do it.

So you got a 1915 rig. Is it a full rig with stock and holster (the works?). Of the eight official artilleries, I am only missing the Persian. I never saw a Persian that I particularly liked. Five of my arties have matching stocks and mags (Erfurt, 15,17,18 and Thai). Two of those (15 and 17) have the entire holster rig. I have four 1914 DWM arties. None of them have matching mags, but I do have a very nice 1914 holster to go with my prize 1914 DWM arty, which has unit marks. I got into the holster thing a little late but I am having fun searching around now. No big hurry. Prices have gotten a little out of control now. As in the stock market, there is a time to buy, a time to sell and a time to just sit and watch the action unfold.

So lets hear it about your 1915 rig. This forum is the ideal place to brag.
Big Norm

[Dante Di Pietro Jr.]

The 1915 came with a complete stock holster straps boot, non matching but close, dont think the mag matches, I will post some pics later on in the correct forum. I dont care much for Persians either. Back in the late 70s I had what I call a big collection 100+, sold them off like a young fool. Now Im collecting again, will never be able to replace the old collection. Bought a 1902 carbine at Allentown show when I was 14 yrs old, paid $2800 MINT with matching stock! Like to have that one back. My dad was a gun dealer, he gave me an artillery when I was seven yrs old to keep me out of his hair. Loved artillerys ever since, lots of cool accessories.
Yea that fella won a nice one, condition and matching mag, money well spent in my opinion. If I had lots of money and a few beers in me who knows
later, Dante

[Big Norm]

I had a chance to buy a 1902 carbine last summer at the Ohio Gun Collectors show. The guy wanted $8000 but I had just bought a gun and only had $5000 on me. I went back to his table later but he had closed his table early and left. I had my motorhome with me an could have stayed another day and maybe caught him again, but didn't. I should have made an offer because the guy later accepted $4,000. The gun wasn't bad but not so good either but the wood stocks were teriffic. Oh well, woulda shoulda coulda. Another tale in the big city.
Big Norm

[Big Norm]

Hey Morgan Kane, cleanout your forums mail box. Its loaded and nobody can send anything to you.
Big Norm

[Steinar]

Big Norm, sorry.. it's cleaned up now!

Steinar

[Big Norm]

Morgan,
sorry that I missed out on my email to you. I wanted to know if you would like me to buy it and give it as a gift to you. Sort of like a token of good will from America to a splendid Norweigian. But the auction ended before I could get through to you. Auctions are something like a roll of toilet paper, the longer you have one, the faster it goes.
Big Njorm the Blond