Artillery luger auction

[raygun]

I'm thinking of putting in a bid for this Luger . they expect it to go for about
$3,500 . what do you think ?

GERMAN D.W.M. ARTILLERY LUGER PISTOL: 9mm; 202mm (8") barrel; vg bore; 7 rnd clip; d.w.m. to toggle; 1918 date to breech; vg profiles & clear markings; retaining 90% orig blue finish with wear to side plate, frame & muzzle; faint straw colours to thumb safety lever, trigger, lock, bolt & mag catch; vg chequered grips; complete with holster, rod, stripping tool & shoulder board; included also a later period set of straps, stock boot, twin mag pouch & 1 mag; all matching No's except mag. #4818 L/R



http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/luger_arty_big.jpg

[raygun]

Bloody ell , 70 views and not a single reply . what have I said or done wrong ?

[alvin]

The picture is too small to tell anything. Mentioned it's 90%, is the 10% lost on the grip straps?

[raygun]

Originally posted by alvin
The picture is too small to tell anything. Mentioned it's 90%, is the 10% lost on the grip straps?

Yes fair enough observation , I will try to enlarge the photo or obtain higher definition ones .

[Ron Smith]

Originally posted by raygun
Bloody ell , 70 views and not a single reply . what have I said or done wrong ?

Chris,

Keep in mind that not every reader is an active or contributing member of this forum.

Some use it to accrue information. Some to use what they read here purely for personal gain and some are just lurkers.

Ron

[George Anderson]

Pistol looks nice and the holster seems to be good. The leather straps, toe boot and mag pouch appear to be reproductions.

[raygun]

Originally posted by Ron Smith
Chris,

Keep in mind that not every reader is an active or contributing member of this forum.

Some use it to accrue information. Some to use what they read here purely for personal gain and some are just lurkers.

Ron

yes I notice there are a lot of visitors with only a couple of posts . We all have a vested interest , but I think its nice to try to contribute something once in a while as well as take something away . At least thats what I try to do.

[raygun]

Originally posted by George Anderson
Pistol looks nice and the holster seems to be good. The leather straps, toe boot and mag pouch appear to be reproductions.

Thanks George , thats the sort of feedback I was looking for. The gun is up for auction in Melbourne early in may and I won't be able to attend , but after seeing what that minty 1917 Arty went for on gunbroker recently I am thinking of putting in a postal bid . None of them are perfect , but if you can get a 90% gun with a 70% rig for under 5 grand you are probably doing well !?

[raygun]

Well I've got my bid in , goes off on the 5th of may . wish me luck !

[LugerVern]

Can you post a link to the auction?

The description is pretty detailed, but that small picture doesn't look like the gun describe. I see no ware on the barrel and the straw looks pretty good . So I am suspicious --but I am always that way--plus I totally blew my last review of an artillery, so I hesitate to comment one way or another until I learn more myself.

I would ask for better pictures.

Vern

[raygun]

Here you go Vern .

http://www.australianarmsauctions.co..._online_10.htm

[raygun]

Well good news , I was the high bidder and got the 1918 artillery outfit for 3,600 plus 12% comission !! got to watch that . don't notice it much when you buy a $400 dollar gun but you sure do when the article is in the thousands .

Anyway its all done now and will probably arrive at my local dealers in a week or so. Then I will really get to see whats its like ! but will be a while and a mile of paper before I can take it home !

will post some more detailed pics when it gets here .

There was also a completely original 1915 shoulderboard and holster as well that they thought would go for 300 to 500 . This was another item . I spoke to the auctioneer beforehand , and in the end , put in a bid of 900 on it . But someone wanted it more than me and it went for 950 . seems like sometimes the accutrements go for more than the guns themselves !

[LugerVern]

I hope its all good news!!!!

Vern

[raygun]

Well the artillery rig I bought at auction [sight unseen] arrived at my local
dealers on friday . Had a pretty good look at it but haven't as yet gone over it with a fine tooth comb . I am very pleased with the gun , on initial inspection it appears to be in excellent all original condition with all matching numbers . I thought being a 1918 the quality of finish may have dropped off , but no sign of it .

The stock and holster are very good but don't appear to match the gun .
there is no number stamped on the stock heel . there is a number stamped on the wood near the heel but it doesn't match the serial on the gun .

I also found the date 1915 stamped on the inside flap of the holster .
There is quite a bit of writing inside the flap and I will make a detailed study of it shortly . At least it has the cleaning rod and screwdriver tool included .

It has two mags , one with a wooden base , cracked and broken unfortunately , guess I can glue it back together !?

The other is blue with an alloy base , obviously much later and does not want to go all the way into the gun , gets very tight before going all the way home !

Any way I'm pretty happy and it makes a good start. Just have to drag my darling daughter and her $1800. camera down to the gun shop to get some good photos --- and then start on the paperwork .

[Ron Smith]

Hi Chris,

Congratulations!

"I thought being a 1918 the quality of finish may have dropped off , but no sign of it .

DWM seems to have maintained their production quality all through the war, with a few exceptions.

Erfurt's quality dwindled considerably. Most late war Erfurts show a very thin, faded and mottled finish.

Ron

[Vlim]

DWM was asked (read: ordered) to shift focus from small arms production, of which there was more than plenty in government storage facilities, to that of machine guns, which prooved to be much more effective in trench warfare. As a result, DWM lowered their P08/LP08 production during the last year of the war. So there were no last minute attempts to increase production output with the lack of quality that usually follows as a result.

I agree with the others that the photo was just too small and limited (one side only) for a detailed analysis of the LP08. So we expect a whole lot of images when you get it home

[pipeman45]

Originally posted by raygun
Bloody ell , 70 views and not a single reply . what have I said or done wrong ?

Sorry, but I don't know enough about these to give you good info.
I'm just checking it out to try and learn something.