Please help me identify

[srg.kahuna]

Hello, i am new to these forums but am very excited about a recent find related to these forums. So my grandfather passed away about a year ago and my family and I have been going through his possessions. This week my mother decided to give me the task of going through his firearms which he had kept at our house. So I did and to my extreme delight i noticed a silver pistol and immediately identified it as a Luger ( which made me very excited because i am a huge fan of the Wehrmacht and there Machinery/Firearms) However i researched online and believe i have a general idea of the gun, but i would prefer to have someone much more familiar with these gun tell me for sure.

Here are three pictures i took of the gun today, if more are needed please request and i will be glad to post them.

Also if you could tell me if its a shooter or a collector i don't mine which because if its a shooter i am very excited to shoot it, and if its a collector im very excited to have such a COOL gun and doubt i will be selling it either way.

[Edward Tinker]

Pictures are always needed, but some wording helps too, I think its dated 1938.

Lets start with welcome to the forum.

No combat pistols (P38 or Lugers) were chromed, they just weren't, so it is a shooter. It is possible to take the chrome off, but the right folks need to know how to do it.

It is a 1930's (the date shown) made, S/42 (code name for mauser) made for the army.

Its grips if original are worth a couple of hundred if plastic (bakelite) material and maybe a $100 if wood, and should be replaced so they don't get broken in shooting.


Ed

[srg.kahuna]

ah thank you,

Any idea why it would be chromed? was it a ceremonial pistol to be worn with uniform by an officer possibly?

its cool that this gun is about 75 years old.
what pictures would you need to help identify further.

I'm excited to shoot this gun, what ammo should i be looking for? I'm taking the gun along with the others to a local gun store.

[Edward Tinker]

Originally Posted by srg.kahuna

was it a ceremonial pistol to be worn with uniform by an officer possibly?

NO, that is what many people think and it is not true.

They were chromed by US GI's after the war, either in germany or when they came back home.

Walmart has good prices on Winchester white box and folks, me included have found that this works well.

Since it is middle of the night in the USA, it depends on where you are located (and you did not state a location...).

Not sure why you would take the guns with you to the gun shop? Unless they have a range there?

[srg.kahuna]

ah thank you edward.

I took the gun to the store and man were the people there impressed to see a Luger.
I bought 9mm rounds for the gun will they fit or are there only certain types of 9mm ammo that will fit my luger, because i really don't want to break my new child.

[Edward Tinker]

You have to give more information. 9mm rounds can mean lots of things

I suggested the Winchester white box, the gun store would have known what those were.

Most any round ball ammo will work fine, as long as it is NOT plus P or hot ammo, many folks think a luger needs hot ammo and it does Not.


Ed

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

I suggested the Winchester white box, the gun store would have known what those were.

Unless you are outside the USA. In that case, Sellier & Balliot 9mm is often mentioned as suitable for Lugers.

[srg.kahuna]

ok i will look into the ammo.

can u guys recommend any aftermarket magazines? I would like to have more than my current one magazine.

[srg.kahuna]

here are additional photos of the gun.

[alanint]

Look into Mec-Gar magazines. They are the best madde modern magazines for the luger