Luger 1917 worth taking?

MIMAK · 03-18-2025, 03:58 AM

Hello all.

I am new here and it is my first approach to P08. Friend of mine who is a gunsmith has one like this for sale for less than 2k Euros. It is all matching except clip. I will be glad for any information.

Karl · 03-18-2025, 07:09 AM

Maciej,

Welcome to the forum. The gun looks very rusty and pitted. I am not familiar with Luger prices in Europe, but in the US, such a Luger might go for half of that price or less.

KFS

LU1900 · 03-18-2025, 10:06 AM

Have a look to egun.de , you can find a better one for less
/
1000€ is a max for this one

Doubs · 03-18-2025, 10:21 AM

Welcome to the forum. The good news is that the Luger is likely a very early 1917 as it has fine adjustment front and rear sights, features that were changed later in 1917 to make manufacturing easier and faster.

The bad news is that it shows a lot of surface corrosion. There is also the question of matching numbers and bore condition. A mismatched Luger loses a lot of value and so does one with a bad bore. I'm not familiar with European prices but IMO you can do better.

MIMAK · 03-18-2025, 11:40 AM

Luger has very low number 773 without any block letter - I am fan of K98 and I suppose the idea of blocks is qiute similar.

The bore condition is 3/5 - it is matt but with visible thread.

I have the same impression as you guys that it is a little bit too expensive. I will give my offer to the seler and we will see how it goes.

Thanks for all information you provided

Doubs · 03-18-2025, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIMAK

Luger has very low number 773 without any block letter - I am fan of K98 and I suppose the idea of blocks is qiute similar.

That is correct. A serial number of 773 and no suffix letter means it was likely made in early January, 1917.

MIMAK · 03-21-2025, 04:35 AM

So what do you think of thet one?

https://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=19904123

Doubs · 03-21-2025, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIMAK

So what do you think of thet one?

https://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=19904123

Much nicer. If it has a good bore, it would be mt choice between the two.

gunbugs · 03-21-2025, 11:25 PM

In the description it says "blanken lauf" which I think means "shiny barrel".

GerColctor · 04-03-2025, 02:34 PM

This example was made a year earlier, ion 1916. Also it is in better external condition than your 1st example.

The wooden base mag is an apparent "forced" match. They didn't originally stamp the magazine bases using 2 different dies, in separate applications which helps explain why the last two numbers are off center. Would not pay extra for this supposedly "matching" magazine

03-18-2025, 03:58 AM	#1
MIMAK New User Join Date: Mar 2025 Location: Poland Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Luger 1917 worth taking? Hello all. I am new here and it is my first approach to P08. Friend of mine who is a gunsmith has one like this for sale for less than 2k Euros. It is all matching except clip. I will be glad for any information. Attached Thumbnails

03-18-2025, 10:06 AM	#3
LU1900 User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: FRANCE Posts: 911 Thanks: 46 Thanked 471 Times in 198 Posts	Have a look to egun.de , you can find a better one for less / 1000€ is a max for this one __________________ Best regards from France...Patrice https://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2016/03/1...nd-snail-drum/

04-03-2025, 02:34 PM	#10
GerColctor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: CT & FL Posts: 315 Thanks: 2 Thanked 48 Times in 31 Posts	This example was made a year earlier, ion 1916. Also it is in better external condition than your 1st example. The wooden base mag is an apparent "forced" match. They didn't originally stamp the magazine bases using 2 different dies, in separate applications which helps explain why the last two numbers are off center. Would not pay extra for this supposedly "matching" magazine __________________ It is better to have lived a day as a tiger, then a thousand years as a lamb.

03-18-2025, 07:09 AM	#2
Karl Lifer - Twice Over Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Savannah Posts: 529 Thanks: 0 Thanked 280 Times in 123 Posts	Maciej, Welcome to the forum. The gun looks very rusty and pitted. I am not familiar with Luger prices in Europe, but in the US, such a Luger might go for half of that price or less. KFS

03-18-2025, 10:21 AM	#4
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,735 Thanks: 818 Thanked 1,767 Times in 584 Posts	Welcome to the forum. The good news is that the Luger is likely a very early 1917 as it has fine adjustment front and rear sights, features that were changed later in 1917 to make manufacturing easier and faster. The bad news is that it shows a lot of surface corrosion. There is also the question of matching numbers and bore condition. A mismatched Luger loses a lot of value and so does one with a bad bore. I'm not familiar with European prices but IMO you can do better.

03-18-2025, 11:40 AM	#5
MIMAK New User Join Date: Mar 2025 Location: Poland Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Luger has very low number 773 without any block letter - I am fan of K98 and I suppose the idea of blocks is qiute similar. The bore condition is 3/5 - it is matt but with visible thread. I have the same impression as you guys that it is a little bit too expensive. I will give my offer to the seler and we will see how it goes. Thanks for all information you provided

03-21-2025, 04:35 AM	#7
MIMAK New User Join Date: Mar 2025 Location: Poland Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	So what do you think of thet one? https://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=19904123

03-21-2025, 11:25 PM	#9
gunbugs Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska. Home of the best moose. Posts: 672 Thanks: 371 Thanked 1,202 Times in 407 Posts	In the description it says "blanken lauf" which I think means "shiny barrel".