Need assistance with very first Luger purchase

Flight Medic · 06-11-2014, 11:42 PM

I wasn't looking to buy a vintage gun, but my neighbor is selling his 1937 German Luger and asked if I was interested. I know NOTHING about German Lugers except they're German, and they're old...so I was really looking for some advice from you experienced folks.

Here are some photos I took of the pistol. I couldn't get a good shot down the barrel, but the rifling looked sharp from what I could tell. All numbers match EXCEPT the magazine.

He's asking $2,000 for it.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

~

ithacaartist · 06-12-2014, 12:16 AM

Nice. Price is about right, but collect other opinions. The Luger Bug is poised and waiting to bite!

DavidJayUden · 06-12-2014, 12:30 AM

I'm seeing a late '37 Luger with some pitting issues. Otherwise about average condition, but really nothing special. Quite honestly, I'd be hard pressed to pay a dime over $1400 for that gun. Not that they don't occasionally sell for his asking price.
I think it is significantly overpriced.
But my wife tells me I'm a cheap bas***d.
dju

Flight Medic · 06-12-2014, 01:43 AM

I would make an offer, but unfortunately he has some guy who is a self-proclaimed expert on WWII weapons telling him the gun would sell for $4K in a gun store because the 1937's are "pre-WWII" (blah, blah, blah).

I was gonna buy it if it was a smokin deal (or even a fair price that could turn a profit down the road), but now I'm gonna pass.

Thanks for the replies.

318is_Parabellum · 06-12-2014, 02:07 AM

Pretty nice, but not 2 grand nice. I'd not pay more than $1500 for it. 2k would be appropriate if it were pristine and had a matching magazine.

Your neighbor's "expert" friend is an idiot.

alanint · 06-12-2014, 05:49 AM

I agree that this is a $1,400 gun. Show your neighbor this thread. People here DO know what they are talking about. If your friend's "Expert" is so sure it is a $4,000 gun, I'm sure he would not have a problem shelling out $3,500 for it. Ask him.

DavidJayUden · 06-12-2014, 09:18 AM

Yes, this "expert", whether real or conveniently imagined, should be thrilled to buy a $4000 gun for only $3000. He can flip it and make a cool $1k!
FYI, here is the title of a thread from our "for sale" column. It regards a gun of approx. similar attributes that I recently picked up. "1939 Code 42 Final Price Reduction $1050 shipped"
I'd make the seller an honest offer, and then forget about it.
dju

Ron Wood · 06-12-2014, 11:46 AM

Flight Medic,
Your avatar is inappropriate.

NYRommel · 06-12-2014, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

Flight Medic,
Your avatar is inappropriate.

But it's Johnny Cash.

Flight Medic · 07-17-2014, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

Flight Medic,
Your avatar is inappropriate.

Hey, Ronnie...instead of flexing your "Moderator Muscle" how about giving me an opinion on the weapon.

sheepherder · 07-17-2014, 10:41 AM

FYI, I also have a 1937 S/42 (which is Mauser BTW) and paid $850 for it (mismatched mag). About the same general condition as your sellers Luger. Glocks are not worth buying, and even if you consider that the total value of your items is $1250, that's still way too much, IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flight Medic

Hey, Ronnie...instead of flexing your "Moderator Muscle" how about giving me an opinion on the weapon.

That will endear you to Harry, Lou, and Albert...The other members here, not so much...

Ron Wood · 06-12-2014, 01:21 PM

The fact that it is Johnny Cash is not what prompted my comment, as I am sure you are aware.

John Sabato · 06-12-2014, 01:44 PM

Please read the terms of service.

I replaced it. The user can change it to something more appropriate for a forum that is rated "G", or have no avatar at all (or be banned).

Tony Min · 06-14-2014, 04:45 PM

I wouldn't pay more than $1000 unless it had matching mag and holster.
It's probably worth $1200

Sergio Natali · 06-15-2014, 04:30 AM

Self proclaimed experts can be found on any discipline "Luger pistols" included of course, and all over the world. From the photos it looks like an honest WWII but the money asked for it looks slightly ridiculous.
IMHO

Sergio

Flight Medic · 07-17-2014, 02:15 AM

This so-called expert (a WWII historian whom apparently the seller thinks walks on water) has him convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is GIVING this weapon away at $2000. Expert claims a matching magazine "devalues" the gun because when the Germans were disarmed at the end of WWII the pistols and magazines were put into separate piles...and very few pistols used in the war are going to have matching mags.

So, according to him, a matching magazine gun is worth LESS than one with a mismatched mag!!

However, the seller did agree to trade me the Luger for my Glock 17 Gen-III 9mm, my Sig Sauer P220 45 ACP (both less than 6-months old), 10 boxes of Blazer brass FMJ 9mm ammo and $300 cash. I paid $1239 (before tax) for the two guns. If I deduct 30% for "used" status it brings the value to about $867. With ammo and cash I would essentially be paying about $1250 for the Luger.

What do you guys think?? Is this a better weapon than a Glock or a Sig or long-term value...or is the pitting always going to be a problem for collectors?

Better photos HERE.

P.S. Sorry about the avatar...I would not have guessed a gun forum to be "G" rated (its the same avatar I use on every other gun forum I belong to with NO issues). Apparently you Luger-folk are wired a bit tighter!!

~

tharpo · 07-17-2014, 02:30 AM

A matching magazine would add about $400 to the value of that luger. Is the "expert" a used car salesman too?

Flight Medic · 07-17-2014, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tharpo

<snip> Is the "expert" a used car salesman too?

The seller is an artist. His gallery is next to the WWII museum that the "expert" owns. Its filled with WWII and Nazi paraphernalia. Apparently he's also co-authored a book on Nazi Germany..but whatever.

Patronen · 07-17-2014, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flight Medic

The seller is an artist. His gallery is next to the WWII museum that the "expert" owns. Its filled with WWII and Nazi paraphernalia. Apparently he's also co-authored a book on Nazi Germany..but whatever.

There are used car salesmen that own car lots filled with cars and probably written books on the subject too, but try asking them a car question that was make, model and year specific with regards to the size of the O-rings used in an air conditioning system and see what kind of Expert they are.
In the big picture the Luger was less than 1% part of Nazi Germany.

alanint · 07-17-2014, 09:03 AM

Well, he might be playing the "Tax Extempt" game with his museum, but this expert knows nothing about the dynamics of how weapons were surrendered at the end of WW2.

Yes, weapons surrendered in bulk may have been dumped into piles with their magazines removed but anything a GI personally captured and declared went home in exactly the condition he found it in. If some rear area officer or policeman walked up to that GI in a small hamlet and turned over his gun, chances were good that it was "as issued". That means pistol, holster and two matching mags in many cases. That's why what we refer to as "Complete Rigs" are a reality, albeit rare. Do you think any GI who captured a prize would turn it over to be dumped into a pile with its magazines in another? Many, many pistols came home with NO declaration to the military authorities, not just at the end of the war but for years afterwards as the US occupied Germany and had the time and inclination to seek out and discover more souvenirs to send home.

I would also appreciate a more polite approach to fellow members, in particular Ron Wood, who has forgotten more Luger lore than I will ever know and who gives freely of his time and expertise in support of all the members of this site. You are getting information and valuations here for free that an established firm would charge you hundreds of dollars for. Meeting our standards of decorum is really not that much of a hardship.

06-11-2014, 11:42 PM	#1
Flight Medic User Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Need assistance with very first Luger purchase I wasn't looking to buy a vintage gun, but my neighbor is selling his 1937 German Luger and asked if I was interested. I know NOTHING about German Lugers except they're German, and they're old...so I was really looking for some advice from you experienced folks. Here are some photos I took of the pistol. I couldn't get a good shot down the barrel, but the rifling looked sharp from what I could tell. All numbers match EXCEPT the magazine. He's asking $2,000 for it. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. ~ __________________ *ID RATHER BE JUDGED BY TWELVE...THAN CARRIED BY SIX!* *Si vis pacem, para bellum*

06-12-2014, 12:16 AM	#2
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,400 Thanks: 7,555 Thanked 2,643 Times in 1,393 Posts	Nice. Price is about right, but collect other opinions. The Luger Bug is poised and waiting to bite! __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

06-12-2014, 01:43 AM	#4
Flight Medic User Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I would make an offer, but unfortunately he has some guy who is a self-proclaimed expert on WWII weapons telling him the gun would sell for $4K in a gun store because the 1937's are "pre-WWII" (blah, blah, blah). I was gonna buy it if it was a smokin deal (or even a fair price that could turn a profit down the road), but now I'm gonna pass. Thanks for the replies. __________________ *ID RATHER BE JUDGED BY TWELVE...THAN CARRIED BY SIX!* *Si vis pacem, para bellum*

06-12-2014, 11:46 AM	#8
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,051 Thanks: 1,119 Thanked 5,286 Times in 1,728 Posts	Flight Medic, Your avatar is inappropriate. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

06-12-2014, 01:21 PM	#12
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,051 Thanks: 1,119 Thanked 5,286 Times in 1,728 Posts	The fact that it is Johnny Cash is not what prompted my comment, as I am sure you are aware. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

06-12-2014, 12:30 AM	#3
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I'm seeing a late '37 Luger with some pitting issues. Otherwise about average condition, but really nothing special. Quite honestly, I'd be hard pressed to pay a dime over $1400 for that gun. Not that they don't occasionally sell for his asking price. I think it is significantly overpriced. But my wife tells me I'm a cheap bas***d. dju

06-12-2014, 02:07 AM	#5
318is_Parabellum User Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 130 Thanks: 80 Thanked 75 Times in 31 Posts	Pretty nice, but not 2 grand nice. I'd not pay more than $1500 for it. 2k would be appropriate if it were pristine and had a matching magazine. Your neighbor's "expert" friend is an idiot.

06-12-2014, 05:49 AM	#6
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	I agree that this is a $1,400 gun. Show your neighbor this thread. People here DO know what they are talking about. If your friend's "Expert" is so sure it is a $4,000 gun, I'm sure he would not have a problem shelling out $3,500 for it. Ask him.

06-12-2014, 09:18 AM	#7
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	Yes, this "expert", whether real or conveniently imagined, should be thrilled to buy a $4000 gun for only $3000. He can flip it and make a cool $1k! FYI, here is the title of a thread from our "for sale" column. It regards a gun of approx. similar attributes that I recently picked up. "1939 Code 42 Final Price Reduction $1050 shipped" I'd make the seller an honest offer, and then forget about it. dju

06-12-2014, 01:44 PM	#13
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,309 Times in 1,098 Posts	Please read the terms of service. I replaced it. The user can change it to something more appropriate for a forum that is rated "G", or have no avatar at all (or be banned). __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

06-14-2014, 04:45 PM	#14
Tony Min User Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 169 Thanks: 0 Thanked 21 Times in 14 Posts	I wouldn't pay more than $1000 unless it had matching mag and holster. It's probably worth $1200

06-15-2014, 04:30 AM	#15
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,087 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	Self proclaimed experts can be found on any discipline "Luger pistols" included of course, and all over the world. From the photos it looks like an honest WWII but the money asked for it looks slightly ridiculous. IMHO Sergio __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

07-17-2014, 02:15 AM	#16
Flight Medic User Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This so-called expert (a WWII historian whom apparently the seller thinks walks on water) has him convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is GIVING this weapon away at $2000. Expert claims a matching magazine "devalues" the gun because when the Germans were disarmed at the end of WWII the pistols and magazines were put into separate piles...and very few pistols used in the war are going to have matching mags. So, according to him, a matching magazine gun is worth LESS than one with a mismatched mag!! However, the seller did agree to trade me the Luger for my Glock 17 Gen-III 9mm, my Sig Sauer P220 45 ACP (both less than 6-months old), 10 boxes of Blazer brass FMJ 9mm ammo and $300 cash. I paid $1239 (before tax) for the two guns. If I deduct 30% for "used" status it brings the value to about $867. With ammo and cash I would essentially be paying about $1250 for the Luger. What do you guys think?? Is this a better weapon than a Glock or a Sig or long-term value...or is the pitting always going to be a problem for collectors? Better photos HERE. P.S. Sorry about the avatar...I would not have guessed a gun forum to be "G" rated (its the same avatar I use on every other gun forum I belong to with NO issues). Apparently you Luger-folk are wired a bit tighter!! ~ __________________ *ID RATHER BE JUDGED BY TWELVE...THAN CARRIED BY SIX!* *Si vis pacem, para bellum* Last edited by Flight Medic; 07-17-2014 at 04:17 AM.

07-17-2014, 02:30 AM	#17
tharpo Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: West Coast, USA Posts: 544 Thanks: 118 Thanked 383 Times in 158 Posts	A matching magazine would add about $400 to the value of that luger. Is the "expert" a used car salesman too?

07-17-2014, 09:03 AM	#20
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	Well, he might be playing the "Tax Extempt" game with his museum, but this expert knows nothing about the dynamics of how weapons were surrendered at the end of WW2. Yes, weapons surrendered in bulk may have been dumped into piles with their magazines removed but anything a GI personally captured and declared went home in exactly the condition he found it in. If some rear area officer or policeman walked up to that GI in a small hamlet and turned over his gun, chances were good that it was "as issued". That means pistol, holster and two matching mags in many cases. That's why what we refer to as "Complete Rigs" are a reality, albeit rare. Do you think any GI who captured a prize would turn it over to be dumped into a pile with its magazines in another? Many, many pistols came home with NO declaration to the military authorities, not just at the end of the war but for years afterwards as the US occupied Germany and had the time and inclination to seek out and discover more souvenirs to send home. I would also appreciate a more polite approach to fellow members, in particular Ron Wood, who has forgotten more Luger lore than I will ever know and who gives freely of his time and expertise in support of all the members of this site. You are getting information and valuations here for free that an established firm would charge you hundreds of dollars for. Meeting our standards of decorum is really not that much of a hardship. Last edited by alanint; 07-17-2014 at 10:43 AM.