Arsenal quality differences

midnightpossum · 05-08-2013, 08:56 PM

As I lack experience with lugers.. and am trying to do some research to help me in my search.. I would like to know if some Arsenals produced a higher quality build.. or if there is a specific era that was of higher quality. Please don't get me wrong, I am not insinuating some are of lesser quality... just fishing for your opinions.

Being in Canada, I may not be able to attain the luger I want, based on our laws

LugerVern · 05-09-2013, 12:02 AM

You ask a very loaded question:

I tried to answer this question several times but keep finding myself back tracking to make exceptions to my statements.

If you were to define "your" view of quality it might be easier to cater an answer just for you.

There were improvements made in the guns and in the manufacturing processes over time, the finish of some suffered as a result of war but all war lugers went through very stringent quality controls before being accepted for use by the military. All war lugers had a minimum quality standard"

Many early commercial lugers are things of beauty and precision and many survive today having never seen war time activity. The care that went into their manufacture. is quite obvious.

The HK's are pretty interesting guns, some believe them to be the best of the best, but I am not so sure that is the case.
They did produce lugers using different processes and bluing and had very low rejection rates.

As you can see, it is easy to get lost in this question. I don't think there is a defined answer.

Any statement someone makes can be countered.

Good Luck!

Vern

mrerick · 05-09-2013, 09:57 AM

I think that the metallurgy, precision and construction of the Mauser made Lugers may be the best of the wartime Luger pistols. Particularly after about 1937. At that point, most of the finishing issues (salt bluing) had been understood and resolved.

More rare, and more obsessively made, are the W&F Swiss Luger pistols. These may be among the best ever made.

You will find examples of the Mauser made Lugers in Canada. Members on this board offer them for sale from time to time.

Marc

DavidJayUden · 05-09-2013, 10:17 AM

The one thing I will point out, IMHO at least, the late Erfurt guns of WW1 lacked the detail to finish that the DWM guns had. Remember that DWM sold the same product on the commercial market and there was no distinction to the quality of finish given one gun over the other. Erfurts were all gov't-made war guns, so some pre-bluing finish steps may have been sacrificed.
That being said, the early Erfurts seem on a par with DWM.
Now let's hear from the Erfurt crowd...
dju

LugerVern · 05-09-2013, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidJayUden

That being said, the early Erfurts seem on a par with DWM.
Now let's hear from the Erfurt crowd...
dju

Oh, I am glad you said this! I really like the Erfurt's
The best shooter I ever had was a Erfurt, after all these years, still a tack driver. I really had fun at the range shooting that beat up old luger, made some dollars too

Vern

Geo99 · 05-16-2013, 02:03 AM

I have a 1913 Erfurt that has a better fit and finish than both of my other 1916 DWMs.

Geo

05-08-2013, 08:56 PM	#1
midnightpossum User Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cranbrook B.C. Canada Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Arsenal quality differences As I lack experience with lugers.. and am trying to do some research to help me in my search.. I would like to know if some Arsenals produced a higher quality build.. or if there is a specific era that was of higher quality. Please don't get me wrong, I am not insinuating some are of lesser quality... just fishing for your opinions. Being in Canada, I may not be able to attain the luger I want, based on our laws __________________ May your mind set you free,may your heart lead you on

05-09-2013, 09:57 AM	#3
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,907 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,108 Times in 1,509 Posts	I think that the metallurgy, precision and construction of the Mauser made Lugers may be the best of the wartime Luger pistols. Particularly after about 1937. At that point, most of the finishing issues (salt bluing) had been understood and resolved. More rare, and more obsessively made, are the W&F Swiss Luger pistols. These may be among the best ever made. You will find examples of the Mauser made Lugers in Canada. Members on this board offer them for sale from time to time. Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

05-09-2013, 12:02 AM	#2
LugerVern User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 563 Thanks: 1 Thanked 34 Times in 27 Posts	You ask a very loaded question: I tried to answer this question several times but keep finding myself back tracking to make exceptions to my statements. If you were to define "your" view of quality it might be easier to cater an answer just for you. There were improvements made in the guns and in the manufacturing processes over time, the finish of some suffered as a result of war but all war lugers went through very stringent quality controls before being accepted for use by the military. All war lugers had a minimum quality standard" Many early commercial lugers are things of beauty and precision and many survive today having never seen war time activity. The care that went into their manufacture. is quite obvious. The HK's are pretty interesting guns, some believe them to be the best of the best, but I am not so sure that is the case. They did produce lugers using different processes and bluing and had very low rejection rates. As you can see, it is easy to get lost in this question. I don't think there is a defined answer. Any statement someone makes can be countered. Good Luck! Vern

05-09-2013, 10:17 AM	#4
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	The one thing I will point out, IMHO at least, the late Erfurt guns of WW1 lacked the detail to finish that the DWM guns had. Remember that DWM sold the same product on the commercial market and there was no distinction to the quality of finish given one gun over the other. Erfurts were all gov't-made war guns, so some pre-bluing finish steps may have been sacrificed. That being said, the early Erfurts seem on a par with DWM. Now let's hear from the Erfurt crowd... dju

05-16-2013, 02:03 AM	#6
Geo99 User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Whidbey Island WA Posts: 398 Thanks: 102 Thanked 125 Times in 74 Posts	I have a 1913 Erfurt that has a better fit and finish than both of my other 1916 DWMs. Geo