Advice for a first-timer

[jason]

First I'd like to say hello to everyone here. I've been lurking for the past few weeks and I've finially decided to get in and get some information. I love this place.


I've decided 2002 will be the year for my first Luger, I've put it off for to long. What I need to know is where to find a good Luger? It seems to me the best place to find Lugers is online. The gun shows around here have maybe one or two at the most and that's if you're lucky.


I've looked at the Collector Firearms page and the World of Lugers(just the samples). They seem to have loads of Lugers and at least know what they're talking about. Is there anywhere else I should look, I'm not big on auctions, I always loose.


My plans for now are to start with a shooter and maybe get something a little nicer later, but you never know. If you have any other advice please let me know.


Thanks in advance.


Jason

[Thor]

Jason, Checkpoint Charlies, Tom Heller, Simpson LTD are other resources. Give Ralph Shattuck a call and tell him what you are looking for. ~Thor~ See Links and Resources section for contacts or email me at Thor340@aol.com Expect to pay $400-$600 for a decent shooter

I don't agree with Thor at all!


Buy a really nice 98% collector, then shoot the %^&*^% out of it, thereby making my refinished Artillery more valuable!


Just kidding, glad to have you on board, and as Ted (THOR) said, buying a shooter is about a $400 to $450 deal. I bought a $450 shooter (reworked Russian Mauser, all matching) and had a 6 inch barrel put on her. Tom did the chores for me, but of course Hugh and others could also! Jump in, buy a gun or two, but be careful, they are contagious after buying just one!!!


Ed

[tom]

Hi Jason and welcome to the forum.


While the sources mentioned by Ted are all well known to most of us Luger loons, I think that, in general, you will do better buying a shooter from someone who is NOT a dealer. Reason: no overhead/lower costs. I would suggest that you place a want ad in the Forum classified section...you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.


And, no, I do not have any shooters.


Hope this helps!


Tom

Jason, I think that your first decision should be do I want a good looking reworked shooter Luger in the $400 to $500 range or am I more interested in one that is "as issued" for historical and collector purposes, from $600 to $1000 depending upon condition, for a standard military PO8. If the later, which era interest me the most: WW1, Weimar (some bargains here, due to lack of interest by most collectors), WW2 or Postwar Mauser production. After you have gained some more framiliarity and read up on lugers, you can go after the more exotic variations: Artillery, Navy, early commericals, etc. Tom H.

Jason,


My advice would be to hold out and buy the best example you can afford. I say this because, once you buy one, you will be hooked, and in later years will go back to your "first" luger and it will, I guarentee, have a very special place in your collection. Decide what you want, after reading a book on Lugers. I suggest Kenyons "Lugers at Random", its cronological and very easy to understand as opposed to a book in a series. Jan Still also has very good books, as well as Michael Reese. I agree with THOR just give Ralph a call or Simpsons and ask questions! Welcome! I know we will see you around often!


Best Regards,

Tim

[Steve]

My vote would be to get one of the shooters like Tom Hellar or some of the other dealers listed in the classifieds has for sale. If you can find one locally to you that would be great also. A while back a dealer at a local show had an "Artillary" in .30 cal for $500. It had at least three differnt serial mumbers on the small parts and was rebarrelled and there was several different blue types on all the parts but it would make a fun gun to shoot and could be refinished to look marvelous. As long as it has a good bore and no broken parts, you could always plan to get it refinished if it doesn't look good. One nice thing about non-collector grade guns is that you can add accesories without needing to pay high prices for items that are of the correct manufacture or get them new from one of the companies making reproductions of things such as holsters and loading tools. I have not seen the reworks that Tom has but I bought one of his Mauser pistols and have been having a great time with it.

[jason]

Thanks for all the comments. So far my only new years resolution is to get a Luger. That one shouldn't be to bad to keep. ;-)


I was able to go out shooting yesterday and had a blast(pun intended), not a Luger mind you, but it sure was fun. A couple of boxes of shells sure doen't last very long. Now I'm kind of anxious to see what a Luger feels like.


I'll be sure to let everyone know what I get when I finally do get one.


Later,


Jason

[Luke]

As a relative newcomer to Luger collecting, my advice is to get all of the Jan Still Books and perhaps others and read everything you can. I can especially recommend the Luger Mechanicals E-book which can be downloaded for about $6.00.


Then, call Tom Heller and get a good quality shooter.


Take it apart, reassemble it, get to know every component completely. Use the Luger Mechanicals E-book and try to understand the operation of the Luger.


Shoot it. Shoot it. Shoot it.


Attend local gun shows and look at Lugers, ask lots of questions, and take all advice you get there with a grain of salt.


THEN, start looking at collectable Lugers.


Best of luck to you ! ! !

[Luke]

[Big Norm]

Jason,


My advise to you is to try to find a mentor who you have a gut feeling about that might know Lugers. Pick his brains. There is nothing like holding a Luger and getting the feel of it while someone explains things about it. After that, you have to decide if you want to become a collector or if you want a Luger just to take to the range and shoot. A nose to nose conversation with a collector is sufficient if all you want is to take a Luger to the range. If you want to go further than that, then a mentor is a good idea. Try to find someone locally who you can talk to nose to nose. Then you can buy the books and get heavier into the subject.

Big Norm

Hi Big Norm,

Great advise. Finding a mentor would really help people who are new to this. I was lucky that I found one in Thor. He really helped me out and has taught me a lot. Best thing I could have done.

Sid.

[jason]

Hey,


Great idea. No one on here is from the central Arkansas area are they?


Later,


Jason

[Big Norm]

Yah, a mentor can help remove emotion while buying a Luger. But the mentor has got to live nearby so you can talk nose to nose. If you talk over the phone, you might catch him at a moment when he is busy. But even if you don't like the guy, you can still pick his brains.

Big Norm