First Luger Purchase

Dwight Gruber · 08-11-2002, 06:38 PM

Jerry, allow me to jump in and say welcome to the party <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Your choice of a WWII gun as a first Luger is a good one, you should have no problem finding one which will fit your desire. Look for a gun with a toggle marked 42, S/42, or byf. You will find them with a number of chamber designations, don't worry about those for now. You should expect to pay on the order of $1,000 for a gun in the condition you describe, if you look very hard and have patience you might be able to find one as low as $800. If you are looking for a complete holster rig and a matching magazine expect to pay a couple hundred dollars more.

Once you take a Luger to the range you may find that you want to shoot it more than once a month. Shooting the Luger you propose to buy certainly takes the chance of breaking a small numbered part or otherwise reducing its value. There is no such thing as a "shooter Luger" or a "collector Luger", there are only Lugers--some have a value which may be reduced by shooting, some shooting cannot devalue. Buying a mismatched or reworked Luger to shoot will definitely protect your investment.

--Dwight

08-11-2002, 06:38 PM	#3
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Jerry, allow me to jump in and say welcome to the party <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" /> Your choice of a WWII gun as a first Luger is a good one, you should have no problem finding one which will fit your desire. Look for a gun with a toggle marked 42, S/42, or byf. You will find them with a number of chamber designations, don't worry about those for now. You should expect to pay on the order of $1,000 for a gun in the condition you describe, if you look very hard and have patience you might be able to find one as low as $800. If you are looking for a complete holster rig and a matching magazine expect to pay a couple hundred dollars more. Once you take a Luger to the range you may find that you want to shoot it more than once a month. Shooting the Luger you propose to buy certainly takes the chance of breaking a small numbered part or otherwise reducing its value. There is no such thing as a "shooter Luger" or a "collector Luger", there are only Lugers--some have a value which may be reduced by shooting, some shooting cannot devalue. Buying a mismatched or reworked Luger to shoot will definitely protect your investment. --Dwight