My First Luger

Heydrich · 07-03-2002, 04:05 PM

Purchased my first Luger yesterday at a pawnshop. I stumbled upon it by accident. The Luger I purchased has “1918” stamped on the receiver, and “DWM” in cursive script on top of the action slide. All the serial numbers match, even the ones on the inside. The magazine has a piece of wood on the bottom of it, and the serial number on it (stamped on the bottom of the piece of wood) matches with the rest of the pistol. I paid exactly $500 for it, I hope that was not too much. Before this, I collected a very few K98k rifles, but this pistol is far more complex than a Mauser rifle.

This is my first posting on this board. I hope I can get some general help, since, to be quite honest, I don’t know what I’m doing right now! I even had trouble removing and re-installing the trigger slide plate the first time I tried to field strip it. Also, I pulled back the toggle action one time, and could not get it back down. I removed the magazine and somehow it come back down again. I’ve dry fired it twice by accident. I’m sure that can’t be good for it. I read somewhere in this forum that you can avoid dry fired a Luger by pulled back the toggle action a quarter inch, and then pulling the trigger. So, in a way, you guys have already helped me.

Is there any sort of typical “newbie” mistake that I should try to avoid? I’m just going to strip it down so I can get at the back of the barrel to clean it. I certainly am not going to disassemble the bolt assembly, or anything with a spring as part of the assembly. (Like the trigger mechanism.) This pistol looks real complex, but hard to damage. Since I’m sure with my awkward stumbling about with it I would have broke it by now if possible. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

Also, were any WW1 vintage Lugers used by the Germans in WW2? My guess would be yes.

Thanks for your time!

-Curt Jensen

07-03-2002, 04:05 PM	#1
Heydrich Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Oregon Posts: 181 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My First Luger Purchased my first Luger yesterday at a pawnshop. I stumbled upon it by accident. The Luger I purchased has “1918” stamped on the receiver, and “DWM” in cursive script on top of the action slide. All the serial numbers match, even the ones on the inside. The magazine has a piece of wood on the bottom of it, and the serial number on it (stamped on the bottom of the piece of wood) matches with the rest of the pistol. I paid exactly $500 for it, I hope that was not too much. Before this, I collected a very few K98k rifles, but this pistol is far more complex than a Mauser rifle. This is my first posting on this board. I hope I can get some general help, since, to be quite honest, I don’t know what I’m doing right now! I even had trouble removing and re-installing the trigger slide plate the first time I tried to field strip it. Also, I pulled back the toggle action one time, and could not get it back down. I removed the magazine and somehow it come back down again. I’ve dry fired it twice by accident. I’m sure that can’t be good for it. I read somewhere in this forum that you can avoid dry fired a Luger by pulled back the toggle action a quarter inch, and then pulling the trigger. So, in a way, you guys have already helped me. Is there any sort of typical “newbie” mistake that I should try to avoid? I’m just going to strip it down so I can get at the back of the barrel to clean it. I certainly am not going to disassemble the bolt assembly, or anything with a spring as part of the assembly. (Like the trigger mechanism.) This pistol looks real complex, but hard to damage. Since I’m sure with my awkward stumbling about with it I would have broke it by now if possible. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> Also, were any WW1 vintage Lugers used by the Germans in WW2? My guess would be yes. Thanks for your time! -Curt Jensen