ok Luger guys (& girls), opinions please...

[Mark McMorrow]

OK, I'm on the horns of a dilemma. My little beauty happens go be a 96-98% S/42, 1937 with a vg bore. I'm burning up to shoot this thing but it's like I have the NRA grading angel standing on one shoulder saying "it's a great collector's grade gun - just enjoy owning it, pick it up and play with it now and then and oh, and by the way keep it well oiled and fingerprint-free..." On the other shoulder is George Luger (dressed like Satan) and he's saying "hey, it's not a baby Luger or .45 trials gun ... go ahead and shoot." OK, so what does everybody else think?


Mark

[DAVID]

IMHO. I do not collect anything I cannot shoot. Some I shoot more than others. If a pistol is less than 99 percent I will shoot it with mild ammo. No hot stuff. NO corrosive. If the piece is truly mint then it gets traded to someone who can appreciate it without shooting. If the grips are excellent, I will use others for shooting. I use aftermarket mags also as my shooting mags. Lugers were made to be shot. Now I would not shoot a true baby or .45 test luger. but would trade for something I could shoot. My 2 cents.

[Rick K]

and a shooter! I shoot the shooter without worry and I fondle all of them!

[Craig]

Hi Mark,


You've got to shoot it. This will relieve the stress and prevent luger lunacy. It may only take one or two sessions.

I'm sure you'll be careful with the pistol. When you're finished you'll have a feeling of satisfaction and be content with a shooter for most of your range sessions. Do you have a shooter as well? A shooter will help preserve your collectable.

Craig

[Mark McMorrow]

Well Craig, I sure don't. This is my only P-08 right now. I am really far into the *shoot it* camp, though...


Mark

[lugerholsterrepair]

MARK, mOST OF THE WEAR AND ABUSE COMES FROM IMPROPER STORAGE AND OUTRIGHT ABUSE OF A PISTOL. sHOOTING THE FIREARM WILL NOT WEAR ON IT TOO MUCH. Just clean it well and oil it up and don't drop it into the gravel. I wear a lanyard to the range to prevent dropping one of my babies to the cement floor or in the dirt. I vote you shoot it! I have collector grade Artilleries and Navies and I shoot them. No harm done and I get a great deal of satisfaction out of it. And if I had a baby luger or the one and only.45 you couldn't keep me from shooting either one! Jerry

[schwob]

Mark, adding my tidbit. There are 'shooter' ad there are "collectables". I have both, just like we have different clothes for different weather conditions. If it's a pretty, look, touch and appreciate the magnificent gift Herr Luger gave us. If it's a boring, run-of-the-mill Looger, shoot it, the parts are replaceable.

[Kyrie]

Hi Mark,


Youâ??re up against a dilemma all collectors face at some point in their collecting career


There are two concerns here; one is economic and the other, for want of a better phrase, is custodial duty. If you shoot your collector grade Luger and something breaks, it will lose all its collector value and you will be out hundreds of dollars - thatâ??s the financial risk in shooting a collector Luger.


â??Custodial dutyâ?� is harder to quantify. We are all just momentary custodians of our collector grade firearms. Eventually they pass from out hand (as a part of our estate, if not sooner) and itâ??s nice to be able to pass on to the next generation of collectors firearms that were as nice as they were when they came into our hands. And a collector grade pistol demoted to shooter is gone forever - one less treasure for our children, and their children, and so on into eternity.


Nor is the risk of breaking a part small. As an example, I have a very nicely refinished DWM 1918 shooter that came to me completely matched, save for the magazine. The first time I fired it the extractor broke in two when firing the first magazine. It happens :-(


Iâ??d suggest treating a collector grade Luger as what it is - an irreplaceable part of history to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Rather than shooting it, and taking a chance on breaking something and instantly losing a lot of money (not to mention having something to kick yourself for for many years!) Iâ??d suggest buying a shooter Luger to shoot. A shooter Luger can be had for around $400.


That said, itâ??s your pistol and itâ??s up to you to decide what is important to you. Itâ??s a tough decision, and one we have all faced.


Best regards,


Kyrie

[Hugh]

is to send the gun to me, and I WILL SHOOT IT FOR YOU. That way if anything breaks, it will not be your fault, and you will not have to suffer from feelings of guilt! However, be aware that the standard disclaimer of "I ain't responsable for nuttin" applies.

[Mark McMorrow]

>>

[Thor]

Get a shooter Luger for shooting. They are cheaper than they have been in years, and will only increase in value, IMO. Or at the very least, fire a couple of mags through it a year. If you break a serialized part, you will not be happy. The extractor comes to mind! IMO Thor

[Roger]

Mark, I just acquired a nice early strawed 37 Mauser too. I've put 35 rounds thru it and it shoots GREAT !

Now that I've satisfied my curiosity it can sit in the safe. Thats my 2 cents worth..

[Chip]

Shoot the Gun!!!! Never owned a gun I never shot. Remember most all these Lugers were military and they all were shot.Have fun with your hobby, do you really care what some one will think about you in 50 years? My .02

[John Sabato]

Carefully:


1. Clean it,

2. lube it,


and 3. SHOOT IT! with the best available commercially loaded ammunition, and then go back to Step 1 and stop at Step 2.


Put it on Display and enjoy it forever. Pass it on to your hiers with pride...


Do it once! Because you only live once!...


Then go out and buy your Shooter #2 for future enjoyment and you don't have to stop the cycle..


Best regards, from a fellow SHOOTER,


John

I would never purchase a firearm that I did not intend to shoot. If I would never dare shoot it, what would be the point of buying it? I don't have the money to waste on window dressing. I would take it out occasionally, treat it gently, and be very careful not to mar the finish or allow it to get dirt or grit in it. Only use standard velocity rounds or even light handloads. Clean it with ustmost caution. But by all means enjoy it once in a while. It just comes down to what you want it for. Do you want it only as an investment piece or did you buy it because you like it? If you don't intend on reselling it, I think it is a moot question.

[David Jackson]

I am in the same boat you are; I don't have any shooters either! I only have 6 Lugers; all of which I own instead of stocks and bonds, etc. One day, dying to shoot one of them, I took out my 2 line Stoeger Arty (in pretty nice shape as it has led a sheltered life, no wars and so on don't you know)and shot a few rounds through it; super neat can't wait to do it again! However, I am also sensitive to comments about breaking a serial numbered part of a pretty scarce gun (Still estimates 200 made and knows of 9).

I think the best thing for those of us who like to think we are collectors/investors is to find shooters; only trouble is that as a self styled collector/investor the shooters I see are a), kind of expensive for what they appear to be; and b), kind of absolute junk! As a collector I don't want to buy junky looking stuff! As a collector I don't want to turn collectable quality stuff into junk!

I don't know the answer except to figure out a way to get so rich I don't care. Any suggestions on how to do that?

Here is an intermediate solution that reduces most (not all) of the financial and historical preservation risk.


Put reproduction grips on in place of the originals. The originals are serial numbered, extremely fragile (right rib and left chipping near safety and mag release lever). The grips are worth $100 as a pair and, of course, each matching part is worth $500 to an all original gun. That is because that is the loss in value if an original part breaks on an all original 37 S/42.


Next, put in a spare firing pin. The tips are fragile and break from dry firing or from other bad luck events.


Finally, put in a modern replacement magazine. Original luger magazines, even though not original to your pistol, are worth five times what a modern magazine is worth and the modern ones might function more reliably for a longer time.


Once you have done the above, you have reduced much of the risk. There still is risk to the extractor (I have owned one that was broken on a 1914 Erfurt) and the ejector (can break on cleaning disassembly but I have not heard of one break during use).


The cost of shooting a high value historical piece like a 37 S/42 luger is partly the cost of ammunition and partly the cost of wear and tear. Think of it like an automobile as it gains miles. I tracked wear on an Astra 600 made in 1943 and estimated that for each 100 rds fired, it lost about a percent of finish. The loss is non-linear, as with an automobile. The first percent of finish loss, from 97 to 96 on your luger, is the most costly but when going from 60 to 59 percent finish it is very small. I roughly estimate that the first 100 rds fired in a 97% 37 S/42 will cost about $100 to $200 in value due to condition loss.


This is just my observation. I invite others' experiences and estimates.


I hope that is helpful.


dave

[BILL]

Well, it is probably a simple risk/benefit analysis. If the risk is greater than the benefit then don't take the risk. Since pistols are designed to shoot first, and collect second, then you are probably safe to shoot it. You never know, it might already have a matching part that was replaced.

[Mark McMorrow]

OK,


First, thanks to all for the input. Hearing from this community regarding this particular gun was really important. Funny thing is, I can see the point of view from every perspective presented here.


I agree, this gun was made to shoot. BUT, owing to the fact that it's a valuable firearm, shooting it will perhaps impart some risk to that value (and I must admit, the extractor issue bothers me).


Why bother collecting the gun if you can't shoot it? Well, I can see that point too. But then again I wouldn't take any of my antique swords out and cut with them (of course the dynamics are different, but the principal is the same).


Swapping out some parts in order to reduce the risk does indeed seem like a good approach. But since it does not eliminate ALL the risk the cost and effort just does not seem to justify itself (IMHO).


Owning a second *shooter* is the most comfortable option (though not on my wallet!). Problem with that is I live in NJ and pistol permits are a pain in the @ss. Certainly not impossible mind you (I've had dozens issued to me), just a real ordeal.


So at the end of the day I simply have to decide what's more important in my own mind. Being a part-time conservator, I feel the future preservation of this piece far outweighs my here-and-now *need* to shoot it ("shoot it" consensus of the learned and esteemed forum members notwithstanding). I guess I'll eventually jump through the small, fiery hoops the State has set up (without touching the sides) for a pistol permit, buckle down and obtain a shooter Luger (an Artillery Model, preferably).


Again, thanks for all the input. Much appreciated ~


Mark

[Thor]

I like your decision Mark! I think one of these days future owners of these fine firearms will thank us for preserving SOME of them so they can see what they looked like when they were made, or close! I enjoy admiring my collection pieces like fine art and I also enjoy shooting my Shooter Lugers, they are a unique experience as well. Best of both worlds IMO! At least you have some great sources here for finding a shooter. ~THOR~