New P08 byf Owner with ?s

[mrerick]

Hi Jon, and welcome to the forum.

You've got a very nice and collectible Mauser Luger.

The magazine is from an earlier gun, and your Luger is among the last of those made in Oberndorf before they switched over to P.38 manufacture.

65l is your serial number, and it appears all matching and correct in your photos.

As the gun is collectible and in very good condition, many of us don't shoot them because of the potential for breaking a numbered part.

Should you break a numbered part, the financial value would drop from $1600 to perhaps $1000, and the historic value of an all matching Luger would be lost.

Be particularly careful if you remove the left grip. It's easy to break them up by the safety lever.

It is dangerous to shoot one with the little takedown lever spring broken or missing.

[Area Man]

Thanks for the reply.

Now that I satisfied myself that it will shoot, I probably won't fire it anymore.

I was careful to hold the take down lever in place when I fired it.

But what could I break if I fire it more? The firing pin? What if I procured a firing pin to shoot it with and saved the numbered part?

[rhuff]

Originally Posted by Area Man

Thanks for the reply.


But what could I break if I fire it more? The firing pin? What if I procured a firing pin to shoot it with and saved the numbered part?

In my "shooter grade" Luger, I have broken an extractor, and a firing pin tip. I had non matching parts in it in case they were to break....and they did. These Lugers are old, and they can just break. If you want a shooter, then find a mismatched, chromed, refinished, poor condition Luger and shoot it to your heart's content.....many of us do that very thing.