I had a crazy idea, Looking for some input...

[danielsand]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

And numbering of lugers - this was a gov't requirement - see the requirements to DWM and Erfurt - although I believe that hand fitting was required, I know that the numbering was a requirement and not strictly for hand fitting...

It was required by the government, no doubt. But why?

Because it somewhat simplified the repairs that needed to be done by "field armorers" , and the parts were not "interchangeable" in the sense we refer to it today.

To reproduce the EXACT replica of the P08 today, would cost in excess of 2K per unit (and the steel would still not be the same!). And when one adds a decent profit margin to that........(3-4K to the market!), who would buy it? One can have PRISTINE, historical piece (with all the provenance!) for that kind of dough.

There IS a reason why no manufacturer (and I'm talking about companies that already have the tooling, knowhow, and the manpower) offers it today.

Going from "ground up" into that "business venture" (and here I assume it would be for business/profit?) would simply be cost prohibitive. For fun? Hobby? Bragging rights? Sure,.......ANYTHING is possible if time and or money is of no object.

[4 Scale]

While I agree with all the cautions from various posters, I have to confess I've thought about this too.

The economic argument is to me the most compelling obstacle. I.e., a new production pistol that looks just like an original Parabellum and functions to the same level would cost significantly more than the $700-$1,300 that can buy a good original shooter nowadays. I am assuming small runs and best available computer assisted manufacturing.

However the equation is changing as computer-assisted small run manufacturing keeps getting better and cheaper. And the original Luger inventory ages. I simply don't see either trend changing.

I would love a new manufactured Artillery, Navy, Model 1900 and similar at a price under $1,000 as shooters. Question is how long until computer-assisted techniques enable a high-quality reproduction at that price. My guess is 5-10 years. As the OP suggests, I think it will likely be collectors banding together to avoid overhead and marketing.