DWM P08 Mixmaster, opinions requested

4 Scale · 03-06-2016, 12:10 PM

On the subject of shooting, per the comments of several it seems there may be increased risk of damage vs. a later production pistol with better metallurgy. However I think the excellent price you paid makes this pistol a shooter candidate. That's because if you were to purchase a later production Mauser in comparable condition for shooting, it's going to cost at least what you paid for this gun. Phrased differently, purely from a risk standpoint, paying an additional $800 or more for another pistol, to prevent damage to an $800 pistol, does not make arithmetical/financial sense.

I know some collectors will say, "but what about the history that could be lost?" I respect that view but address the issue in a different way. In my opinion, all original Luger production - from complete matching pistols down to individual parts - are historic artifacts. I also think shooting is part of the reward and motivation for ownership and careful preservation. So I view it as a cost question - lower cost pistols are acceptable to shoot, but as the cost of the pistol goes up, shooting makes less sense.

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03-06-2016, 12:10 PM	#22
4 Scale User Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 544 Thanks: 194 Thanked 490 Times in 251 Posts	On the subject of shooting, per the comments of several it seems there may be increased risk of damage vs. a later production pistol with better metallurgy. However I think the excellent price you paid makes this pistol a shooter candidate. That's because if you were to purchase a later production Mauser in comparable condition for shooting, it's going to cost at least what you paid for this gun. Phrased differently, purely from a risk standpoint, paying an additional $800 or more for another pistol, to prevent damage to an $800 pistol, does not make arithmetical/financial sense. I know some collectors will say, "but what about the history that could be lost?" I respect that view but address the issue in a different way. In my opinion, all original Luger production - from complete matching pistols down to individual parts - are historic artifacts. I also think shooting is part of the reward and motivation for ownership and careful preservation. So I view it as a cost question - lower cost pistols are acceptable to shoot, but as the cost of the pistol goes up, shooting makes less sense.