Talking to an older Luger collector

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

In my opinion, those wanting a "nice Luger but don't want to fiddle with it" are best served by buying an all-matching pistol in lower cosmetic condition to get the price down. All-matching with significant cosmetic issues starts at around $1,100 in 9mm, lower in .30 Luger commercials. If you buy a Mauser, I think it is a viable "shooter strategy" to buy a nicer pistol in say the $1,500 range and then replace the parts most likely to sustain damage (left grip, extractor, firing pin, ejector, hold open, rear toggle pin). The nicer the matching shooter, the more you might consider buying a separate toggle just for shooting.

Under this theory the "shooter" is a bunch of replacement parts, not a complete pistol.

False economy. The part which breaks will always be one you didn't replace. If you want to shoot, buy a shooter. You will be happy with it. Or, you will catch the "bug" and end up buying another one (or more), nicer, and will be be very glad that you already have a shooter so you will not be tempted to shoot the "new" one.

--Dwight

[4 Scale]

Originally Posted by Dwight Gruber

False economy. The part which breaks will always be one you didn't replace.

Statistically sometimes that will be true, sometimes it won't. The entire theory behind the "shooter" concept, at least for me, is mainly risk control. Purchasing a shooter 100% eliminates risk to a collectible, substituting replacement parts reduces but doesn't eliminate risk.

To expand on the example: I think a $1,500 Mauser devalues by perhaps a few hundred dollars if a minor part breaks. If that is true, then spending a few hundred dollars on minor substitute parts seems reasonable to address risk on shooting that pistol. Spending say $1,100 on a "nice" shooter to 100% protect that $1,500 Mauser makes less financial sense to me, although it might make sense for a collector with a lower tolerance for risk than me. I view my Luger parts bin as a type of insurance. It's a percentage call made more difficult by the lack of extensive data on parts breakage.

Some will read this and say, "yeah, but what if a major part breaks?" Then either the shooter or the collectible becomes a $500 parts gun - you have lost $600 on the shooter, $900 on the collectible. A difference of $300 (note this is the same as the difference in pistol cost). Phrased differently, $1,100 was paid to insure against a $300 risk with a low percentage chance of occurring. In strictly financial terms that is expensive insurance.

The existence of unknowns on parts breakage does not invalidate risk control math, it only makes it more difficult to quantify.

The salient variables are value of the collectible, value of the 'shooter' pistol, likelihood of parts breakage, risk tolerance of the individual. When any of these change, the answer changes. Individual risk tolerance includes many more variables such as experience, finances, shooting frequency and so on. That is why I say this is an individual decision.

I realize there is a historical preservation argument; I respect that argument but am only addressing financial risk.

Some will no doubt say I'm over-thinking this. I don't disagree - but to me financial aspects of Lugers are interesting as I'm a finance guy. And am partial to 'nice' shooters.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by 4 Scale

To expand on the example: I think a $1,500 Mauser devalues by perhaps a few hundred dollars if a minor part breaks.

From what I've read here, breaking of even a small numbered part and replacing it with a mismatch halves the value. It's like being a just little bit pregnant.

Then either the shooter or the collectible becomes a $500 parts gun

A complete Luger whether matched or mismatched is worth more than $500 in parts. Parting it out will bring more than the $1500 you spent for it, assuming you sell every part. I use Numrich's parts prices as my 'template', and in many areas they are less than the same parts/assemblies go for on eBay or Gunbroker...But total is still more than a complete Luger.

...$.02 (I accept PayPal)...

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

...$.02 (I accept PayPal)...

Hey! I finally have money in my PayPal account! Thanks, appreciative forum member!