how to store a luger?

jeffs · 11-15-2008, 08:22 PM

Dear Experts,

I am the proud father of two Lugers. After proper cleaning and oiling, where/how does one put a Luger away until its next use? In a fleece lined holster? Wrapped in a cloth? Inside a clean whilte sock? Under the pillow? Is it different than a modern gun?

And one off the wall question: Except that a Luger won't reliably shoot hollow points, is there any other reason that one should not use a Luger shooter as a concealed carry weapon (I am properly licensed, of course)?

Thanks,
Jeff

alvin · 11-15-2008, 09:14 PM

Not an expert. I assume it should be stored in a dry place (relative humidity not higher than 50%), just like a modern gun.

For CCW, it has some disadvantages: single action, capacity is low for its size, sight is small, no firing pin safety etc. Worst, for its age it could fail at anytime, especially at the very inconvinient moment.

I have not heard anyone being shot by a Luger for a long time (not including those range or gun show accidents).

Mauser720 · 11-15-2008, 09:36 PM

Jeffs -

Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to safely store their firearms.

However, I think everyone will agree it is NEVER a good idea to store it in any holster.

You can get an electric dehumidifier called a "Golden Rod" that uses a weak eletric heating element to drive the moisture out of your gun cabinet. You just leave it plugged in all the time, and keep the door to the cabinet closed.

Another useful item is chemically impregnated paper which is made for gun storage, and which you can purchase from Brownells for example. If I'm going to keep guns in their respective boxes, I line the box with this paper.

I am not CCW licensed. However, I agree with alvin (and probably everyone else) that a Luger is less than ideal for CCW purposes.

Mauser720 - Ron

DonWallbaum · 11-17-2008, 11:02 AM

And, let's face it.. Lugers have an image problem. Not their fault, but if I were going to the defense table charged with a weapons offense of some type, having the prosecuting atty. brandishing a Luger would not make my defense atty. very happy.

Don

Edward Tinker · 11-17-2008, 11:32 AM

And it would be seized until you are found "innocent" and some jurisdictions take a LONG time in getting hand guns back to the public, innocent or not; plus they won't store it like you would....

Ed

DonWallbaum · 11-17-2008, 12:23 PM

Plus, such things tend to get "lost" in police property rooms during the sorting out of paperwork.

Some time back, I had a handgun seized by the police in the town I was in because they came to my residence on a search warrant that had a bad address - they really needed to be at the other end of town.

I had failed to get a Handgun Owners Identification Card, which was a little-known city requirement... little known so the cops could seize the weapon when the owner failed to produce a piece of paper about which he knew nothing.

The routine was that the weapon was permanently confiscated by the cops and the owner walks with a minor misdemeanor rap, or charges dropped entirely ... MY issue was I wanted the weapon back, which cost substantially more money <sigh>

The fact that the cops would have never been at my address, and the whole issue would have never surfaced, had the warrant been correct, was viewed by all as unfortunate, but not unfortunate enough for the city to get out of extorting money from me for their screwup. <sigh>

Edward Tinker · 11-17-2008, 12:31 PM

Don, was the issue was that they had a "legal" warrant with your address (albeit wrong) or they showed up at the wrong address. If it is the first, yes, legally you are mostly screwed, if the latter then it sure sounds like the city can be sued for an illegal warrant issue....

Ed

DonWallbaum · 11-17-2008, 12:43 PM

Ed;

The warrant was a legal warrant for a felon, but a typo had the wrong address. I lived at Firwood Dr. and the warrant should have read FireEwood Dr. They left off an "E" and this resulted in the wrong house being searched.

I fumed about this to my atty. who, while sympathetic, said that if my main goal was to get the weapon back, then I plead out to the HCOI charge and I could get the weapon returned when I got the HCOI card.

If I didn't want the weapon back, then I could fight city hall to my heart's content, but the weapon would be gone.

Since I didn't care to have the city cops in possession of a weapon that was traceable back to me, since I bought it new and filled out the yellowsheet, I put Constitutional rights on hold in preference for expediency.

(During the seizure, the cops handed me a form stating I was VOLUNTARILY surrendering the handgun, and told me to sign it. When I retorted that I was VOLUNTARILY doing nothing of the kind, and no, I did NOT have to sign the release, things got a little testy. Cops, I learned, don't like to have their authority questioned.) (duh!)

(Full disclosure: have a brother-in-law who is a cop in a major metro force. Also worked on newspapers long enough to realize that cops, the majority of the time, do an exemplary job under very trying conditions. Having said that, if you push back, expect more than a nudge in return.)

11-15-2008, 08:22 PM	#1
jeffs User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 170 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	how to store a luger? Dear Experts, I am the proud father of two Lugers. After proper cleaning and oiling, where/how does one put a Luger away until its next use? In a fleece lined holster? Wrapped in a cloth? Inside a clean whilte sock? Under the pillow? Is it different than a modern gun? And one off the wall question: Except that a Luger won't reliably shoot hollow points, is there any other reason that one should not use a Luger shooter as a concealed carry weapon (I am properly licensed, of course)? Thanks, Jeff

11-15-2008, 09:36 PM	#3
Mauser720 User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 535 Thanks: 18 Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts	Jeffs - Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to safely store their firearms. However, I think everyone will agree it is NEVER a good idea to store it in any holster. You can get an electric dehumidifier called a "Golden Rod" that uses a weak eletric heating element to drive the moisture out of your gun cabinet. You just leave it plugged in all the time, and keep the door to the cabinet closed. Another useful item is chemically impregnated paper which is made for gun storage, and which you can purchase from Brownells for example. If I'm going to keep guns in their respective boxes, I line the box with this paper. I am not CCW licensed. However, I agree with alvin (and probably everyone else) that a Luger is less than ideal for CCW purposes. Mauser720 - Ron __________________ Mauser720 - Ron "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."

11-17-2008, 11:32 AM	#5
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,961 Thanks: 2,062 Thanked 4,592 Times in 2,114 Posts	And it would be seized until you are found "innocent" and some jurisdictions take a LONG time in getting hand guns back to the public, innocent or not; plus they won't store it like you would.... Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

11-17-2008, 12:31 PM	#7
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,961 Thanks: 2,062 Thanked 4,592 Times in 2,114 Posts	Don, was the issue was that they had a "legal" warrant with your address (albeit wrong) or they showed up at the wrong address. If it is the first, yes, legally you are mostly screwed, if the latter then it sure sounds like the city can be sued for an illegal warrant issue.... Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

11-15-2008, 09:14 PM	#2
alvin User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: US Posts: 3,843 Thanks: 132 Thanked 729 Times in 438 Posts	Not an expert. I assume it should be stored in a dry place (relative humidity not higher than 50%), just like a modern gun. For CCW, it has some disadvantages: single action, capacity is low for its size, sight is small, no firing pin safety etc. Worst, for its age it could fail at anytime, especially at the very inconvinient moment. I have not heard anyone being shot by a Luger for a long time (not including those range or gun show accidents).

11-17-2008, 11:02 AM	#4
DonWallbaum User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Logan, OH USA Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	And, let's face it.. Lugers have an image problem. Not their fault, but if I were going to the defense table charged with a weapons offense of some type, having the prosecuting atty. brandishing a Luger would not make my defense atty. very happy. Don

11-17-2008, 12:23 PM	#6
DonWallbaum User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Logan, OH USA Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Plus, such things tend to get "lost" in police property rooms during the sorting out of paperwork. Some time back, I had a handgun seized by the police in the town I was in because they came to my residence on a search warrant that had a bad address - they really needed to be at the other end of town. I had failed to get a Handgun Owners Identification Card, which was a little-known city requirement... little known so the cops could seize the weapon when the owner failed to produce a piece of paper about which he knew nothing. The routine was that the weapon was permanently confiscated by the cops and the owner walks with a minor misdemeanor rap, or charges dropped entirely ... MY issue was I wanted the weapon back, which cost substantially more money <sigh> The fact that the cops would have never been at my address, and the whole issue would have never surfaced, had the warrant been correct, was viewed by all as unfortunate, but not unfortunate enough for the city to get out of extorting money from me for their screwup. <sigh>

11-17-2008, 12:43 PM	#8
DonWallbaum User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Logan, OH USA Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Ed; The warrant was a legal warrant for a felon, but a typo had the wrong address. I lived at Firwood Dr. and the warrant should have read FireEwood Dr. They left off an "E" and this resulted in the wrong house being searched. I fumed about this to my atty. who, while sympathetic, said that if my main goal was to get the weapon back, then I plead out to the HCOI charge and I could get the weapon returned when I got the HCOI card. If I didn't want the weapon back, then I could fight city hall to my heart's content, but the weapon would be gone. Since I didn't care to have the city cops in possession of a weapon that was traceable back to me, since I bought it new and filled out the yellowsheet, I put Constitutional rights on hold in preference for expediency. (During the seizure, the cops handed me a form stating I was VOLUNTARILY surrendering the handgun, and told me to sign it. When I retorted that I was VOLUNTARILY doing nothing of the kind, and no, I did NOT have to sign the release, things got a little testy. Cops, I learned, don't like to have their authority questioned.) (duh!) (Full disclosure: have a brother-in-law who is a cop in a major metro force. Also worked on newspapers long enough to realize that cops, the majority of the time, do an exemplary job under very trying conditions. Having said that, if you push back, expect more than a nudge in return.)