European market

Vlim · 10-21-2012, 06:02 AM

Hi Ben,

I cannot speak for other collectors, but to me it depends on the heritage of the gun. Dutch lugers went through a periodic refurbishing program while in service, as were Swiss, Austrian, Portuguese, Norwegian and just about any military pistol, really. Many VoPo lugers were repaired and rebuilt while in DDR service.

Many of those guns were used until the 1970s and 1980s, so if you buy one of those, you also get the refurbishing history as part of the package.

Guns that have been refinished while in private hands, 'restoration' attempts, and the like, I tend to avoid, unless they are a really rare or an interesting variation.

So it all depends on the legacy / history of the gun. Also take in mind that the pickings are a lot smaller here than in the US.

Here is a small list of refurbs that are collectible:
-Dutch lugers. Used, used, used, and then some. Makes a mint Dutch luger look suspicious

-Swiss military pistols. Will show repairs and refinishing.
-Portuguese lugers. Used until the late 1970s, periodically refurbished.
-East-German guns. Rebuilt and refurbished.
-Austrian pistols. Kept into service until the 1980s, repaired with donor parts.
-Norwegian pistols. Kept into service until the 1980s. Spare parts produced by the Kongsberg arsenal.
-West-German police guns dating from pre-1945. Rare and refurbished.

And the odd ones:
Mauser Parabellum pistols were rebuilt/altered by the factory to suit certain orders.
Mauser HSc pistols were rebuilt/altered by the factory to suit certain orders.
Mauser P08 pistols refurbished in 1997-1998 for commercial sales by Mauser.

10-21-2012, 06:02 AM	#6
Vlim Moderator Lifetime LugerForum Patron Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 5,053 Thanks: 1,036 Thanked 3,991 Times in 1,205 Posts	Hi Ben, I cannot speak for other collectors, but to me it depends on the heritage of the gun. Dutch lugers went through a periodic refurbishing program while in service, as were Swiss, Austrian, Portuguese, Norwegian and just about any military pistol, really. Many VoPo lugers were repaired and rebuilt while in DDR service. Many of those guns were used until the 1970s and 1980s, so if you buy one of those, you also get the refurbishing history as part of the package. Guns that have been refinished while in private hands, 'restoration' attempts, and the like, I tend to avoid, unless they are a really rare or an interesting variation. So it all depends on the legacy / history of the gun. Also take in mind that the pickings are a lot smaller here than in the US. Here is a small list of refurbs that are collectible: -Dutch lugers. Used, used, used, and then some. Makes a mint Dutch luger look suspicious -Swiss military pistols. Will show repairs and refinishing. -Portuguese lugers. Used until the late 1970s, periodically refurbished. -East-German guns. Rebuilt and refurbished. -Austrian pistols. Kept into service until the 1980s, repaired with donor parts. -Norwegian pistols. Kept into service until the 1980s. Spare parts produced by the Kongsberg arsenal. -West-German police guns dating from pre-1945. Rare and refurbished. And the odd ones: Mauser Parabellum pistols were rebuilt/altered by the factory to suit certain orders. Mauser HSc pistols were rebuilt/altered by the factory to suit certain orders. Mauser P08 pistols refurbished in 1997-1998 for commercial sales by Mauser.