Luger identification & repair of sheared off front sight

Hmelarousy · Today, 08:24 AM

Good morning!

Calamity has struck: I purchased a Luger at a P08 Long , Artillery Luger. When it arrived I noticed 2 things:

1- The barrel was shorter than a previous Artillery Luger I have

and

2-the sights on it were not those of an artillery not Navy. Just a front sight and a back v notch sight.

Then to my bad luck I take it to the range, it falls and the front sight shears off and I can't find it.......

Can you help me identify this Luger and also tell me how I can replace the front sight since it seems to have shared off?

Also doe.it seem that at some point it had an artillery sight that was removed and the barrel reblued

Thanks!

ithacaartist · Today, 12:39 PM

Welcome to the forum, Hazem!

Your Luger has been refinished and, unfortunately, heavily buffed during that process. If there was anything stamped above the chamber, it seems to have been removed, thus eliminating the year of manufacture if it was a military gun. We'd need good closeup pics of the top, sides, and front of the frame that show any other stampings or numbers.

Since this pistol's receiver doesn't have the relief notch on its top, front edge, it was never an Artillery.

The replacement barrel's profile shows that it was created by a gunsmith. The front sight was soldered in place. Original barrel style would have a dovetailed block integral with the barrel into which a sight blade was inserted.

With its value as a collectible eliminated by all the above, it still has value as a shooter, typically in the very rough ballpark of a thousand dollars.

My advice is to return to the range and use a magnet designed for the purpose to sweep the area to find the part that fell off, which can subsequently be soldered back in place. If the search is unsuccessful, a new piece would need to be fashioned and similarly installed.

Mac Cat · Today, 01:08 PM

Welcome to the Luger Forum.
Thanks for sharing your pistol with us.

There isn't much to go on with the photos provided.

Try uploading a set of full profile photos:
both sides, frame front serial number, chamber, close-ups of the stamped areas of the receiver etc. List which small parts are numbered.

Commercial lugers don't have date stamps, but they adopted serial numbers with a suffix in the 1920s.

Today, 08:24 AM	#1
Hmelarousy New User Join Date: Oct 2024 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Luger identification & repair of sheared off front sight Good morning! Calamity has struck: I purchased a Luger at a P08 Long , Artillery Luger. When it arrived I noticed 2 things: 1- The barrel was shorter than a previous Artillery Luger I have and 2-the sights on it were not those of an artillery not Navy. Just a front sight and a back v notch sight. Then to my bad luck I take it to the range, it falls and the front sight shears off and I can't find it....... Can you help me identify this Luger and also tell me how I can replace the front sight since it seems to have shared off? Also doe.it seem that at some point it had an artillery sight that was removed and the barrel reblued Thanks! Attached Thumbnails

Today, 12:39 PM	#2
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,336 Thanks: 7,244 Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,361 Posts	Welcome to the forum, Hazem! Your Luger has been refinished and, unfortunately, heavily buffed during that process. If there was anything stamped above the chamber, it seems to have been removed, thus eliminating the year of manufacture if it was a military gun. We'd need good closeup pics of the top, sides, and front of the frame that show any other stampings or numbers. Since this pistol's receiver doesn't have the relief notch on its top, front edge, it was never an Artillery. The replacement barrel's profile shows that it was created by a gunsmith. The front sight was soldered in place. Original barrel style would have a dovetailed block integral with the barrel into which a sight blade was inserted. With its value as a collectible eliminated by all the above, it still has value as a shooter, typically in the very rough ballpark of a thousand dollars. My advice is to return to the range and use a magnet designed for the purpose to sweep the area to find the part that fell off, which can subsequently be soldered back in place. If the search is unsuccessful, a new piece would need to be fashioned and similarly installed. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

Today, 01:08 PM	#3
Mac Cat Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 718 Thanks: 2,081 Thanked 598 Times in 322 Posts	Welcome to the Luger Forum. Thanks for sharing your pistol with us. There isn't much to go on with the photos provided. Try uploading a set of full profile photos: both sides, frame front serial number, chamber, close-ups of the stamped areas of the receiver etc. List which small parts are numbered. Commercial lugers don't have date stamps, but they adopted serial numbers with a suffix in the 1920s.