Old Luger Articles

[Ron Wood]

Today was one of those days when you wish it could last forever. There is a used bookstore here in El Paso that I rummage around in from time to time. Today I went down into the basement where there are several hundred square feet of old books and magazines. Man, did I have a good time in spite of the nearly 100 degrees temperature down there! To make a long story short (yeh, right!) here is what happened.

I picked up the following magazines (partial list):
Guns & Ammo, April 1962 â?? A wonderful article by Harry Jones on â??The Worldâ??s Rarest Automatics â?? Whatâ??s Your Souvenir Pistol Worth?â?� How about a Luger Carbine for $175, or an Artillery for $65?!
Guns & Ammo, August 1973 â?? The first in a series of articles by Michael Reese on Luger variations (eventually became the basis for his book â??Luger Tipsâ?�). I think most of the series is still down there in the basement but I didnâ??t have time to look!
Guns & Ammo, October 1974 â?? Article by Howard French on a Presentation Luger Carbine brought back from Germany in 1945 by PFC John Elvin Jr. Serial number 10110. C. (Note the period after the number and the C).
Guns & Ammo, March 1977 â?? Article on the G�¶ring Krieghoff Luger, serial # 16999, by Randall Gibson

There were several more G&A articles just as good. But the real icing on the cake is Shooting Times. If you note in Kenyon and some other publications, the picture of the Baby Luger is credited to â??Shooting Timesâ?�. Down there in the musty confines of the bookstore basement I found not one but TWO copies of the September 1962 â??Shooting Timesâ?�! Both copies are in nearly perfect condition after exactly 40 years! The article is about Carl Wilsonâ??s discovery of the first known example of the Baby Luger together with photocopies of Herr August Weissâ?? letter of authentication and those of several other Luger authorities at the time. Great photos! And in advertisements in the back of the magazine, some of the prices are enough to make you cry. I know that for sale items go in the Classified section, but the first $50.00 takes one of the two copies I found (that is only 100 times what it cost in 1962!).

Like I said, this was a very good day.

[Hugh]

"I know that for sale items go in the Classified section, but the first $50.00 takes one of the two copies I found (that is only 100 times what it cost in 1962!)."
[img]wink.gif[/img] And 200 times what Ron paid for it! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Ron, don't you just love to run across these "cheap" treasures? I found two of Costanzos' books for $100 each last year at the same dealer!

[wterrell]

Hugh,

Any chance of you selling me one of the 'extra' books that is taking up shelf space (if you still have an extra)?
Armadillo ranchers really have no need for books anyway.

[Hugh]

Sorry Wes, Thor has one and the other was peddled on ebay. [img]frown.gif[/img]

but I do have an Armadillo that I've taught to use water wings to cross the creek that I can send you. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[Thor]

Ron, dem looks like them little loogers i a found a hole case of dem and paid only 7 garilla bars for da hole lot of dem! Dem wer da days! [img]biggrin.gif[/img] <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

now awl eye gadda due is fine a case of dem 45 loogers, dem is bagger!

[Ron Wood]

Thor,
I like the little ones....they make a great watch fob. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

[lugerholsterrepair]

Thor, I hate to keep bringing this up but did you ever get your baby Luger yet? I would like to see it if you do...Jerry Burney

[Hugh]

Jerry, mind your own business! [img]biggrin.gif[/img] [img]frown.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Thor]

Jerry, lets just say I am in the process of recieving it. I am going to reblue it in the old SWISS rust blue, I have been saving that for a special piece. Hugh is a man of many talents, and as such is much like the adage from a recent movie, like too little butter spread too thin. He takes care of my every day business in an extremely timely and efficent manner as he does others. The grip work is his real speciality and as you know he is top notch at it. He is also a custom knife maker and I am sure many knife customers vie for his time as they want his custom knife work done too. It is amazing to me that he doesnt just throw his hands up and say "enough.....I am going hunting for the winter" I am surely glad he doesnt. So I will patiently await my baby and I know it is true, that good things come to those that wait. My baby will be worth it and the short time I had to wait for it will not seem to bad when I have all those years to enjoy it with the company of your extremely beautiful holster, GTs mag bottoms, and the equally exquisite case that Dok did to bring it all together, this will be a treasure I will oh and ah over and get a sense that it is a creation of all you craftsman, bringing all your talents together to make "a joy forever" Thanks to all that helped me in creating this treasure! It will be worth it. <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" /> NOW HURRY UP HUGH!! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[Hugh]

[img]eek.gif[/img] Boy! Ted, after all that I guess I'll have to put it on "rush"! <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

[lugerholsterrepair]

I knew I would get it for that reminder! I understand completely...Just thought it would be nice to see it someday befor I grow old and die....Jerry <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

[John Sabato]

Here is a REALLY old article for you early Luger buffs... Check out this Member Gallery Album I just posted...

American Machinist Magazine - 1901

[Thor]

Interesting that even in 1901 we (Americans)referred to the pistol as the "Luger", somehow I thought that came later and everybody called it the Pistole Parabellum at first. I know Europeans (and Germans) called it the later.

[Dwight Gruber]

With the early evidences of the use of the name "Luger" associated with the gun, its use in common parlance, and the fact that there doesn't seem to be any attempt by Stoeger to actively protect its trademark property, I wonder if Luger has legally fallen into the public domain and thus out of Stoeger's control?

--Dwight

[Edward Tinker]

Very interesting. Dwight, I am surprised that the word luger isn't a common name for German pistols, such as browning is in Europe for any small pistol. (i.e. the .32).
So Ron (or others) I wonder what the run time for magazines was then. I would imagine at least a month or two for when the magazine article was written?

May 1901 puts this as a fairly old Luger? From the American Handgunner article (I am not at home, so no gun books this trip) [quote] Having failed at U.S. military trials in 1897, the Borchardt was submitted to the Swiss government in the following year in The Swiss stated that they wanted a smaller weapon with an external safety, and so Georg went to work on a gun that the then-DWM offered in 1899 with a modified 7.65mm cartridge. ...Finally, two years later in 1901, the Swiss ordered 3,000 Parabellums from DWM for service use. The Swiss authorities would refer to this historic gun as the Pistole 1900. These first guns bore grip safties and the Geneva Cross national emblem over the chamber.
<hr></blockquote>

So, what kind of things jump out at you for differences, if any in the picture and an example you have?

[Ron Wood]

The Luger pictured in the 1901 article is a VERY early example, probably a one or two digit serial number. Note the narrow blade type rear sight. That is only found on Lugers produced in the very beginning. Also note the Type 1 thumb safety and the early pattern bordered grips. I will have to rummage through my references to try to find out at what serial number the rear sight was reinforced.

[wterrell]

Fantastic gallery!