Luger Identification

Bob J · 11-26-2002, 10:42 PM

Hi Folks:
Congratulations on a great Web site and Discussion group. I would appreciate any advice you can provide on the identity and value range of a family owned Luger.
The gun is one of two that my father brought back from Europe after serving in WWII.( the other one is long gone) Unfortunatly the new Canadian firearm registration laws will force my 75 year old mother to either become a registered gun collecter including passing all of the required gun safety courses or dispose of the gun before year end. We decided it would be much better to sell the gun than pay someone to weld the barrel closed.
I don't think this particular Luger is anything special but there are some markings (LWC on toggle) on it that I haven't seen mentioned on your site. I don't have a picture to show you so I used your Luger Identification Form to give you as much info as possible. Here Goes:
Toggle Inscription: LWC (fancy script)
Chamber Inscription: 1918
Toggle knob: Knurled
Grip Safety: Not Present
Stok Lug: Present
Caliber: 9mm
Grip: Walnut no border or insignia
Thumb Safety Marked: Gesichert
Other Markings:
Four Proof Marks on side that seem to correspond with Proof #15 or #16 on your Id guide. German Military DWM (15) or Erfurt(16.
Serial #9382 with an L under it.
#82 stamped on all visible pieces. Full #9382 on underside of barrel.
Barrel length is 100mm (4in.)
No good description of sights.
Two magazines, one steel with wood bottom, one lighter material (aluminum?) No numbers on either
Holster is stamped Po8 and has initials hand carved in top (amature). No loading tool.

The gun is in good condition with no rust and even bluing. Can't give you specific a percentage of bluing. My mother described the trigger and Safety as having a lighter greyish finish than the rest of the gun.

As far as I know the gun is not capable of firing in it's present condition and hasn't been fired in 40 years. My dad told me that it had a problem with the firing pin. (We always used the other one) It's never been to a gunsmith or been disassembled so I can't verify what it might take to repair it.

Well that's all the info my Mom could provide me with. Try to imagine a 75 year old lady with a Luger in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other trying to describe the gun over the phone!Again, I don't think this gun is really all that collectable but I'd like to give her some idea of what to ask for it. It's a shame she can't keep it.

Sorry for the long post. Hope you can give me some idea of what we are dealing with here.

wterrell · 11-26-2002, 11:01 PM

Bob,
List the gun on Gunbroker.com and have a reserve of $600. Leave the pistol on for 10-14 days and see what the pistol brings. Use the description that you posted here, but, by all means, post several high res pics.

That is my second suggestion. My first suggestion (and most emphatic) is for you to purchase the pistol from your mother. That pistol is a part of your father's legacy. He brought it back so he could bring back a part of his soul from the war. Do not let it be lost to a pile of armory inventory.

Frank · 11-26-2002, 11:19 PM

Hi Bob, You mentioned your Mom was in Canada. Do you also live there? If so, you must work through an exporter/importer to get the pistol into the US, if it is sold on one of the auction houses. There are several Canadian Members of the Luger Forum that have some experience along these lines. You might contact kidvett or lugercollector for some advise on both price and procedure. I believe you would get a better price in the US than in Canada. Hope this helps a little! Good Luck! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Karl · 11-27-2002, 02:41 PM

Hi Bob,

I suspect that your mother mis-read "DWM" as "LMC" (upside down), an understandable mistake for a novice. I agree with Wes, you should keep the gun, it's part of your family history. Best of luck, KFS

Bob J · 11-27-2002, 11:20 PM

Thanks Guys:
I appreciate the kind words. My Dad was never a big fan of hand guns and as a hunter preferred rifes and shotguns. I asked him why he hung to the Lugers as he usually complained that he could never hit anything with it. He told me that he loved the German craftmanship and design of the Luger. Quote "They're never going to be able to pound thousands of these things out in some third world stamping plant and you'll never see one on sale at the K-Mart."

Karl, I suspect that you are right about the logo.
A couple of my friends are checking with some reputable collectors here in Canada to determine what our options are. It may be possible to ship the gun to my sister who lives in the states and avoid all the mess.

Bye the Way, it appears that the situation that my mother finds herself in is far from unique. I've been told that it is a buyers market for handguns and other unregistered/prohibited weapons in Canada right now. People who don't have proper permits (very difficult to obtain) for these weapons could have them confiscated and face significant fines efective Jan. 01,2003. With the low value of the Canadian dollar and no home market you folks in the "Land of the Free" might be able to find some real good buys over the next couple of months.

Once again thanks for the advice. I'll let you know what happens.

Navy · 11-28-2002, 12:43 AM

Hello Bob and welcome,

At the risk of coming dangerously close to the "No Politics" forum protocol, your story is almost a perfect example of why those of us who have fought for and treasure our United States of America *Exclusive* freedoms as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are so passionate about preserving them.

That a government that exists largely because of sacrifices by people such as your dad would even consider such an imposition on your mother is an absolute disgrace and an insult to free souls and veterans everywhere. Tar and feathers is the way such things were handled in the South many years ago, before everyone was subject to sensitivity training and the Thought Police.

With no disrespect to Canada or Canadians, you folks need to wake up and realize that the tide of history is against such clap-trap, '60's era liberalism and that there are certain groups, largely not of the Judeo-christian heritage, ( I can't say Islamic or Arabs here; might offend someone!) who want you as dead as they want us.

You must vote your politically-correct, socialist, diversity- centric government out soon or you will inevitably pay the price for failing to act...a sharia-law based society that will have the enlightenment of Medina, circa 775 AD.

Our great and smartest president, Thomas Jefferson once remarked that the price of liberty was eternal vigilance. Somehow, Canada, has failed to remain vigilant. WAKE UP!

Tom A.

OK John, now censor this!

Edward Tinker · 11-28-2002, 01:40 AM

Agreed and watch our own backs too!

<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

lugerholsterrepair · 11-28-2002, 12:40 PM

Wes, Whenever some older fellow wants to sell me his guns I always ask if he would like to pass them on to his children. Younger people do not value firearms left to them as much as they used to.

I agree with Tom A as well. I have been told by many Canadians that there is no provision for them like our constitutional right to bear arms. No matter what type of government they have it will always be the same, liberal masses in the cities see guns as a threat and rely on the police. Thank God and Country for the forward thinking of our forefathers for providing us with some protection. Jerry Burney

11-26-2002, 11:01 PM	#2
wterrell User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,096 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Bob, List the gun on Gunbroker.com and have a reserve of $600. Leave the pistol on for 10-14 days and see what the pistol brings. Use the description that you posted here, but, by all means, post several high res pics. That is my second suggestion. My first suggestion (and most emphatic) is for you to purchase the pistol from your mother. That pistol is a part of your father's legacy. He brought it back so he could bring back a part of his soul from the war. Do not let it be lost to a pile of armory inventory. __________________ Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo, wes --------------------

11-28-2002, 01:40 AM	#7
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,926 Thanks: 2,014 Thanked 4,523 Times in 2,089 Posts	Agreed and watch our own backs too! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" /> __________________ 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

11-26-2002, 10:42 PM	#1
Bob J New User Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Luger Identification Hi Folks: Congratulations on a great Web site and Discussion group. I would appreciate any advice you can provide on the identity and value range of a family owned Luger. The gun is one of two that my father brought back from Europe after serving in WWII.( the other one is long gone) Unfortunatly the new Canadian firearm registration laws will force my 75 year old mother to either become a registered gun collecter including passing all of the required gun safety courses or dispose of the gun before year end. We decided it would be much better to sell the gun than pay someone to weld the barrel closed. I don't think this particular Luger is anything special but there are some markings (LWC on toggle) on it that I haven't seen mentioned on your site. I don't have a picture to show you so I used your Luger Identification Form to give you as much info as possible. Here Goes: Toggle Inscription: LWC (fancy script) Chamber Inscription: 1918 Toggle knob: Knurled Grip Safety: Not Present Stok Lug: Present Caliber: 9mm Grip: Walnut no border or insignia Thumb Safety Marked: Gesichert Other Markings: Four Proof Marks on side that seem to correspond with Proof #15 or #16 on your Id guide. German Military DWM (15) or Erfurt(16. Serial #9382 with an L under it. #82 stamped on all visible pieces. Full #9382 on underside of barrel. Barrel length is 100mm (4in.) No good description of sights. Two magazines, one steel with wood bottom, one lighter material (aluminum?) No numbers on either Holster is stamped Po8 and has initials hand carved in top (amature). No loading tool. The gun is in good condition with no rust and even bluing. Can't give you specific a percentage of bluing. My mother described the trigger and Safety as having a lighter greyish finish than the rest of the gun. As far as I know the gun is not capable of firing in it's present condition and hasn't been fired in 40 years. My dad told me that it had a problem with the firing pin. (We always used the other one) It's never been to a gunsmith or been disassembled so I can't verify what it might take to repair it. Well that's all the info my Mom could provide me with. Try to imagine a 75 year old lady with a Luger in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other trying to describe the gun over the phone!Again, I don't think this gun is really all that collectable but I'd like to give her some idea of what to ask for it. It's a shame she can't keep it. Sorry for the long post. Hope you can give me some idea of what we are dealing with here.

11-26-2002, 11:19 PM	#3
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Hi Bob, You mentioned your Mom was in Canada. Do you also live there? If so, you must work through an exporter/importer to get the pistol into the US, if it is sold on one of the auction houses. There are several Canadian Members of the Luger Forum that have some experience along these lines. You might contact kidvett or lugercollector for some advise on both price and procedure. I believe you would get a better price in the US than in Canada. Hope this helps a little! Good Luck! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

11-27-2002, 02:41 PM	#4
Karl Lifer - Twice Over Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Savannah Posts: 519 Thanks: 0 Thanked 262 Times in 115 Posts	Hi Bob, I suspect that your mother mis-read "DWM" as "LMC" (upside down), an understandable mistake for a novice. I agree with Wes, you should keep the gun, it's part of your family history. Best of luck, KFS

11-27-2002, 11:20 PM	#5
Bob J New User Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks Guys: I appreciate the kind words. My Dad was never a big fan of hand guns and as a hunter preferred rifes and shotguns. I asked him why he hung to the Lugers as he usually complained that he could never hit anything with it. He told me that he loved the German craftmanship and design of the Luger. Quote "They're never going to be able to pound thousands of these things out in some third world stamping plant and you'll never see one on sale at the K-Mart." Karl, I suspect that you are right about the logo. A couple of my friends are checking with some reputable collectors here in Canada to determine what our options are. It may be possible to ship the gun to my sister who lives in the states and avoid all the mess. Bye the Way, it appears that the situation that my mother finds herself in is far from unique. I've been told that it is a buyers market for handguns and other unregistered/prohibited weapons in Canada right now. People who don't have proper permits (very difficult to obtain) for these weapons could have them confiscated and face significant fines efective Jan. 01,2003. With the low value of the Canadian dollar and no home market you folks in the "Land of the Free" might be able to find some real good buys over the next couple of months. Once again thanks for the advice. I'll let you know what happens.

11-28-2002, 12:43 AM	#6
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	Hello Bob and welcome, At the risk of coming dangerously close to the "No Politics" forum protocol, your story is almost a perfect example of why those of us who have fought for and treasure our United States of America Exclusive freedoms as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are so passionate about preserving them. That a government that exists largely because of sacrifices by people such as your dad would even consider such an imposition on your mother is an absolute disgrace and an insult to free souls and veterans everywhere. Tar and feathers is the way such things were handled in the South many years ago, before everyone was subject to sensitivity training and the Thought Police. With no disrespect to Canada or Canadians, you folks need to wake up and realize that the tide of history is against such clap-trap, '60's era liberalism and that there are certain groups, largely not of the Judeo-christian heritage, ( I can't say Islamic or Arabs here; might offend someone!) who want you as dead as they want us. You must vote your politically-correct, socialist, diversity- centric government out soon or you will inevitably pay the price for failing to act...a sharia-law based society that will have the enlightenment of Medina, circa 775 AD. Our great and smartest president, Thomas Jefferson once remarked that the price of liberty was eternal vigilance. Somehow, Canada, has failed to remain vigilant. WAKE UP! Tom A. OK John, now censor this!

11-28-2002, 12:40 PM	#8
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,766 Thanks: 4,883 Thanked 3,121 Times in 1,432 Posts	Wes, Whenever some older fellow wants to sell me his guns I always ask if he would like to pass them on to his children. Younger people do not value firearms left to them as much as they used to. I agree with Tom A as well. I have been told by many Canadians that there is no provision for them like our constitutional right to bear arms. No matter what type of government they have it will always be the same, liberal masses in the cities see guns as a threat and rely on the police. Thank God and Country for the forward thinking of our forefathers for providing us with some protection. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."