What is value of this Luger?

[spitzer]

Newbie here. First post and may be new owner of this Luger What can you tell me about it and the finish? I know it's a Mauser in 7.65. This is all the pictures that was sent to me, I will look at it in person this next week.

[ithacaartist]

Welcome Spitzer, you've come to the right place to research a Luger! It sounds as if you have the chance to buy this gun, and I think you'll receive enough guidance here to make a reasonable decision as to whether you will take over stewardship of her. I'll get you started off with some of my observations, and others will undoubtedly contribute theirs tomorrow.

I can see faint number on the side plate, which would indicate it's military. But the 7.65 caliber would be incorrect, as all military were 9mm.

The finish does look strange IMO. Can't really tell much from the pics--they make it look completely in the white. Maybe finished with silver Cerakote? Is there such a thing as silver Parkerizing? My spidey sense is tingling because this appears to be a very strangely refinished gun. Anyway, terrible pics--blurry and badly lit.

The grips are not original to the gun.

Has it been observed/claimed to have matching serial numbers? Many of the internal parts are serialized to the gun, There's a sticky or technical article on the site somewhere with a discussion of what should be numbered, an how.

Speaking of serial number, it would be stamped in full--up to four numerical digits and any cursive letter suffix--on the frame, in front of the trigger guard,and would be a key to estimating date of manufacture. The same serial number should appear on the barrel, though if yours was changed out to a 7.65 it would not particularly be the case.

Overall, better quality pics need to be posted--full front, left, right, top, bottom, and back, plus close ups of any and all stampings or proof marks. Pics of the disassembled parts would be the extra mile, but I think with the finish and caliber issues hanging, this is a shooter and not in collectable condition. My guesstimate would be that it should cost around $500. Maybe more, if better pics show it to be nice, or less, it they reveal the opposite.

There's a tutorial post on the site about how to take decent pics. If the gun is being offered from afar, cut and paste the tutorial into an email to the seller, who obviously needs to read it.

I hope this was coherent, it's a little late here...

[Sergio Natali]

First of all welcome to this Forum made by LUGER enthusiasts.

For what I can see from your photographs, it looks as if this gun has been heavily refinished with some sort of silver gun coat, which make the whole thing look quite unusual.
The barrel too might have been rebarreled, or changed, check the numbers under the barrel.

The grips seems far too new to be originals, so somehow they match the coating.

Having said that even if the gun was all matching, which I strongly doubt, might be a good shooter, but probably not a collectible, IMHO.

Anyway even if you only want it to go sometimes to the range, have it checked by a serious armourer, and shoot safe.

[mrerick]

If you're considering buying this as a shooter, be sure that it is mechanically sound and functions properly.

These Mauser made Lugers had the best metallurgy of those manufactured over the years .

It has had an odd refinishing done, and appears to have Swiss pattern grips (which may be original). It's definitely not collectable, and should probably sell somewhere in the middle of the "shooter" price range. David's $500 estimate is at the low end for a non matching shooter. The high end for a 9mm shooter is $1100. I would probably value it slightly higher than $500, perhaps $700. If it really is in .30 Luger (7.65mm) then I agree with David's valuation of $500.

The grips (if original) have some value. So does the WW-II era magazine if it has not been molested by grinding the base or renumbering it.

Marc

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by mrerick

The grips (if original) have some value.

Marc

I bought a pair if the same style grips at an online auction and they fit guns without a grip safety. The Swiss Lugers (06/24 and Swiss frame 29) all have grip safeties, don't they? If the grips fit properly on this gun, they won't be relieved on back side for the long grip safety mechanism, and so would not be real Swiss, IMO. I'm thinking old, but aftermarket.

[Ron Wood]

The gun appears to have been bead blasted and left "in the white". The grips are nice quality Italian repros, made with Swiss pattern checkering but without grip safety relief. I am pretty sure that if you look at the back of the grips you will see two holes that were used to hold the grips during manufacture and typical of the Italian grips.

[mystical_tutor]

As ithacaartist mentioned 7.65 is not correct for this model of Luger but it may have been rebarreled. If so and your looking for a shooter I would recommend you search for a 9mm. The 7.65 cartridge is nice feeling round for shooting but just finding them wherever you live is one problem and affording them is another. I rarely even see them at gun shows. One fellow showed me some he bought at a GS here in Colorado Springs. They were reloads and not at all well done. 9mm, on the other hand is reasonable (by todays prices) and easier to reload if you go that way.

Gary

[spitzer]

Thanks to all.... yes very odd finish. I really don't have much time to research it much because of work and buying it before someone else. It is in fact a 7.65 and comes with 400 rounds of ammo and dies. Most exterior numbers match. He sent these pictures and I had to open them in Microsoft 2010 photo edit so I could zoom and see more detail. He is asking 550.00, so depending on bore and if indeed it functions ok, I may pick it up. It's for my father who was a member of the 508TH Airborne. He is getting up there in age and I wanted to get him something to enjoy.

I will take photos when I see it in person and post more photos before I make final decision.

Thanks again to all of the input, I need all the help I can get .

[rhuff]

If this luger is structurally sound and all there, I don't believe that you can go wrong at $550. If it were offered to me at that price, it would come home with me.

[alanint]

It looks more like a brushed chrome or nickel finish to me.

[Ron Wood]

You could be right. Whatever it is, it was nicely done...everything is nice and crisp with no overbuffed edges. I kinda like it

[ithacaartist]

Jon,

Although I listed all the issues that concerned me about this gun in my first post, these last few posts reminded me that I did forget to mention one thing: This pistol is, indeed, handsome in its own right. Strange, but handsome... Its lines are still relatively sharp, and the combination of bright steel and nice patina of the grips has a charm all its own. If you reload already, and it comes with dies, what the hey, maybe the caliber will work for you. It is a lot sweeter to shoot than the 9, which helps justify a tad of the extra expense if buying, or learning curve/trouble if reloading. So, I'd say you'd do just fine with this one; but only if you really like it!

[Dwight Gruber]

As ithacaartist notes, this will be a very personal purchase, and if you ever decide to sell it you will certainly never recoup your money. Otoh check on the price and availability of .30 cal. ammunition, you may find that the value of the ammo and the dies gets you a shooter Luger for a couple hundred dollars.

--Dwight

[mystical_tutor]

Dwight,

Do you really think that in a couple three years a person couldn't get $550 or more for this? I'm not a prophet but I would think it would at least go for that..

Gary