BUYER BEWARE - 1906 Navy

Big Norm · 10-14-2005, 06:17 AM

I went to the Cabellas store in Dundee, Michigan today to get some sunglasses for a trip to northern Michigan to do some grouse hunting. While there, I went into the classic gun department to see if they had any Lugers there. I saw, in one of their glass display cases, what looked like a 1906 Navy commercial Luger. No proof marks on the right side of the receiver. It had a grip safety and looked like it had decent blueing and strawing. It was selling for $3500 plus some beer money change. Whew! Call the salesman over and take a closer look see.

While the salesman was opening up the display case, I noticed that there was a 3X5 discription card with the gun in the display case. It read that the gun came with a matching mag. Whoa! Commercial navy Lugers don't come with a matching numbered mag. (alarm bells started going off in my head) The salesman handed me the gun and I looked at the mag. A $5-10 replaced, repro wood bottom with concentric circles. Small sized serial number on bottom. No attempt by the amateur hacker to even come close to the larger sized numbers on authentic navy mags. (Oh well, look at the rest of the gun).

The gun was made to look like a 1st issue altered 1906 Navy. The thumb safety was altered but the ground off old "GESICHERT" was blued. The two C/M'S on the left side of the receiver were there but they just didn't look right. If they were right, then there should be military proof marks on the right side of the receiver. They weren't there.

My lady-friend then came over and wanted to go. So, since I had seen enough, I stopped looking at this gun. I would have loved to look at the barrels serial number and the front of the frames serial number to see if they matched or even if they were there. This was just maybe a $1,000-1500 "put-together" navy Luger that Cabelas was trying to sell as authentic w/matching mag for $3500+ and it just got me mad all the way home.

There was also a P-08 Luger there that they listed as a 'G' date, Kriegsmarine Luger and I would have loved to check that one out. I probably would have been disappointed, but my date was calling and I had to go.
Big Norm

Navy · 10-14-2005, 06:54 AM

All,

It was pretty well established on this forum some time ago that a large number of boosted Lugers had been dumped at Cabellas. Guess they still have some in stock.

Tom A.

Pete Ebbink · 10-14-2005, 01:10 PM

Tom,

The bigger event happened at the MN store...near Burnsville or Owatonna I think...the Cabellas shop folks said they had 60-75 and many more to come.

When I went to the Dundee, MI store myself last year, they had a couple of refinished pieces as well at big prices...the look of those in the MI store were different than those in the MN store...the ones in MI were too blackish in color.

Big Norm · 10-14-2005, 02:11 PM

Pete,
I had you in mind when I posted my post. I knew that sometimes you went to the Dundee, Michigan store when you were on business in Michigan. But I thought that maybe some newbies might like to know what is happening in these, otherwise, superb and beautiful stores. Maybe this is why their stock price is continuously going down since it went public. I went there yesterday because they used to have (no more) some nice polorized sunglasses there for $14.95 with glass instead of plastic. Great for hunting when you only have paper to clean your sunglasses with in the field. The glass never got scratched up, but the frames sucked.

Tom,
I wonder where these people are getting these guns from? My Cabellas usually have about three in their counters. The 1906 navy that I saw was laying left side down so my first impression was that it was a commercial. At $3500+, it looked like a bargain.
Big Norm

Navy · 10-14-2005, 02:38 PM

Norm,

Obtaining a regular stock of boosted guns is no logistical challenge whatso ever; its obtaining a stock of correct guns in collector condition that is the challenge.

Tom A.

10-14-2005, 06:17 AM	#1
Big Norm RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 1,864 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	BUYER BEWARE - 1906 Navy I went to the Cabellas store in Dundee, Michigan today to get some sunglasses for a trip to northern Michigan to do some grouse hunting. While there, I went into the classic gun department to see if they had any Lugers there. I saw, in one of their glass display cases, what looked like a 1906 Navy commercial Luger. No proof marks on the right side of the receiver. It had a grip safety and looked like it had decent blueing and strawing. It was selling for $3500 plus some beer money change. Whew! Call the salesman over and take a closer look see. While the salesman was opening up the display case, I noticed that there was a 3X5 discription card with the gun in the display case. It read that the gun came with a matching mag. Whoa! Commercial navy Lugers don't come with a matching numbered mag. (alarm bells started going off in my head) The salesman handed me the gun and I looked at the mag. A $5-10 replaced, repro wood bottom with concentric circles. Small sized serial number on bottom. No attempt by the amateur hacker to even come close to the larger sized numbers on authentic navy mags. (Oh well, look at the rest of the gun). The gun was made to look like a 1st issue altered 1906 Navy. The thumb safety was altered but the ground off old "GESICHERT" was blued. The two C/M'S on the left side of the receiver were there but they just didn't look right. If they were right, then there should be military proof marks on the right side of the receiver. They weren't there. My lady-friend then came over and wanted to go. So, since I had seen enough, I stopped looking at this gun. I would have loved to look at the barrels serial number and the front of the frames serial number to see if they matched or even if they were there. This was just maybe a $1,000-1500 "put-together" navy Luger that Cabelas was trying to sell as authentic w/matching mag for $3500+ and it just got me mad all the way home. There was also a P-08 Luger there that they listed as a 'G' date, Kriegsmarine Luger and I would have loved to check that one out. I probably would have been disappointed, but my date was calling and I had to go. Big Norm

10-14-2005, 06:54 AM	#2
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	All, It was pretty well established on this forum some time ago that a large number of boosted Lugers had been dumped at Cabellas. Guess they still have some in stock. Tom A.

10-14-2005, 01:10 PM	#3
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Tom, The bigger event happened at the MN store...near Burnsville or Owatonna I think...the Cabellas shop folks said they had 60-75 and many more to come. When I went to the Dundee, MI store myself last year, they had a couple of refinished pieces as well at big prices...the look of those in the MI store were different than those in the MN store...the ones in MI were too blackish in color.

10-14-2005, 02:11 PM	#4
Big Norm RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 1,864 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Pete, I had you in mind when I posted my post. I knew that sometimes you went to the Dundee, Michigan store when you were on business in Michigan. But I thought that maybe some newbies might like to know what is happening in these, otherwise, superb and beautiful stores. Maybe this is why their stock price is continuously going down since it went public. I went there yesterday because they used to have (no more) some nice polorized sunglasses there for $14.95 with glass instead of plastic. Great for hunting when you only have paper to clean your sunglasses with in the field. The glass never got scratched up, but the frames sucked. Tom, I wonder where these people are getting these guns from? My Cabellas usually have about three in their counters. The 1906 navy that I saw was laying left side down so my first impression was that it was a commercial. At $3500+, it looked like a bargain. Big Norm

10-14-2005, 02:38 PM	#5
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	Norm, Obtaining a regular stock of boosted guns is no logistical challenge whatso ever; its obtaining a stock of correct guns in collector condition that is the challenge. Tom A.