Just aquired a 1917 Erfurt

[3Horses]

Hi guys! I just acquired a 1917 Erfurt. It has pitting and kinda rough. The bluing is there on the right side but all brown patina on the left side. Holster wear? So far 821 is stamped on it. And so far, as far as I know how to tear it down, all parts are "21". Except the right grip which has a "70". Left grip stamped "21" also. Needs a major cleaning! Bore looks fantastic! Magazine is repo, as the one that came with it was butchered up around the mag catch hole. I shot 14 rds thru it with my reloaded ammo. She's a TACK DRIVER! Is it worth cleaning up and refinishing, or leave her like it is? I'm very impressed with how it shoots!
Gave 700.00 for it. Did I get taken here?
Thanks for any info!
Spent my Christmas day playing with, and shooting her.

[cirelaw]

Leave as is and enjoy shooting. Its not rare from what I can tell! Its would cost double to refinish. Enjoy! It was a good price for a shooter! Eric

[hayhugh]

You should be able to get your $700.00 back no matter what you do to the gun. If you break a part no problem - If you start putting money into it and break a part you could lose money. If you are going to do a lot of shooting I would leave it just as it is.

[wlyon]

Agree with all the above. Bill

[rhuff]

If you leave it as it is, and while you are shooting and enjoying it, if it were to get a scratch or ding, no one is heart broken!! These old Lugers are awesome shooters, and scary accurate.

[3Horses]

Originally Posted by rhuff

If you leave it as it is, and while you are shooting and enjoying it, if it were to get a scratch or ding, no one is heart broken!! These old Lugers are awesome shooters, and scary accurate.

10-4 on the dents and scratches!
I worked on it all morning, spraying down with cleaner and brushing. Then I used Flitz polish with my dremel and cleaned up all surface rust I could get off. Looks much better! Couldn't believe how much crud was packed in all the crevises. Had to use my dental pick just to get it all cleaned out. Sprayed it down with Balistol. Its made in Germany and is very lubricating in my belief.
Now when the rain stops, she's gonna do a bunch of shooting!
I really enjoy these guns! They are so cool!
Thanks for the input!

[Sergio Natali]

Terry

I've been using BALLISTOL in the last 30 years or so and it is a great product, useful both for cleaning and for lubing your firearms.
Congratulatons your acquisition, I would leave it as is, enjoy shooting it and clean it properly every time you've been to the range. Be careful though it's an old gun so avoid high speed and high power ammunition!
Safe shooting.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by luger.parabellum

Terry

I've been using BALLISTOL in the last 30 years or so and it is a great product, useful both for cleaning and for lubing your firearms.
Congratulatons your acquisition, I would leave it as is, enjoy shooting it and clean it properly every time you've been to the range. Be careful though it's an old gun so avoid high speed and high power ammunition!
Safe shooting.

Sergio,
You always caution new guys about avoiding "high speed and high power ammunition", but you do not tell them what it is or what to use.

In my experience lugers require "normal" ammo and none of it is called either high speed or high power in the US.

We do have "+ P" and "+P+" marked ammunition - which is to be avoided in a luger. Also the "Nato" rounds are hot, they have the cross in the circle, so should not be used.

Is this what you mean?

[3Horses]

Originally Posted by luger.parabellum

Terry

I've been using BALLISTOL in the last 30 years or so and it is a great product, useful both for cleaning and for lubing your firearms.
Congratulatons your acquisition, I would leave it as is, enjoy shooting it and clean it properly every time you've been to the range. Be careful though it's an old gun so avoid high speed and high power ammunition!
Safe shooting.

I sure will use my downloaded reloads. I keep all manufactured ammo safe and stored away.
This was the first time for me to go more in depth on teardown. I see why you guys talk about things breaking! There are some SMALL pieces inside these things! I'll keep my eye out for that one collectable P08 I want to own. But now I have the 2 shooters, and I can shoot right out my backdoor, so I get to shoot a lot, and just love it! Winter is my reloading time while it's cold and nasty out. Even the horses are "NOT" gun shy anymore!
They just keep eating!
My Navy son came home for Christmas. He's a gun nut also! He couldn't believe there is a pistol like it. He was amazed at the action of it. He shot a very nice group, and really enjoyed it also!
Might have another one with Lugeritis!!! He runs across a lot for sale in the military. I told him to contact me, I'll contact you guys, FIRST!
Thanks for the advice!

[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

Sergio,
You always caution new guys about avoiding "high speed and high power ammunition", but you do not tell them what it is or what to use.

In my experience lugers require "normal" ammo and none of it is called either high speed or high power in the US.

We do have "+ P" and "+P+" marked ammunition - which is to be avoided in a luger. Also the "Nato" rounds are hot, they have the cross in the circle, so should not be used.

Is this what you mean?

Exactly, I'm part of other gun-forums too and I often read about guys looking for stronger ammos.
I realize that ours is not a let's say for example a Glock forum, and we should have perhaps a different sort of followers, still especially with younger people that buy an old war horse then sort of quiver by the desire to shoot it straight away I always prefer to remind them that they havent't got a new gun. Better careful than sorry.