luger found

greenbeard · 04-02-2010, 12:18 AM

foud this 1916 DWM in a closet when I bought my house(house is 60 years old),dont know any history on the sidearm, but all numbers match except mags.has what looks to be repro holster(forgot to take picmmaybe tomorrow)m still

a very cool find

Sieger · 04-02-2010, 01:35 AM

Hi:

The pistol looks too well maintained to have been forgoten in a closet.

Sieger

DavidJayUden · 04-02-2010, 08:27 AM

I smell something fishey here...
dju

John Sabato · 04-02-2010, 08:41 AM

If you really found that in a closet in the house you bought, you really lucked out... its value would likely have covered your closing costs. If I were you I would find out the history of the house... cause if the previous owner didn't die, he will likely remember his pistol is missing and report it stolen... not a good position to be in.

If the previous owner had passed on, then you might consider contacting the descendents to see about the appropriate heir?

I would be interested to learn what you find out, as probably many here would.

What state do you live in? Possession may be a problem if you live in a mandatory registration state...

calibrator · 04-02-2010, 12:05 PM

It could happen. In the 70's my father bought an old house in Cleveland, Ohio that was over 70 yrs old. We found a early WW II M1 carbine (in perfect condition) in a closet along with a period type Civil Defense helmet and armbands etc... . The house had been in the same family forever. the surviving heir died there. It was like a museum in there, alot of pictures and letters from the Spanish-American war, WW I and WW II.

Ron Smith · 04-02-2010, 12:52 PM

Certainly! When our neighbors moved into the house across from us. They found a nearly mint Smith & Wesson M&P .38 Special in attic crawl space. The previous owner was in a nursing home with dementia and his son, the only heir, is mentally disabled from an auto accident.

He brought it to me wanting to know where the previous owers lived. I told him to keep it.

greenbeard · 04-02-2010, 01:45 PM

the previous owner built the house on family land after he came back from WWII, he and wife lived here until their deaths5 and 9 years ago, I'm not sure who died when, anyway the house went to a grandchild (who lives elsewhere...)I bought the house "As is, with contents".there were all sorts of things, hospital beds and wheelchairs, clothes , furniture, photo albums,etc. mostly junk to me. when i found the pistol, I was excited, to say the least! I spoke with my lawyer about it, he informed me that since my contract cited "all contents within" it belonged to me.so there it is. I did return all photos and family items to a family member.
I figure it was a bringback gun that sat in the closet for who knows how long.

greenbeard · 04-02-2010, 02:17 PM

more pics.the firearm was in the holster, loaded. I got rid of the cartridges, becuase they were corroded. also I have cleaned it since I found it

Edward Tinker · 04-02-2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sieger

Hi:

The pistol looks too well maintained to have been forgoten in a closet.

Sieger

I have bought 3 or 4 pistols that had "sat in a closet" for 40-50 years, one in a holster the entire time; one in a holster, but the dad cleaned it every now and then.

Depends on where you live and what the humidity level is like. Its wetter here in PA, but everywhere else I have lived, its been very dry.

Ed

John Sabato · 04-02-2010, 02:58 PM

The magazine with the concentric circles on the wooden knobs is an orginal German Navy Luger magazine and is a rare item in and of itself...

You could probably trade it to a Navy Luger collector for two or more standard magazines in similar condition...

The holster does NOT appear to be a reproduction and is in excellent condition.

Great find and great story... good luck with it.

Curly1 · 04-02-2010, 03:00 PM

Nice find.

I bought a cigarette AC 45 PP that a guy found in a wall of a house he bought and was renovating here in upstate NY. Looked like it was never fired or seen a drop of oil on it. It had several surface rust spots on the finish that cleaned up but other than that it looked good.

rolandtg · 04-02-2010, 10:52 PM

Sounds like a great house!

Zamo · 06-19-2010, 01:56 AM

All I found in my attic was some gunstock blanks. I was pretty excited at the time, as they are really nice walnut...

Now I'm totally depressed.
Maybe I should tear out all the drywall while the wife is sleeping, and see if there's any Lugers to be found!

Edward Tinker · 06-19-2010, 04:56 AM

Zamo, you do that. please send a link to your on-line newspaper the day before, as I would like to see if you make the news from your wife's beating

FNorm · 06-19-2010, 08:29 AM

Maybe go over the walls with a stud finder? A mass of metal like a luger should make the sensor jump...

FN

Frank · 06-19-2010, 08:38 AM

Hey FN, when I try to use a stud finder, the damn thing just points at me!!

rob00000 · 06-20-2010, 03:46 PM

Wow, a free Luger. I'm looking for a decent shooter and here we got guys finding them in their house. If I could only be so lucky. Congrats on your sweet find..

Major Tom · 01-29-2018, 08:13 PM

A few years back, a local motel was renovating its rooms and found a revolver in the bathroom wall. Turned out it was used in a murder and the perp's prints were on it. She is serving life.

Vlim · 01-30-2018, 02:49 PM

A very nice find. Discarding the cartridges without taking a second look is not recommended. Some 9mm cartridges are collectible and are worth saving.

Always check the head stamps and research them online. A good place to start is the IAA website.

Eugen · 01-30-2018, 03:14 PM

...and just like that, an eight year old thread comes back to life!

I only found dead mice in the old houses that I bought.

04-02-2010, 12:18 AM	#1
greenbeard New User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Piedmont,SC Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	luger found foud this 1916 DWM in a closet when I bought my house(house is 60 years old),dont know any history on the sidearm, but all numbers match except mags.has what looks to be repro holster(forgot to take picmmaybe tomorrow)m still a very cool find Attached Thumbnails

04-02-2010, 08:41 AM	#4
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,150 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,304 Times in 1,096 Posts	If you really found that in a closet in the house you bought, you really lucked out... its value would likely have covered your closing costs. If I were you I would find out the history of the house... cause if the previous owner didn't die, he will likely remember his pistol is missing and report it stolen... not a good position to be in. If the previous owner had passed on, then you might consider contacting the descendents to see about the appropriate heir? I would be interested to learn what you find out, as probably many here would. What state do you live in? Possession may be a problem if you live in a mandatory registration state... __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

04-02-2010, 12:52 PM	#6
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Certainly! When our neighbors moved into the house across from us. They found a nearly mint Smith & Wesson M&P .38 Special in attic crawl space. The previous owner was in a nursing home with dementia and his son, the only heir, is mentally disabled from an auto accident. He brought it to me wanting to know where the previous owers lived. I told him to keep it. __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

04-02-2010, 02:17 PM	#8
greenbeard New User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Piedmont,SC Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	more pics.the firearm was in the holster, loaded. I got rid of the cartridges, becuase they were corroded. also I have cleaned it since I found it Attached Thumbnails

04-02-2010, 02:58 PM	#10
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,150 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,304 Times in 1,096 Posts	The magazine with the concentric circles on the wooden knobs is an orginal German Navy Luger magazine and is a rare item in and of itself... You could probably trade it to a Navy Luger collector for two or more standard magazines in similar condition... The holster does NOT appear to be a reproduction and is in excellent condition. Great find and great story... good luck with it. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

04-02-2010, 01:35 AM	#2
Sieger User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,575 Thanks: 2,124 Thanked 400 Times in 249 Posts	Hi: The pistol looks too well maintained to have been forgoten in a closet. Sieger

04-02-2010, 08:27 AM	#3
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I smell something fishey here... dju

04-02-2010, 12:05 PM	#5
calibrator User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cave Creek Posts: 315 Thanks: 55 Thanked 242 Times in 92 Posts	It could happen. In the 70's my father bought an old house in Cleveland, Ohio that was over 70 yrs old. We found a early WW II M1 carbine (in perfect condition) in a closet along with a period type Civil Defense helmet and armbands etc... . The house had been in the same family forever. the surviving heir died there. It was like a museum in there, alot of pictures and letters from the Spanish-American war, WW I and WW II.

04-02-2010, 01:45 PM	#7
greenbeard New User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Piedmont,SC Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	the previous owner built the house on family land after he came back from WWII, he and wife lived here until their deaths5 and 9 years ago, I'm not sure who died when, anyway the house went to a grandchild (who lives elsewhere...)I bought the house "As is, with contents".there were all sorts of things, hospital beds and wheelchairs, clothes , furniture, photo albums,etc. mostly junk to me. when i found the pistol, I was excited, to say the least! I spoke with my lawyer about it, he informed me that since my contract cited "all contents within" it belonged to me.so there it is. I did return all photos and family items to a family member. I figure it was a bringback gun that sat in the closet for who knows how long.

04-02-2010, 03:00 PM	#11
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,230 Thanks: 113 Thanked 703 Times in 365 Posts	Nice find. I bought a cigarette AC 45 PP that a guy found in a wall of a house he bought and was renovating here in upstate NY. Looked like it was never fired or seen a drop of oil on it. It had several surface rust spots on the finish that cleaned up but other than that it looked good. __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary

04-02-2010, 10:52 PM	#12
rolandtg User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 472 Thanks: 363 Thanked 255 Times in 111 Posts	Sounds like a great house!

06-19-2010, 01:56 AM	#13
Zamo User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Washington State Posts: 142 Thanks: 4 Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts	All I found in my attic was some gunstock blanks. I was pretty excited at the time, as they are really nice walnut... Now I'm totally depressed. Maybe I should tear out all the drywall while the wife is sleeping, and see if there's any Lugers to be found! __________________ <INSERT WITTY SAYING HERE> My collection: http://home.comcast.net/~gunspotz/guns.htm

06-19-2010, 04:56 AM	#14
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,915 Thanks: 1,989 Thanked 4,506 Times in 2,080 Posts	Zamo, you do that. please send a link to your on-line newspaper the day before, as I would like to see if you make the news from your wife's beating

06-19-2010, 08:29 AM	#15
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	Maybe go over the walls with a stud finder? A mass of metal like a luger should make the sensor jump... FN

06-19-2010, 08:38 AM	#16
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	Hey FN, when I try to use a stud finder, the damn thing just points at me!!

06-20-2010, 03:46 PM	#17
rob00000 User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts	Wow, a free Luger. I'm looking for a decent shooter and here we got guys finding them in their house. If I could only be so lucky. Congrats on your sweet find..

01-29-2018, 08:13 PM	#18
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 482 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	A few years back, a local motel was renovating its rooms and found a revolver in the bathroom wall. Turned out it was used in a murder and the perp's prints were on it. She is serving life. __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

01-30-2018, 02:49 PM	#19
Vlim Moderator Lifetime LugerForum Patron Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 5,046 Thanks: 1,034 Thanked 3,946 Times in 1,197 Posts	A very nice find. Discarding the cartridges without taking a second look is not recommended. Some 9mm cartridges are collectible and are worth saving. Always check the head stamps and research them online. A good place to start is the IAA website.

01-30-2018, 03:14 PM	#20
Eugen User Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Newburgh,IN Posts: 768 Thanks: 372 Thanked 603 Times in 320 Posts	...and just like that, an eight year old thread comes back to life! I only found dead mice in the old houses that I bought. __________________ “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” ― Mark Twain