Worth of German Luger P08 - never been fired, all matching serial #s.

[cnv2855]

So my father just gave me a German Luger and I have limited info on it. Before I put it in my safe to hold on to I wanted to ascertain a little bit about it, and maybe develop some idea as to its value.

I was told the gun has never been fired, and I believe it. It seems to be in very good condition for a 70+ year old pistol.

It has P.08 on the side and the number 1284 is stamped on the side of the pistol. Every single part of the pistol has 84 on it. There's the number 41 on the front top of the pistol slide and the number 42 near the rear, again the number of 84 is printed in between those two numbers on that particular piece.

It has two never been used issue magazines with the serial number 1284 on them as well. One magazine is painted black and one is what appears to be anodized aluminum. It would appear that all the serial numbers match and it's an all-original gun.

It has a german eagle on the right hand side of the gun in a very fine engraving. There are actually three small eagles side by side along the right hand side of the gun. Two of the eagles have very fine numbers under them, in what apepras to be something like 856, 855, or SSS.
The barrel also has 1284 on it with a smaller 881 number immediately under it.

It comes with a very old interarms manual and german parabellum instruction manual in a plain cardboard box.

Anyway, if you have any questions or need pictures let me know. It would seem the gun may be worth a little more considering its condition and matching serial numbers, I'm just wondering what a good ballpark figure would be.

[FNorm]

What you're describing sounds like a 41 (date made) 42(code for Mauser) A semi rare bird, about 7000 made. Look at the front of the frame, under the barrel. There should be a script letter there, under the serial number. Actually it is part of the serial called a 'block'. This tells us more about the sequence of the piece.

The rt side marking are proof and acceptance marks. Should be eagle over 655, or as we say E/655.
then then late test proof.

The 8,81 is the bore measurement, land to land in mm.

FN

[Frank]

FNorm has given you some good information. Chances are pretty good the script letter on the front of the frame is an "O". This letter is part of the serial number.

It would be nice to see some pictures of your Luger, especially the magazines, including the numbers stamped on the bottoms.

Sounds like a very nice pistol!!

[Edward Tinker]

Welcome to the forum. Technically, it is "barely been fired" as your's as the markings under the barrel and I am sure proofing on the left, thus, it has been test fired probably 5-10 rounds


ed

[cnv2855]

There's an 0 but I can't tell if it's a dent/scuff or an engraved letter.

It's directly under 1284 on the frame, sort of at an angle.

The magazines all have the matching serial numbers stamped on the bottom. I'll take some pictures.

[cnv2855]

http://img829.imageshack.us/i/img1270v.jpg/

http://img837.imageshack.us/i/img1271co.jpg/

http://img843.imageshack.us/i/img1272rk.jpg/

http://img215.imageshack.us/i/img1273ff.jpg/

http://img442.imageshack.us/i/img1274c.jpg/

http://img36.imageshack.us/i/img1275nt.jpg/

http://img841.imageshack.us/i/img1276dq.jpg/

http://img827.imageshack.us/i/img1277e.jpg/

[cnv2855]

It also has this on the box.

"S-42/38 (MAG or MAO [can't tell which the last letter is])" on top

1920 on side

A112 S#1284 O on other side.

[Frank]

cnv, thanks for the information. The serial number is 1284o and it was completed in January 1941. The next 1941 lugers were called 41 byf. The byf was located in the same position as the "42" on your pistol. There were about 12,000 of your type pistol produced.

Now the bad news. The magazines you have, while numbered to your pistol, are NOT correct. These magazines have been renumberd to match the numerical part of the serial number. The original magazines would be numbered 1284, with an "O" beneath it, and a "+" sign for the second or spare magazine.

It is difficult to give you more monetary information without many and more detailed pictures.

From the pictures you show, it appears to be a decent pistol.

[cnv2855]

So Interarms faked the magazines when they imported the gun?

[pitsword]

I must apologize up front and beg forgiveness. Although a total novice, this appears to me to be "Yokahama, Youkosuka mama" airsoft knock off. If correct, I'd place the value somewhere between $28.395 and $46.3/16th. Being the Novice that I am and also a really nice guy, I'll make you whole for the high end. I'll send you $78.7/8, shipped to my P.O. Box. Please make sure it is in plain brown wrapper. Look forward to helping you out.

You sir, have a most desireable pistol. Keep it in the family. If only more Children today would respect what we have worked/ lived our lives for. Not to understand today, but a few years down the road, realize what you have given away.
Best to you,
Pitsword

[cnv2855]

Had no intention of selling it, but I do like to know the value of things I have in my possession.

It seems to be in extraordinary condition for a 70+ year old weapon. There are a few minor scratches, but the finish is all there.

Why are there two E655s on the right of the gun and a third eagle without a number?

Also does this Interarms paperwork hold any value?

[FNorm]

cnv,

Nice looking piece. Now read about disassembly here:

http://www.wonderhowto.com/search/luger/

BUT! Be especially careful with the left grip. It goes up and under a metal lip for about an eighth of an inch and is very easy to break off the corner by the safety lever. I barely raise it by pushing from the inside then rotate the bottom forward.

Clean/oil as you would any gun using quality products. No oil on the wood!

FN

[Tony S.]

It appears that there is an import mark along the bottom of the barrel, is this correct? I think this gun maybe an Interarms imported Luger; usually dipped blue before sale.
r/ Tony

[Edward Tinker]

Originally Posted by cnv2855

So Interarms faked the magazines when they imported the gun?

no, they did not care, it was done by someone later

I will slowly look at the imageshack pictures, it is HIGHLY suggested that you post pictures here, I find that imageshack /photobucket pictures disappear in a short time.

Value of an import is approx about $600-$700, an extra magazine worth another $100


Ed

[Vlim]

It comes with a very old interarms manual and german parabellum instruction manual in a plain cardboard box.

Ah, this resembles the pistols that came from Russian storage and were refurbished in Germany for companies like Frankonia who subsequently sold them through their chain of stores and mail order business.

These are very good restorations and make for excellent (almost too good) shooters.
They were indeed delivered in Europe in a plain card board box, with 1 magazine and a Mauser Parabellum manual.

Interarms also offered a batch of excellent pistols for sale to Mauser in the late 1970s, early 1980s. I will look up that document, must have it somewhere. Interarms bought and sold so many pistols between 1960 and 1997 that it is almost impossible to determine where and when these pistols showed up. Many have been in storage for years. Russia had loads and loads of them, other Eastern-Block countries must have had their share of supplies and also the Scandinavian countries had them in their inventories for decades.

[cnv2855]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

no, they did not care, it was done by someone later

I will slowly look at the imageshack pictures, it is HIGHLY suggested that you post pictures here, I find that imageshack /photobucket pictures disappear in a short time.

Value of an import is approx about $600-$700, an extra magazine worth another $100


Ed

Why would it only be worth $600-700?

Would I be wrong in assuming that you are calling it an import because you think it was a production model in the 1970s? This isn't a real Luger made in 1941, and that the manufacturer of the pistol faked the markings? Did they tamper with the gun?

I've seen 30 year old guns and it definitely looks much older than that.

[Vlim]

Nope,

-It's a real pre-1945 P08.
-It probably was refinished somewhere along the line, most likely by Interarms in the 1970s.
-Don't confuse it with the post-war Mauser Parabellums that Mauser did between 1969-2000.
-The price Ed quoted is realistic in today's market.
-The interarms material / box actually adds a collector interest

[cnv2855]

Originally Posted by Vlim

Nope,

-It's a real pre-1945 P08.
-It probably was refinished somewhere along the line, most likely by Interarms in the 1970s.
-Don't confuse it with the post-war Mauser Parabellums that Mauser did between 1969-2000.
-The price Ed quoted is realistic in today's market.
-The interarms material / box actually adds a collector interest

A normal 41/42 P08 is worth 1500-2500, right?

So it loses 75% of its value just because it is associated with Interarms or may have been refinished (I don't think it has been)?
Does it have more value if there's no importation mark, since you would not be able to discern it's history as an Interarms firearm? It does say "Interarms, Alexandria VA" on the barrel.

Basically, I'm asking why an Interarms firearm would be worth a fraction of the same gun, made on the same lines, in the same time period, just without one marking on the barrel.

If the gun is only worth $700, I'm going to take it to the range. I have kimbers worth more much more than that.

[Vlim]

Well, the good news is that it doesn't look refinished to me.

Personally, I like the Interarms bits, but that is because I have an interest in the company history and their ties with Mauser.

Import markings indeed devalue a pistol (although personally I don't care much, it just adds to the history, if applied properly at least and not by Bubba with a chisel ).

It is a nice representation of a wartime P08 that was resold onto the commercial market in the late 70s, early 80s by one of the largest surplus dealers on the planet in those days. So keep the Interarms stuff with it and enjoy it for what it is. At least it's real and I surely wouldn't feel ashamed having it in my safe

[cnv2855]

Alright, you'll have a better idea of the condition % and whether or not it's been refinished from these photos.

http://img541.imageshack.us/i/img1278ew.jpg/

http://img530.imageshack.us/i/img1279ka.jpg/

http://img213.imageshack.us/i/img1280t.jpg/

http://img716.imageshack.us/i/img1281zy.jpg/

http://img94.imageshack.us/i/img1282j.jpg/

http://img688.imageshack.us/i/img1283n.jpg/

http://img844.imageshack.us/i/img1284ti.jpg/