History of the American Lugers?

TOGGLELOCK · 12-18-2003, 04:42 PM

Why are there so many names (Stoeger, AIMCO, Mitchell) and so forth? How did these companies come forth and why so many changes? Does any one have the story?

Steve Richards · 12-18-2003, 08:01 PM

All of them have been made by what is now Orimar in Houston, Texas. some were contracted to Mitchell and have that company name engraved on the left side of the frame. Some were contracted to Stoeger (which has the copyright on LUGER in the US) and have Luger engraved on the left side. Later ones were sold directly by the company and the left side is not engraved. About a year ago the company name was changed from AIMCO to Orimar because of the past association of the name AIMCO with Stoeger.

This should make this as clear as the proverbial mud!

Johnny C. Kitchens · 12-18-2003, 09:07 PM

You left out the mystery of SPM in all of this...

Steve Richards · 12-19-2003, 02:06 AM

I do not know where SPM fits into all this.

When I first found AIMCO, I got a letter back from the company president saying that he had made all the stainless guns regardless of who the distributor was but he did not say where SPM was in the line of things.

Johnny C. Kitchens · 12-19-2003, 10:21 PM

I wondered if AIMCO had another name change, although temporarily. You only see the SPM on some Mitchell models. My thought is that it stood for Stainless Pistol Manufactorer. Just a thought...

12-18-2003, 04:42 PM	#1
TOGGLELOCK User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: USA Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	History of the American Lugers? Why are there so many names (Stoeger, AIMCO, Mitchell) and so forth? How did these companies come forth and why so many changes? Does any one have the story?

12-18-2003, 09:07 PM	#3
Johnny C. Kitchens User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Arlington, Texas Posts: 518 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 8 Posts	You left out the mystery of SPM in all of this... __________________ Johnny C. Kitchens

12-19-2003, 10:21 PM	#5
Johnny C. Kitchens User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Arlington, Texas Posts: 518 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 8 Posts	I wondered if AIMCO had another name change, although temporarily. You only see the SPM on some Mitchell models. My thought is that it stood for Stainless Pistol Manufactorer. Just a thought... __________________ Johnny C. Kitchens

12-18-2003, 08:01 PM	#2
Steve Richards User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Beaverton, Oregon Posts: 487 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	All of them have been made by what is now Orimar in Houston, Texas. some were contracted to Mitchell and have that company name engraved on the left side of the frame. Some were contracted to Stoeger (which has the copyright on LUGER in the US) and have Luger engraved on the left side. Later ones were sold directly by the company and the left side is not engraved. About a year ago the company name was changed from AIMCO to Orimar because of the past association of the name AIMCO with Stoeger. This should make this as clear as the proverbial mud!

12-19-2003, 02:06 AM	#4
Steve Richards User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Beaverton, Oregon Posts: 487 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I do not know where SPM fits into all this. When I first found AIMCO, I got a letter back from the company president saying that he had made all the stainless guns regardless of who the distributor was but he did not say where SPM was in the line of things.