"Shooter's grade" vs. "matching numbers"

[gunsrfun1]

Hello - I am new to Lugers and new to this forum; seems like a great bunch of people. I am considering my first 9 mm Luger purchase, and before I put up a â??WTBâ?� ad or start looking around, I want to ask a few questions. 1) It looks like the going rate for a shooter-grade Luger is around $500-$750, according to the advice I have seen in various threads here. Should a shooter grade in this price range have all matching numbers? 2) If not, then what should I expect to pay for an entry-level Luger with all matching numbers? 3) Since I am going to shoot this occasionally, are matching numbers required for a Luger to function reliably? That's the only real reason I'd be concerned with matching numbers. thanks

[Dwight Gruber]

A Luger for shooting might have matching numbers if it is an extraordinarily common model, or if it is in poor finish condition or refinished. The mid-to-upper part of your price range is reasonable. A Luger whose parts are an original number match is likely to shoot reliably; a mismatched gun may or may not.

Welcome to the Forum, welcome to the wonderfu wide world of owning and shooting Lugers, be sure to keep us up on what you buy and your experiences with shooting it.

--Dwight

[gunsrfun1]

Thanks Dwight. So in your opinion, if reliability is important to me, should I hold out for an all-matching gun, even if I have to pay a bit more?

[Pete Ebbink]

If you happen to buy a shooter luger (with or without matching parts) from LF members Tom Heller (aka LugerDoc) or Hugh Clark...you can be sure you will get a reliable shooter they have tested and shot...

[LugerVern]

A shooter does not require matching numbers to function reliably, however the odds go way up if it does. If you look hard it is still possible to find shooters in your price range that have matching numbers except for magazine but my guess is you will pay a little more.
Even the so called shooters are commanding high prices; with more and more collectors all the time any luger especially ones with matching numbers is a good thing.
Not everyone can afford 2 & 3 thousand dollar guns and this has created a new collectable categoryâ??even though its not talked about much, be assured there are collectors and gun enthusiasts who will buy an all matching gun, reworked, rusted or not.
This would be good should you ever decide to resale your luger.
Bottom line; buy the best condition gun you can afford seeking to obtain a matching gun if at all possible.

This forum is a good place to shop for what your looking for, so are your local pawn shopsâ??but you need to make contact with the owners of the pawn shops as many have ties with gun dealers who will place a premium on a cheap luger if given a chance.

Hope this helps

Vern

[davidkachel]

gunsrfun1

I haven't learned a lot since I've been a member of this forum, but I've learned this much:

Matching numbers shooter at price X = uglier gun.
Mismatched numbers shooter at same price (X) = prettier gun.

If you have a matching number gun and break a part shooting it, its value goes down because of the mistmatched replacement part.
If you have a mismatched number gun and break a part, the value remains the same after the replacement part.

If you have a matching number gun that you use as a shooter, you'll always worry about breaking a part. With a mismatched gun you won't worry nearly as much.

The matching number shooter of today will become the matching number collector's piece of tomorrow... there are only so many Lugers in the world.

Your mismatched number shooter will eventually also become of interest to some "collectors" for the same reason.

Unless you are planning on becoming a Luger collector yourself, you'll probably realize as I did that those matching numbers don't really mean anything to you. If I stumbled on a nice matching number Luger I would probably trade it to Hugh or one of the other guys, knowing they would appreciate it and care for it more than I would. To me, everything is a shooter, so there are some guns I just shouldn't have.

Whichever route you decide to take, you've lucked into the right place. This is a great bunch of guys and the one place I am certain you won't get skinned.

[lugerholsterrepair]

A matching sideplate is one of the more important parts. I agree with David, I think...I just sold a 1917 , all matching DWM that would have been a 12-1400 dollar pistol except some IDIOT engraved his 3 initials in the plate above the left grip. A beautifull collector piece kicked in the nuts. Looked like a very recent engraving too...Got only 900 for it. That one would make a good shooter. I just couldn't stand to see the engraving, like someone drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa....Jerry Burney

[davidkachel]

Jerry,

I have the same reaction when I find some idiot has scratched his social security number on a gun somewhere.
Why do people listen to idiotic advise like that!?

[lugerholsterrepair]

David, A month or so ago I bought Radom with wooden grips. Absolutely stunning almost mint late model. I was marveling when I took off the right grip and there it was! Social Security strikes again! Thank God it is under the grip. At least it is hidden.
This is not as bad as grinding off a stock lug on an Artillery....In general I guess 50 years ago there was a different attitude...People were not so concerned with caretaking pieces of history as many are today. I see carved up holsters on a daily basis.
I have a stone mint brown Luger holster that would easily bring 500 bucks except sombody had a long barreled Luger so cut an inch off the toe with a table saw. Now it might be worth 50. It's one of those things I hate to look at....Jerry Burney