New Luger Purchase Questions

rleeryder · 05-17-2009, 02:07 PM

Hello to all!

I just put a Luger on layaway at Cabela's last night. I am not a Luger expert. Always wanted one. I want one to shoot.
The price was 875.00 after some light haggling. I would like to know if this is a fair price.
Here is what I know:
1. The toggle is marked with DWM
2. The blueing looks good.
3. The grips look new, sharp checkering
4. Serial number range, 2---
5. Numbers on exterior parts don't match
6. Rifleing looks good, sharp lands
7. The magazine looks new/newer
8. The location where a a date stamp would be on the frame, there is only a faint "5" stamped where the last digit of the date stamp would be

I did not field strip the gun. The salesman had no further history on the gun. I did take a couple pictures but they are not that great. (camera phone)

After looking at this site last night, I intend to take a better look at the gun in the very near future.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to make a 875.00 maistake. Thanks!

lugerholsterrepair · 05-17-2009, 02:20 PM

John, $875 is way high in my experience with a mismatched parts pistol & aftermarket mag. I would hesitate to pay over $500. The date on a DWM should be over the chamber..parts should be strawed, no straw, it's a reblue and it's getting worse. Then when you have to pony up sales tax this is looking like a $950 Luger.
I would get my deposit back and wait for a lot better one to show up here on the Forum or anywhere.
One other thing to consider if you are buying this as a shooter...With many mismatched parts you might be buying a real problem child in the shooting dept.
Patience is a virtue...

Jerry Burney

DavidJayUden · 05-17-2009, 02:31 PM

Which Cabellas? Perhaps yours is shown on this link:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/co...equestid=55631

If you can provide a link to your gun we can pick it apart better. Remember that at Cabellas you have to pay for a sh--load of junk mail in that Luger price. That being said I have bought from them in the past. Several times as a matter of fact...
The bottom line is that you are not going to buy a $500 shooter for $500 at Cabella's. Ask them to guarantee full price/trade in value on a future trade...That way you can start having fun and they will have a future customer.
Don't beat yourself up for paying a couple of hundred too much for a Luger that catches your eye. They are in fact Eye Candy for big boys, and anyone that says they have never overpaid probably either has limited experience or has limited memory.
And welcome to the forum.
DJU

rleeryder · 05-17-2009, 05:08 PM

It's at the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA.
ref. # 1366824

Weasel505 · 05-18-2009, 03:53 PM

I had planned to drive to that Cabellas yesterday but never happened. Do they have a lot of "vintage" (WWII and earlier) firearms at that store? Lugers, PPs, PPKs, P-38s, K98ks, etc.?

I ask because I am about two hours away and don't want to spend four hours on the road just to look at shiney new Glocks and S&Ws. That's all they have at the Cabellas in Phoenixville.

Also, I concur with the previous posters that $850 for that gun seems a little steep. I get the impression that maybe Cabellas is steep in general?

Thanks.

Weasel

rleeryder · 05-19-2009, 08:36 PM

I would have to say no to the WWII stuff. There might be a couple. Every now and then when I go there might be a Luger there. Occasionally I will see a P38 or 2. Usually pretty expensive. But I saw this Luger and it looked nice but that was before I did some research here and other sites. I can always take it off layaway and lose 10.00 dollars to find a better piece. If anyone has suggestions where I can find a decent shooter specimen for 1000.00 or less I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise I will just leave this one on layaway until I can perform a better inspection. Thanks!

rleeryder · 05-19-2009, 08:38 PM

When did they put a Cabela's in Phoenixville?

Edward Tinker · 05-19-2009, 10:24 PM

$700-$800 should get you a nice shooter here in Pennsylvania. A $1,000 luger should be all matching and in nice shape and all original.

Most gun shows have high priced lugers, but you periodically find something worthwhile, same at gun shops.

I think your best bet is to keep an eye out here on the forum...

Ed

Weasel505 · 05-20-2009, 02:28 PM

Oops. My bad. Not Cabelas, but French Creek Outfitters, in Phoenixville, PA.

Thanks for the info on Hamburg. Now I won't waste a Saturday.

Weasel

rleeryder · 05-20-2009, 09:11 PM

No problem.
I used to go to French Creek when they were on rt 100. Never been to the new store.
If you have never been to Cabela's, it's worth at least one visit. Go during the week though. Gets really busy on the weekends.

rleeryder · 05-25-2009, 11:46 AM

This past weekend I went to take some pictures of the Luger I had on layaway to show you guys and found they had another one there. I decided to check this one out. This one you could see was used. The exterior numbers all matched. They wouldn't allow me to field strip the piece. This one cost 975.00. This gun has all kinds of markings on it unlike the other speciman I was intending to purchase. They wouldn't move on the price. I decided to purchase this one instead. This new one has an aftermarket mag.
-s/n 9800
-left grip is cracked near safety, grips are wood checkered
-bore looked good
-markings on grip frame: Bay.21.J.R.7.K.16
-date stamp is 1915 but the store claims it is a 1920 commercial model in 9mm
-it is DWM stamped on toggle
-proofmark number 15 is on the right side
-"GERMAN" is also stamped on the right side
-there are crossed swords stamped on the right side of the frame near the take down pin
-has the stock lug
-barrel length approx. 4 inches
-no grip safety
-toggle knob squared and knurled

Any info you guys can give me on this pistol would be greatly appreciated.

I wanted to add some pictures but I haven't figured out how to add them yet.
Do you guys think this is too much for this pistol?
Cabelas claims you have thirty days to return if the gun has any problems. They will either fix it or replace it. How do you replace a luger and should they be fixing one?

Thanks for any help and I'll see if I can post some pics.

05-17-2009, 02:07 PM	#1
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	New Luger Purchase Questions Hello to all! I just put a Luger on layaway at Cabela's last night. I am not a Luger expert. Always wanted one. I want one to shoot. The price was 875.00 after some light haggling. I would like to know if this is a fair price. Here is what I know: 1. The toggle is marked with DWM 2. The blueing looks good. 3. The grips look new, sharp checkering 4. Serial number range, 2--- 5. Numbers on exterior parts don't match 6. Rifleing looks good, sharp lands 7. The magazine looks new/newer 8. The location where a a date stamp would be on the frame, there is only a faint "5" stamped where the last digit of the date stamp would be I did not field strip the gun. The salesman had no further history on the gun. I did take a couple pictures but they are not that great. (camera phone) After looking at this site last night, I intend to take a better look at the gun in the very near future. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to make a 875.00 maistake. Thanks!

05-17-2009, 02:20 PM	#2
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,868 Thanked 3,106 Times in 1,429 Posts	John, $875 is way high in my experience with a mismatched parts pistol & aftermarket mag. I would hesitate to pay over $500. The date on a DWM should be over the chamber..parts should be strawed, no straw, it's a reblue and it's getting worse. Then when you have to pony up sales tax this is looking like a $950 Luger. I would get my deposit back and wait for a lot better one to show up here on the Forum or anywhere. One other thing to consider if you are buying this as a shooter...With many mismatched parts you might be buying a real problem child in the shooting dept. Patience is a virtue... Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-18-2009, 03:53 PM	#5
Weasel505 User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 46 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Amazing... I had planned to drive to that Cabellas yesterday but never happened. Do they have a lot of "vintage" (WWII and earlier) firearms at that store? Lugers, PPs, PPKs, P-38s, K98ks, etc.? I ask because I am about two hours away and don't want to spend four hours on the road just to look at shiney new Glocks and S&Ws. That's all they have at the Cabellas in Phoenixville. Also, I concur with the previous posters that $850 for that gun seems a little steep. I get the impression that maybe Cabellas is steep in general? Thanks. Weasel

05-19-2009, 10:24 PM	#8
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,919 Thanks: 1,998 Thanked 4,511 Times in 2,083 Posts	$700-$800 should get you a nice shooter here in Pennsylvania. A $1,000 luger should be all matching and in nice shape and all original. Most gun shows have high priced lugers, but you periodically find something worthwhile, same at gun shops. I think your best bet is to keep an eye out here on the forum... Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

05-20-2009, 02:28 PM	#9
Weasel505 User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 46 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	No Cabelas in Phoenixville Oops. My bad. Not Cabelas, but French Creek Outfitters, in Phoenixville, PA. Thanks for the info on Hamburg. Now I won't waste a Saturday. Weasel

05-17-2009, 02:31 PM	#3
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	Which Cabellas? Perhaps yours is shown on this link: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/co...equestid=55631 If you can provide a link to your gun we can pick it apart better. Remember that at Cabellas you have to pay for a sh--load of junk mail in that Luger price. That being said I have bought from them in the past. Several times as a matter of fact... The bottom line is that you are not going to buy a $500 shooter for $500 at Cabella's. Ask them to guarantee full price/trade in value on a future trade...That way you can start having fun and they will have a future customer. Don't beat yourself up for paying a couple of hundred too much for a Luger that catches your eye. They are in fact Eye Candy for big boys, and anyone that says they have never overpaid probably either has limited experience or has limited memory. And welcome to the forum. DJU

05-17-2009, 05:08 PM	#4
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	It's at the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA. ref. # 1366824

05-19-2009, 08:36 PM	#6
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I would have to say no to the WWII stuff. There might be a couple. Every now and then when I go there might be a Luger there. Occasionally I will see a P38 or 2. Usually pretty expensive. But I saw this Luger and it looked nice but that was before I did some research here and other sites. I can always take it off layaway and lose 10.00 dollars to find a better piece. If anyone has suggestions where I can find a decent shooter specimen for 1000.00 or less I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise I will just leave this one on layaway until I can perform a better inspection. Thanks!

05-19-2009, 08:38 PM	#7
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	When did they put a Cabela's in Phoenixville?

05-20-2009, 09:11 PM	#10
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	No problem. I used to go to French Creek when they were on rt 100. Never been to the new store. If you have never been to Cabela's, it's worth at least one visit. Go during the week though. Gets really busy on the weekends.

05-25-2009, 11:46 AM	#11
rleeryder User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	changed lugers This past weekend I went to take some pictures of the Luger I had on layaway to show you guys and found they had another one there. I decided to check this one out. This one you could see was used. The exterior numbers all matched. They wouldn't allow me to field strip the piece. This one cost 975.00. This gun has all kinds of markings on it unlike the other speciman I was intending to purchase. They wouldn't move on the price. I decided to purchase this one instead. This new one has an aftermarket mag. -s/n 9800 -left grip is cracked near safety, grips are wood checkered -bore looked good -markings on grip frame: Bay.21.J.R.7.K.16 -date stamp is 1915 but the store claims it is a 1920 commercial model in 9mm -it is DWM stamped on toggle -proofmark number 15 is on the right side -"GERMAN" is also stamped on the right side -there are crossed swords stamped on the right side of the frame near the take down pin -has the stock lug -barrel length approx. 4 inches -no grip safety -toggle knob squared and knurled Any info you guys can give me on this pistol would be greatly appreciated. I wanted to add some pictures but I haven't figured out how to add them yet. Do you guys think this is too much for this pistol? Cabelas claims you have thirty days to return if the gun has any problems. They will either fix it or replace it. How do you replace a luger and should they be fixing one? Thanks for any help and I'll see if I can post some pics. Last edited by rleeryder; 05-25-2009 at 01:38 PM.