First Luger, whaddya think?

[BryceM]

I recently acquired my first Luger, a 1917 Erfurt model in .30 caliber:



This pistol has obviously been neglected for several years as I found rust in a few areas. The action and field-strip lever were pretty sticky prior to a preliminary cleaning.

This photo is from my cell phone in flat light. I'll shoot some decent ones with a real camera when I get a minute.

As far as I can tell, it has been rebarrelled at some point, interestingly still at .309 caliber. Everything else has matching serials, including the magazine. The number on the mag is very difficult to make out due to wear but it is a match.

The bore shows no pitting and there really isn't any serious wear.

I really enjoyed stripping it down. The German engineering is fantastic in its complexity and in its simplicity. I can see why people go nuts for these.

I bought this for $800. Sound about right? I really want a shooter and I'm not so much interested in a high-value collector or museum piece. I've got some Fiocchi .30 ammo on the way. Since the barrel isn't original, maybe I'll rebarrel it to 9mm someday.

I'm no gunsmith, but the finish looks original and there isn't any flattening of the stamps or original factory metalwork as far as I can tell. The grips are slightly loose. I hope after a good cleaning they tighten up a bit.

Anything I need to watch out for before firing it? The action and the mag look to be in good shape. Everything fits well.

Newbie interested in your thoughts.......