New Member with First Luger P08

[badisches_pionier]

Hi everyone,

This is my first P08 Luger. Wanted to share some photos and ask for thoughts on it. I paid 799.00 for the gun and it was listed as not matching. So far I have determined the only thing that does not match is the side plate. I scored a side plate from a WWI era DWM on eBay with the same 2 digit code last week and will be getting that fitted to it. I was looking for thoughts on shooting this? I will replace the firing pin and put on repro grips first and set the original parts aside. Was curious on what you all though about the bore? These pics aren't great but they show decent details. The magazine is imperial proofed but does not match the gun. The grip panels are unmarked but appear to be original to the gun. All of the springs are corrosion free as well.

Thanks all for any input!

[badisches_pionier]

[DavidJayUden]

I'm not seeing anything that scares me about shooting it. Get a MecGar magazine and save your fragile wood bottom original. Use a stainless steel .40 Cal. bore brush on the bore, clean it, lube it, and then go shoot it.
These guns don't necessarily have to have a nice looking bore to shoot well.
The price seems about right.
Congratulations, and welcome to Club Luger!
dju

[rhuff]

If you plan to shoot it, I would replace the firing pin with a fluted firing pin(safer)either OEM or reproduction. Your extractor is numbered to this Luger, so I would replace it with an aftermarket one, as it is not uncommon for an old extractor to break when shooting.

Stick with std. velocity ammo, like WWB 115gr FMJ, or PMC, S&B, etc 115gr FMJ.


I own/a couple of Lugers with bores like yours, and they shoot just fine.....better that I can!!

[Edward Tinker]

Welcome to the forum!

Looks like a decent shooter - Since the sideplate is the rougher of the items on it, replacing it isn't a bad idea. Great you scored a matching sideplate.

Since the price paid was a shooter price, I would not go out of my way buying tons of new parts. But if you want to, look around for the right part to come along. The east german or russian plastic grips work well, however, many times they are not cheaper than some cheaper made wood grips...

Ed

[DonVoigt]

Hi and welcome to the board.

You have a good start and a decent shooting luger.

I would not have worried about the side plate, unless you got quite lucky, you paid a lot for it!
It may have the matching number but it won't be a "matching side plate", as the finish is likely not to match and the inside numbers won't either- unless you really won the lottery!

I didn't know about the inside numbers until today, they will be the first two digits of your serial number or "69". They are located in the spot shown below.

Be also aware that it may not fit correctly or operate the sear without some work- which it sounds like you may already know.

Congrats on your first luger, do report back with how it shoots and how the side plate works out!

Be also very aware that you may not be able to stop with just one luger!

[Eugen]

Congrats on your Luger purchase and welcome to the forum. I just purchased my first Luger two months ago and am on a learning curve. Be sure to read the FAQs as there is a wealth of info for new owners. Trust me on this one.

Please post your range experience.

[mrerick]

IIRC, only the Mauser side plates are numbered inside. This DWM would have come with a side plate that wasn't numbered inside. It might have had an inspection mark.

The plate on your gun now looks a bit like it was force fit to the gun. There is apparent grinding that isn't square on the front edge of the plate.

As long as the rest of the linkage wasn't "adjusted" to make the plate fit, you should be able to get a DWM plate to properly fit. This is hand work and can take some experience and skill to do properly.

Do download the FAQs. It is a good reference.

[badisches_pionier]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I will look for an extractor for it as well as a fluted firing pin.

The side plate will be here next week and it actually does look about the same finish wise only does not have the pitting on it like the one I currently have. I will definitely check for the interior numbers though. I paid 130.00 for it, about average for it from what I have seen listed on GB and eBay. I will post pics of it when it comes in.

I am going with wood grips, trying to keep it looking period 1916. Any recommendations on a decent grip that will fit the pistol without much if any modification?

I will also give the stainless steel brush a try, I had read about those a few years ago helping clean up old bores.

Thanks again for all the helpful tips and info!

[badisches_pionier]

Originally Posted by mrerick

IIRC, only the Mauser side plates are numbered inside. This DWM would have come with a side plate that wasn't numbered inside. It might have had an inspection mark.

The plate on your gun now looks a bit like it was force fit to the gun. There is apparent grinding that isn't square on the frond edge of the plate.

As long as the rest of the linkage wasn't "adjusted" to make the plate fit, you should be able to get a DWM plate to properly fit. This is hand work and can take some experience and skill to do properly.

Do download the FAQs. It is a good reference.

I have a good smith that will be working on it, he is not cheap but he is familiar with the process. Thanks for the clarification on the Mauser vs. DWM side plates. I am about 99% sure this is DWM as there is no crown proof on it like most Erfurts seem to have.

Cheers!

[badisches_pionier]

Originally Posted by DavidJayUden

I'm not seeing anything that scares me about shooting it. Get a MecGar magazine and save your fragile wood bottom original. Use a stainless steel .40 Cal. bore brush on the bore, clean it, lube it, and then go shoot it.
These guns don't necessarily have to have a nice looking bore to shoot well.
The price seems about right.
Congratulations, and welcome to Club Luger!
dju

Thanks will check them out. I was also looking at the repro nickel Triple K magazines with the wood bottoms. Have you heard if they any good?

[badisches_pionier]

Originally Posted by Eugen

Congrats on your Luger purchase and welcome to the forum. I just purchased my first Luger two months ago and am on a learning curve. Be sure to read the FAQs as there is a wealth of info for new owners. Trust me on this one.

Please post your range experience.

Will definitely read them over, thank you!

22 Year veteran LEO, Glock armorer and former firearms instructor, range experience is a given.

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

Hi and welcome to the board.

You have a good start and a decent shooting luger.

I would not have worried about the side plate, unless you got quite lucky, you paid a lot for it!
It may have the matching number but it won't be a "matching side plate", as the finish is likely not to match and the inside numbers won't either- unless you really won the lottery!

I didn't know about the inside numbers until today, they will be the first two digits of your serial number or "69". They are located in the spot shown below.

Be also aware that it may not fit correctly or operate the sear without some work- which it sounds like you may already know.

Congrats on your first luger, do report back with how it shoots and how the side plate works out!

Be also very aware that you may not be able to stop with just one luger!

Don, I don't recall ever seeing the inside numbers stamped in the area shown in you photograph. I have always seen them stamped on the inside flat... opposite the side where the exterior numbers where stamped.

I wish someone could come up with a plausible explanation as to the reason for stamping the first two numbers of the serial number, or in may cases the first two numbers of the serial number plus 1, on the INSIDE of the sideplate... it has always made me scratch my head...


... I have seen Lugers that had a bore that looked like the inside of a sewer pipe that could print clover leaf patterns on paper at 25'...

[Eugen]

Originally Posted by badisches_pionier

Will definitely read them over, thank you!

22 Year veteran LEO, Glock armorer and former firearms instructor, range experience is a given.

Geez, with that impressive background you won't have much to learn about working on Lugers. We'll be waiting for that range report and what you did to prepare your Luger.

BTW, I used to live in Richmond, VA and up in Fairfax County, VA.

Lastly, thank you for your service as a LEO.

[badisches_pionier]

Originally Posted by Eugen

Geez, with that impressive background you won't have much to learn about working on Lugers. We'll be waiting for that range report and what you did to prepare your Luger.

BTW, I used to live in Richmond, VA and up in Fairfax County, VA.

Lastly, thank you for your service as a LEO.

Thank you kind sir! I have a couple other projects to get done this month that are consuming my funds but hopefully in two or three weeks I will be able to let you know how she fares.

[alanint]

Originally Posted by badisches_pionier

The side plate will be here next week and it actually does look about the same finish wise only does not have the pitting on it like the one I currently have. I will definitely check for the interior numbers though. I paid 130.00 for it, about average for it from what I have seen listed on GB and eBay. I will post pics of it when it comes in.

Once the new side plate is fitted, you can recoup some of your investment by offering the old side plate here. There are always folks looking to do what you just did and your side plate may be just what they are looking for.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by mrerick

IIRC, only the Mauser side plates are numbered inside. This DWM would have come with a side plate that wasn't numbered inside. It might have had an inspection mark.

The plate on your gun now looks a bit like it was force fit to the gun. There is apparent grinding that isn't square on the front edge of the plate.

As long as the rest of the linkage wasn't "adjusted" to make the plate fit, you should be able to get a DWM plate to properly fit. This is hand work and can take some experience and skill to do properly.

Do download the FAQs. It is a good reference.

Mark and others,
up until two days ago I would have agreed with you.
However in vetting a 1916 DWM on the "other" board, it came to light and in truth, there are numbers on the inside in the place shown.

Why, to me it is obvious that it is the same reason for the mauser numbers on the inside, - a lot of more than 100 side plates would have more than one number 1, or 10 or what ever.

Please refer to this thread, and do read all the way to the end; though this tidbit is revealed in post #9.

Keoki pointed this obscure piece of info out, maybe he will chime in here. I was amazed that it never came up before in the time I've been studying and reading everything I could find on Lugers!

Here is the link:
http://luger.gunboards.com/showthrea...ently-for-sale

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by badisches_pionier

Thanks will check them out. I was also looking at the repro nickel Triple K magazines with the wood bottoms. Have you heard if they any good?

Yes, they are good; maybe very good.

[John Sabato]

Triple-K mags in my experience only hold 7 rounds instead of the standard 8 rounds. But they do function. A wooden bottom may look more original, but will be just as likely to chip or crack if you drop them. Just my $0.02

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

Triple-K mags in my experience only hold 7 rounds instead of the standard 8 rounds. But they do function. A wooden bottom may look more original, but will be just as likely to chip or crack if you drop them. Just my $0.02

So will the plastic ones. Aluminum is your best bet if you drop a lot of magazines.

In all seriousness, I don't recall ever dropping a magazine in the 50+ years I've been shooting, nor a firearm.

I've dropped and lost plenty of small parts and springs though!