Starting point for collection?

g3forme · 05-09-2003, 10:28 PM

I am new to Lugers but not guns. I have decided to liqudate some of my preban HK's to aquire a luger or two

I 've always wanted one since childhood when I saw in Outdoor Life magazine that ad with the watch with the holes shot in it and the caption of how they were fired in 2 seconds I believe it was. Anyway, I have lurked here and have learned that with these guns there is a huge learning curve of the ins ands outs of lugers. Probably a lifetimes worth. I have embarked on that quest and have just two questions now. 1: Whats a couple good books to learn the basics and a couple good books that are more advanced? 2: What would one think would be a good starting point for a beginning collection? I've been in contact with FGS and am about to make a purchase after talking with Ken though I am not fully educated yet about the gun I'am looking at. I more or less chose it by my budget($1,600). I've heard good things about FGS lugers and they have a good reputation. I'am looking at starting with a gun I could possibly shoot on very rare occasions though I would never want to damage a collectable luger that should be passed on to another generation. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Dwight Gruber · 05-10-2003, 12:56 AM

Boyoboy, Scott, what a marvellous circumstance, what a juicy question! You are bound to get a zillion answers which are all going to start with:

IMO

Since you have asked for opinions and recommendations, I am going to give you some.

You are considering buying more than one Luger, and have allowed yourself a respectable budget. You want to collect and shoot. You want to study up.

In My Opinion:

Do not buy a $1600 gun you know nothing about as your first Luger. Do not buy a collection-quality Luger and then shoot it. Try this, instead.

Find a shooting-quality 9mm Luger for under $500 (preferably under $400, if you can), buy it, buy a couple of Mec-Gar magazines, and go to the range a lot. Keep saving up the big money.

Buy "The Luger Story" by John Walter; "Lugers at Random" by Charles Kenyon, and the latest edition of Fjestad's "Blue Book of Gun Values". If you can find it, buy "The Luger Book" by John Walter.

When you are not at the range, read through "The Luger Story", and use the Kenyon and "The Luger Book" to learn everything you can about the Luger you bought. Take it apart, carefully examine and identify all the markings, take pictures and post them on this Forum for the sake of the conversation.

Go to gun shows, or Luger specialty dealers if you live near any, and look at--hold--examine--as many different Lugers as you can get your hands on.

As you become more familiar with Lugers, you should begin to find that some varieties of Lugers don't hold much attraction for you, and you keep coming back to others. Pore through the Gunsamerica online gun store, and the Auctionarms and Gunbroker gun auction websites. Look at all the dealers' websites. Compare everyone's prices to Fjestad. Between the high dealer and online prices, and Fjestad's conservative prices, you shoud begin to get an idea of how much you should actually spend on a particular Luger.

At this point you may find that you really want to buy a Luger to start your real collection. You will have a much better idea of what your desire is, what is available, and at what cost.

Buy advanced books which compliment your Luger direction--the appropriate book by Jan Still ("Imperial Lugers", "Weimar Lugers", or "Third Reich Lugers"); "The Dutch Luger", "Krieghoff Parabellum", Bobba's book on Swiss Lugers, "The Navy Luger", or "Luger Artigleria", if you interests have taken you in one of those directions. Purchase GÃ?Â¶rtz & Bryan's "German Small Arms Markings" if you have developed any interest at all in Army or Police unit markings.

If you decide that you are a serious student or Luger collector you must get a copy of Sam Costanzo's "World of Lugers--Proof Marks".

You have the beginings of a sensible way to go about starting a Luger collection. Good luck and good hunting, check in often and let us all know how its going.

--Dwight

Edward Tinker · 05-10-2003, 02:48 AM

Dwight, as usual, an excellent posting:

Scott, this paragraph; "Buy advanced books which compliment your Luger direction..." That is one of the most important, try to decide which direction you would like to go, then buy one of Still's books or other subject direct book.

All of the above books are excellent in different ways. The older books have many mistakes, I still recommend them, as Luger Variations and Datigs book have wonderful stories not found in other books!

I would buy a low grade collector, one to play with, then buy a nice collectable. It is by chance what I did, yet still have bought and traded many over the last couple of years.

Keep your eyes open at gun shows and on e-bay, I have bought some exceelent books for a fraction of their "normal" value by luck and me looking.

Ed

g3forme · 05-10-2003, 09:42 AM

Thank you very much for the great advice and this fantastic forum! This is exactly the kind of guidance I was seeking in my initial post. I will be following your advice and can't thank you enough for listing the right books and the right way to intelligently make an informed purchase. I will be on the lookout for a shooter grade luger and I'am heading over to Amazon now to find some of those titles. I will post an update soon!

Navy · 05-10-2003, 09:50 AM

Hi g3,
One observation to add to the previous excellent advice: You may consider buying from an individual collector before buying from a dealer. The individual is not compelled to pay overhead expenses, salaries, etc and consequently you tend to get more gun for your money. Once you decide what you want, you may wish to advertise for it here as well as checking dealers and comparison shop.

Tom A.

John Sabato · 05-12-2003, 10:30 AM

I might also add the inexpensive investment in the five E-books on the Luger pistol by Gerard Henrotin... you don't even have to leave your computer to download and buy them and they contain excellent graphics and photographs of Luger different types and mechanical designs, and accessories...

They cost about $7.95 each... and will provide several hours of enjoyable reading and learning about Lugers.

05-09-2003, 10:28 PM	#1
g3forme User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Starting point for collection? I am new to Lugers but not guns. I have decided to liqudate some of my preban HK's to aquire a luger or two I 've always wanted one since childhood when I saw in Outdoor Life magazine that ad with the watch with the holes shot in it and the caption of how they were fired in 2 seconds I believe it was. Anyway, I have lurked here and have learned that with these guns there is a huge learning curve of the ins ands outs of lugers. Probably a lifetimes worth. I have embarked on that quest and have just two questions now. 1: Whats a couple good books to learn the basics and a couple good books that are more advanced? 2: What would one think would be a good starting point for a beginning collection? I've been in contact with FGS and am about to make a purchase after talking with Ken though I am not fully educated yet about the gun I'am looking at. I more or less chose it by my budget($1,600). I've heard good things about FGS lugers and they have a good reputation. I'am looking at starting with a gun I could possibly shoot on very rare occasions though I would never want to damage a collectable luger that should be passed on to another generation. Any suggestions? Thanks!

05-10-2003, 02:48 AM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,960 Thanks: 2,062 Thanked 4,591 Times in 2,114 Posts	Dwight, as usual, an excellent posting: Scott, this paragraph; "Buy advanced books which compliment your Luger direction..." That is one of the most important, try to decide which direction you would like to go, then buy one of Still's books or other subject direct book. All of the above books are excellent in different ways. The older books have many mistakes, I still recommend them, as Luger Variations and Datigs book have wonderful stories not found in other books! I would buy a low grade collector, one to play with, then buy a nice collectable. It is by chance what I did, yet still have bought and traded many over the last couple of years. Keep your eyes open at gun shows and on e-bay, I have bought some exceelent books for a fraction of their "normal" value by luck and me looking. 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

05-12-2003, 10:30 AM	#6
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,155 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	I might also add the inexpensive investment in the five E-books on the Luger pistol by Gerard Henrotin... you don't even have to leave your computer to download and buy them and they contain excellent graphics and photographs of Luger different types and mechanical designs, and accessories... They cost about $7.95 each... and will provide several hours of enjoyable reading and learning about Lugers. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

05-10-2003, 12:56 AM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Boyoboy, Scott, what a marvellous circumstance, what a juicy question! You are bound to get a zillion answers which are all going to start with: IMO Since you have asked for opinions and recommendations, I am going to give you some. You are considering buying more than one Luger, and have allowed yourself a respectable budget. You want to collect and shoot. You want to study up. In My Opinion: Do not buy a $1600 gun you know nothing about as your first Luger. Do not buy a collection-quality Luger and then shoot it. Try this, instead. Find a shooting-quality 9mm Luger for under $500 (preferably under $400, if you can), buy it, buy a couple of Mec-Gar magazines, and go to the range a lot. Keep saving up the big money. Buy "The Luger Story" by John Walter; "Lugers at Random" by Charles Kenyon, and the latest edition of Fjestad's "Blue Book of Gun Values". If you can find it, buy "The Luger Book" by John Walter. When you are not at the range, read through "The Luger Story", and use the Kenyon and "The Luger Book" to learn everything you can about the Luger you bought. Take it apart, carefully examine and identify all the markings, take pictures and post them on this Forum for the sake of the conversation. Go to gun shows, or Luger specialty dealers if you live near any, and look at--hold--examine--as many different Lugers as you can get your hands on. As you become more familiar with Lugers, you should begin to find that some varieties of Lugers don't hold much attraction for you, and you keep coming back to others. Pore through the Gunsamerica online gun store, and the Auctionarms and Gunbroker gun auction websites. Look at all the dealers' websites. Compare everyone's prices to Fjestad. Between the high dealer and online prices, and Fjestad's conservative prices, you shoud begin to get an idea of how much you should actually spend on a particular Luger. At this point you may find that you really want to buy a Luger to start your real collection. You will have a much better idea of what your desire is, what is available, and at what cost. Buy advanced books which compliment your Luger direction--the appropriate book by Jan Still ("Imperial Lugers", "Weimar Lugers", or "Third Reich Lugers"); "The Dutch Luger", "Krieghoff Parabellum", Bobba's book on Swiss Lugers, "The Navy Luger", or "Luger Artigleria", if you interests have taken you in one of those directions. Purchase GÃ?Â¶rtz & Bryan's "German Small Arms Markings" if you have developed any interest at all in Army or Police unit markings. If you decide that you are a serious student or Luger collector you must get a copy of Sam Costanzo's "World of Lugers--Proof Marks". You have the beginings of a sensible way to go about starting a Luger collection. Good luck and good hunting, check in often and let us all know how its going. --Dwight

05-10-2003, 09:42 AM	#4
g3forme User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thank you very much for the great advice and this fantastic forum! This is exactly the kind of guidance I was seeking in my initial post. I will be following your advice and can't thank you enough for listing the right books and the right way to intelligently make an informed purchase. I will be on the lookout for a shooter grade luger and I'am heading over to Amazon now to find some of those titles. I will post an update soon!

05-10-2003, 09:50 AM	#5
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	Hi g3, One observation to add to the previous excellent advice: You may consider buying from an individual collector before buying from a dealer. The individual is not compelled to pay overhead expenses, salaries, etc and consequently you tend to get more gun for your money. Once you decide what you want, you may wish to advertise for it here as well as checking dealers and comparison shop. Tom A.