German Luger Serial Numbers

 admin

German P.08 Luger Pistol by Mauser Description: Serial #8534o, 9mm, 4' barrel with an excellent, bright bore. This is a “byf' coded pistol with “41' chamber date and matching numbers that retains 97-98% of the original blue finish that has some mild gray fading on the sides of the muzzle and along the projecting edges and bearing surfaces of the toggle and bolt. Find the script letter, which follows the serial number, and record it onto the paper. The script letter denotes the production series of your Luger. May 11, 2005  Complete serial number tables can be found in Jan Still's 'Imperial Lugers' and 'Third Reich Lugers', respectively. Commercial serial numbering began with 1 in 1901, and continued to the 92,000 range in 1921. Once that figure was reached a letter was added beneath the numbers beginning with “a” and so on through the alphabet. This letter becomes as much a part of the serial number as the numbers themselves, a point to remember when recording serial numbers on Luger pistols.

German Police P.08 Luger Rework Pistol Description: Serial #5164q, 9mm Para., 4' barrel with an excellent, bright bore. This is an undated pistol with a “DWM' marked toggle, sear safety, and all-matching numbers that retains 95-97% of the original blue finish with some mild silvering at the muzzle, along the high edges and projections, and on the bearing surfaces of the toggle and bolt. What is age of German luger serial number 132178? Lugers have the date of manufacture stamped in the frame- on top, right behind the barrel. They are not dated by serial number. Serial number placement is in the military 'exposed' style. The thumb safety is marked 'Gesichert' and extractor 'Geladen.' This example has all matching numbers.

FirearmsGermany in WW2MilitariaPrime Numbers

on top of the luger, where the barrel goes into the receiverther is (usuaally) a date. On the left side of the frame, just downfrom the date is the serial number. Usually not more then 4numbers

What is the price of a 4081 German Luger?

It is impossible to value a Luger with just a serial number.

What is the age of German luger serial number 89539?

if you look down on the luger top you will see a date. that is when it was made...

What is the value of a German luger with all same serial number 3892?

What is age of German luger serial number 132178?

Lugers have the date of manufacture stamped in the frame- on top, right behind the barrel. They are not dated by serial number.

What is the value of a German general's luger worth - serial number 86?

I hope you can back up the fact that it was a German general's luger ???? however, if you can prove it belonged to a general, it would be worth more..

What is the age of German Luger serial number 09?

look on top of pistol, just behind ejection port and you will see date it was made

What is the value of your German luger serial 7887?

What is the value of a German World War 1 Luger with serial number 4481?

what is the overrall condition of metal, grip and bore. who is the maker (top of gun)

What is the age of German Luger serial number 61679?

look on top of gun where barrel is attached to receiver. you will se four numbers. that is the date it was made........

Luger s42 serial number 4613?

What is age of German luger serial number 4575?

look on top of gun, just where barrel is attached to receiver, you will see four numbers. that is the date made

How much for 1940 German luger serial?

value depends on overall condition. pictures help.........

How much is your German luger worth serial 8572?

There are DOZENS of different variations of Luger pistols, and the serial number alone does not tell which model. Values are based on EXACT model, condition, and originality, Value of an original Luger may run from $300 to $3000. You will need a hands on appraisal from someone that knows Lugers. Sorry, but without a LOT more information, we can't even make a good guess. You might also check for gun shows in your area…

What caliber is your 1923 commercial Luger serial number 2293L?

They were originally made in 7.65mm Luger (.30 Luger) but many were rebarreled to 9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger). Have a gunsmith check it.

What is the value of a P-38 German Luger in excellent condition with a 4 digit Serial number ending with h?

You must seek the services of a qualified appraiser.

What is age of German Luger Serial Number 2123?

Most Lugers had the four digit serial number, and they were repeated on a monthly cycle.. it's not uncommon for up to 400 Lugers to have the same serial number. An actual date of manufacture should be printed on the top of the receiver, in the area where the barrel connects to the receiver.

Serial number Could you tell me the history of my Luger pistol serial number 7998 please?

Way to many variables and a scant description. Go to Jan C. Still's Luger Forum and look around.

How much is your German luger worth with matching serial numbers 1464?

What is the age of German luger serial number 8369N?

the manufactor date of lugers is located on top front of the receiver just before the rear end of the barrel.......the makers logo is on top of the middle toggle..

What is the value of a 1918 9mm German Luger in very good condition the serial number is in the 7000 range and these numbers appear on all parts of the pistol?

What is the value of P08 luger with matching serial number clips?

What is the value of a Luger serial number 1jr1715?

What is the value of a Luger serial number 1jr1713?

What does the serial number mean on a 1913 luger pistol?

it merely refers to that number produced for that year, and a number to be used for arms inventory..............

Does a serial number below 900 mean anything as to the value of a 41 byf luger?

no, just means gun made early 1941 (based on serial number)

How do you look up the serial number on your World War 2 luger number 4805?

look on top of luger, where barrel is affixed to receiver. you will see four numbers, that is when it was made. no histories recorded on lugers

What is the value of a German Luger 1915 with serial number 00 etched on every part gun was turned over to me by a surrendering German Officer in 1945 two clips mint condition including original blui?

What is the value of a German Luger pistol manufactured in 1915 and has the serial number 00 etched on every part and the bluing is original and comes with two clips I got this gun from a surrendering German officer in 1945 in a small village in Germany in April 1945 the gun doesn't have any flaws depending on overall condition value could vary between $1200 - $1800 remember, what is flawless to you…

What is the value of your 1903 french luger?

the luger is a German design, not french. luger value depends on overall condition....

What is the manufacture date of a browning arms 9mm luger with the serial number T27734o?

Please check your serial number again and see if there is a serial number prefix such as 69C or 70C etc.which would be before the actual serial number?If this is the case,please include this in your question to get the correct year of manufacturing.

What is the value of a German Luger serial number 2281 dated 1939?

value depends on condition. good is not excellent nor is excellent MINT. it's very hard for a layman to really report the condition of a gun. at this point I would guess (if excellent) between $1,000 & $2,000. go to: simpsonltd.com (a luger site) I'm sure he would need detail pics of your luger to make a 'guess' at possible worth...

What is the age of German luger 2707?

It's a bit difficult to tell without being able to visually examine the pistol for other markings. With the Luger and P-38 pistols both, serial numbers were repeated several times over.

How much is a 1918 model 174 German luger worth?

value depends on overall condition......174 is probably the serial #. that would mean the pistol was made in early 1918. On top of luger in middle of toggle would be the makers logo..........

When was a Stoeger Arms 22 cal Luger serial number 67135 made?

How much is your German luger worth serial numbers 1865?

I depends on the country you live in in the UK its £600 to £2000 pluss depending on age, condition etc.

How old is a German luger serial number 7914?

To correctly answer this, I think you need to know three pieces of data that is stamped on the gun: 1: Date of manufacture 2: 3-Letter Supplier Code. ex: 'byf' 3: Serial Number -- as long as this is the serial number on the major part of the gun. Some guns are assembled from various parts of other guns and the serial numbers will not match. If they do match, then the last 2-digits will…

1918-1920 luger with the number 2470 on it can you give me any info on it?

a 1918 dated luger was probably used during WW1. The second date 1920, is a German inventory number to show that the pistol belonged to the German government. this was done because too many guns were being stolen.. The number 2470 is the serial number. On the top toggle will be the makers name, i.e, DWM, Erfurt, Suhl if you look on the front grip strap you might see some letters or numbers. that would…

When was a Stoeger Arms 22 cal Luger serial number 84210 made?

No sn data published in the this country that I know of.

Price of p38 luger pistol with serial number 3814A?

Depending on EXACTLY what you have a few hundred to mutliple thousands of USD

What is a luger pistol?

The Luger P08 was a standard sidearm of the German Military in both World Wars.

What is the value of my 1939 German luger?

firearm value depends on overall condition. do you have a picture of the luger ??

What is a 8.83 German Luger?

8.83 is the diameter of the luger bore. which means it's a 9mm caliber

How much is a World War 2 German Luger case valued at?

Amazing as it may seem, the holster for the German Luger can be worth as much as $300.

What is the value of a 1914 German Luger serial number 7526?

Luger's will generally sell for $900-2000. Take it to an older gunsmith or shop owner for a decent appraisal. Most will do it for free. Or atleast take it to a gunshop that has some older-looking guns in it. Tell the shop owner your Luger is a family heirloom so they don't think you'll potentially sell it to them. Condition and caliber make a huge difference. The most common chambering is in .30 Luger. It's…

How much is my German luger worth with matching serial numbers 2187?

go to: gunsamerica.com check out the gun condition and price asked on lugers. compare it to yours for price

What is the value of a 1939 German luger with all matching serial numbers including holster?

0-multiple thousands of USD depending on exactly what configuration you have and overall condition.

VectorWorks Full Cracks interrupts can change the output of a 2D project to rechtwinklig. Vectorworks free download windows.

What is value of World War 2 German luger?

VERY dependant on condition, markings, serial numbers, accessories, whether it can fire or not, etc. anywhere from $50-$10,000.

On the top of the Luger just in front of the action before the barrel starts is a four digit number In this case 1918 is this the serial number?

No, the 1918 is the date of manufacture of that particular gun. The serial number has more digits, likely five or six. If yours is a 'matching Luger' then that means that the gun still has all of the original parts. You can tell this by looking for a two digit number on almost all of the smaller parts (toggle, barrel, barrel extension, trigger, trigger plate, bolt, etc). This number should be the same on…

What is age of German luger serial number 29404?

If it is a German Lugar then: The information won't come from the serial number. Look at the top of the pistol's barrel as it is pointed away from you. Look at the end closest to you. Do you see a letter, or a four digit number or a two digit number? If you see a 'G' this means it was made in 1935. If it is a 'K' then it was made in 1936…

How do you know if German luger uses 7.62 ammo?

Numbers

luger were made to fire a 9mm cartridge or the 30 luger cartridge. a 9mm cartridge will not chamber in a 30 cal luger pistol......

When was the luger invented?

I believe you will find that the German Luger P08 went into production in the early 1900's. P08 basically refers to Pistol of 1908.The luger was used extensively during WW1 and WW2 by German forces.

DWM Luger P-08 9mm Pistol

By the Guns and Shooting Online Staff


The DWM Luger that is the subject of this review. Photo by Chuck Hawks.

The Luger (Pistole Parabellum or P-08) is perhaps the most aestheticallyand ergonomically pleasing of all autoloading centerfire pistols. It is alsoone of the strongest, most accurate and most recognizable service pistols evermade. (Bill Ruger frankly admitted styling his .22 Auto, the best selling .22 caliber pistol in the world, after the Luger.)

The standard Luger calibers are 7.65mm and 9mm for both civilian andmilitary models. The 9mm Luger cartridge, developed by Georg Luger, is the most popular andwidely distributed pistol cartridge in the world today.

Georg Luger developed his famous pistol in 1898-1899 (startingwith the Borchardt/Luger transitional pistol). The Luger is, essentially, amuch improved Borchardt type pistol, which was itself based on the toggleaction concept used by Sir Hiram Maxim in the world's first practical machinegun. The Maxim shot its way to bloody fame in World War One, which also becamethe combat proving ground for the Luger Pistol.

The 1893 Borchardt pistol was the first commerciallysuccessful autoloading pistol. It was produced by Ludwig Lowe of Berlin,Germany, where Georg Luger was employed. Hugo Borchardt and Georg Luger wereco-workers for a time and their families' lives within a few blocks of eachother. It was Luger who, in 1894, exhibited a Borchardt pistol to the U.S.Naval Ordinance Board. Two years later, the Ludwig Lowe firm acquired the DMKammunition company and from this merger a new entity emerged: Deutsche Waffenund Munitionsfabriken (DWM). DWM became the producer of the Borchardt pistoland, in 1900, its famous successor the Luger pistol.

The Luger was officially adopted by the Swiss military in1901, the Imperial German Navy in 1906 and the German Army in 1908, which resulted in its common'P-08' designation. The standard German Army Luger used in WW I had a 4' barrel, the NavyLuger a 6' barrel and the Artillery Model an 8' barrel. The Luger wasalso the standard service pistol of Switzerland, Portugal, Holland, Chile,Brazil and Bulgaria. It was used, officially or semi-officially, in Austria, Luxemburg,Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain, Persia (Iran), Russia, Bolivia, China, Japan(captured from the Dutch in the East Indies during WW II and remarked withJapanese characters), France (post WW II occupation forces in Germany), theU.S. (post WW II occupation forces in Germany), East Germany (GDR state police)and probably other countries. It was tested by the U.S. military on three occasions andalmost adopted as our standard service pistol. Many police forces around the world adopted the Luger.

In 1922, DWM was absorbed by the holding company B.K.I.W.and in 1930 DWM was acquired by Mauser. During 1930-1931, all Luger productionmachinery (and many technicians) were moved from the DWM factory in Berlin tothe Mauser factory in Oberndorf, Germany, where Lugers were produced until 1942,when the Luger was finally replaced as the standard German service pistol bythe Walther P-38. Mauser made Lugers bear the Mauser logo on top of their firsttoggle link, where the DWM logo had previously been stamped. Mauser producedmost of the WW II era and post WW II Lugers. Mauser sold commercial Lugers inthe 1970's and finally ceased manufacture in 1997.

944

Incredibly, the Luger's design changed very little duringits long production life. The principal change being the substitution of a coilmainspring for the flat mainspring used in the early 1900's.

The majority of German Luger pistols were produced by DWM.However, Lugers were also produced in large numbers under license by the RoyalGerman Arsenal at Erfurt between 1910-1914 and 1916-1918. (About 2,000,000Lugers were produced during WW I by DWM and ERFURT combined.) After WW I, Simson &Company and Kreighoff produced Lugers under license, as did Mauser after theiracquisition of DWM.

In Switzerland, Waffenfabrik produced complete pistols andSIG made parts. The Swiss turned out some 50,000 military and commercialLugers. Vickers, Ltd. of England produced a batch for the government of theNetherlands around 1921. Small runs of stainless steel Lugers were made inTexas, USA in the 1990's for Stoeger and Mitchell Arms, but the high cost ofproducing this exquisitely fitted pistol and disputes over rights to the designultimately scuttled these American efforts.

In the early post-WW I years, DWMassembled commercial Lugers from parts left over after the war. The pistolthat is the subject of this review is apparently one of those. It is chamberedfor the 9mm Luger (9x19mm) cartridge and was supplied to us by Harry Johnson ofWasichu Warrior Stoneworks in Florence, Oregon, USA.

We believe it was madebetween 1920 and 1922 and probably exported to North America. This is because'Made in Germany' is stamped at the front of the left frame rail inEnglish. Otherwise, it bears the usual 'crown over N' (for nitro)commercial German proof mark, 'Geschert' (safe) by the safety lever,'Geladen' (loaded) on the extractor and 'DWM' on the front togglelink. The serial number is stamped on the front of the frame and thelast two digits of the serial number are stamped on most of the gun's majorparts. The serial number on the frame is accompanied by the DWM suffix'h' indicating manufacture in 1918. (WW I ended on 11 November 1918.)Except for the 'Made in Germany' frame stamp, these are all typicalDWM/German markings.

Unlike military Lugers, there is no production year stampedinto the top of the front receiver ring. DWM commercial model Lugersusually lacked this date and Lugers assembled for commercial sale in the early 1920'sfrom surplus military parts usually had the date (if any) ground off the framebefore final polishing and finishing. Our test pistol has a wide trigger, lanyardring and stock lug, but no grip safety, characteristics typical of commercialLugers of the period.

It came to us with one original early type magazine with a woodenfloorplate and two aftermarket magazines with plastic (probably bakelite) floorplates.(DWM Lugers were normally supplied with two numbered magazines, but these rarelyaccompany used Lugers today.) The grips are the original, fully checkeredwalnut panels.

The typical DMW Luger pistol barrel lengths are 3-7/8' (after WW I only),4', 4-3/4', 6'and 8'. DMW Luger carbines normally came with11-3/4' barrels. Our sample Luger is unusual in that it has a 5'barrel. As far as we know, DWM did not supply 5' barrels on 9mm pistolsand the pistol's serial number is not stamped on the bottom of the barrel,which was common practice. Nor is there a witness mark on the bottom of the barrel, although there is an index mark on the frame. We therefore believe that this Luger was rebarreledat some point in its career. (In the 1920's and 1930's, serviceable Lugers werecommon in the U.S. and aftermarket replacement barrels were available in many lengths.) Despitethe barrel's odd length and questionable provenance, it has the typical'thick' Luger contour (early Luger barrels were thinner than later barrels) and wears aLuger dovetail mounted front sight.

We also believe that our test pistol was reblued at somepoint, as evidenced by the slight rounding of sharp corners and the shallownessof the proof and part of the 'Made in Germany' markings on thereceiver. (This is caused by the buffing and polishing required before a guncan be reblued.) The bluing is worn on the front and back grip straps and thebarrel and frame show some holster wear at the edges, but most of our gun'sbluing remains.

Specifications (as tested)

  • Manufacturer: DWM
  • Model: Commercial P-08 Luger
  • Vintage: 1920-1922 (estimated)
  • Type: Autoloading service pistol
  • Operation: Recoil operated (toggle action), striker fired
  • Action: Single action
  • Caliber: 9mm Luger (9x19mm)
  • Magazine capacity: 7
  • Barrel length: 5'
  • Trigger pull: 2-1/4 lbs.
  • Sights: Fixed; V-notch rear, dovetail mounted bead front
  • Sight radius: 8-11/16' (22.2cm)
  • Finish: blued steel
  • Grips: 2-piece; checkered walnut
  • Overall length: 9-1/2' (24cm)
  • Height: 6-1/2' (14cm)
  • Width: 1-1/2' (3.7cm)
  • Weight: 2 lbs. (with empty magazine)
  • Country of origin: Germany
  • 2013 used price: $1200 (approx.)

Today, over 110 years after its initial adoption by the Swissin 1901, the Luger is still in high demand. As a result, good used Lugers inshootable condition are priced beyond the means of many shooters. Lugercollectors drive Luger prices to ever higher levels and a large number ofLugers today reside in private collections.

What has made the Luger so desirable for so long?Here are some of the distinguishing characteristics mentioned by the OrdinanceBoard from the U.S. Army tests of 1907 (in comparison to all contenders, but inparticular compared to the Colt .45 Auto):

  • The shape of the grip conforms to the anatomical features of the hand.
  • The center of gravity is well to the rear. There are two points of support as the pistol lies naturally in the hand.
  • There is an automatic indication that the chamber is loaded, visible to the eye and sensible to the touch.
  • The empty magazine may be expelled by the pistol hand.
  • The parts are easily accessible.
  • Superior accuracy (10 shots at 25 yards = 1.3' Luger and 2.4' Colt Auto)

Perhaps the nicest thing about a Luger pistol, aside fromits superior pointability, is its obviously high quality and tight fit. Thereis no looseness or slop anywhere. It is assembled like a fine watch. There areno screws holding the Luger lockwork together. The only screws (one per side)hold the grips to the frame. You know you are holding a top quality,beautifully made and fitted firearm. No Browning type, tilt-barrel actionpistol comes close to the precision feel of a Luger.

Of course, the Luger action's great strength is reassuring.The toggle action is considerably stronger than normal tilt-barrel, recoiloperated actions. Lugers handle maximum loads with aplomb. It is underpoweredloads that can cause problems, by failing to fully operate the action.

This is how the Luger functions, as concisely explained inthe 'History' section of the online Luger Forum (www.lugerforum.com):

'The mostdistinctive feature of the Luger is undoubtedly the toggle-lock mechanism,which holds the breech closed by locking in a manner not unlike the human knee,which can sustain a heavy weight when straight, but once bent, is quite easy tocontinue to bend. . . . When a round is fired the entire breech, barrel and toggle movestraight rearward (on rails) until the toggle begins to ride up on a pair ofcams that 'breaks' the toggle (makes it bend at the joint). Once the togglejoint is no longer straight, it bends freely, allowing the bolt to comerearward and the striker to be cocked. The spent cartridge is extracted by acombination extractor/loaded chamber indicator on the top of the toggle and isejected as the toggle nears the end of its rearward travel; a new round isstripped from the magazine and chambered as the toggle is driven back to thestraight position by a spring.'

Our test Luger's single action only trigger has a longtake-up and some creep (typical of Lugers), but releases at a light 2.5pounds. After over 90 years of service, the parts are undoubtedly well worn-in!

The safety lever takes a fair amount of pressure to slide upor down. It is positive and unlikely to be moved accidentally. Lever down isSAFE ('Geschert' is visible) and lever up ('Geschert'covered) is FIRE.

Racking the action is different than with slideoperated autoloading pistols. We found the easiest way is to grip the pistolnormally in the shooting hand with the trigger finger alongside the frame (nottouching the trigger). Point the pistol directly away from the shooter andupward at about a 45-degree angle. Use the thumb and index finger of the weak handto firmly grasp the toggle joint knobs and yank back and upward at about a45-degree angle (in relation to the line of bore). This should retract thebreech block. To hold the action open, do this with an empty magazine in place,as it takes an empty magazine to activate the hold open catch. Once the actionis locked open, the empty magazine can be removed. To reset the trigger afterdry firing, the action only needs to be opened about 5/16'.

There is no external hold-open lever. To release alocked-open breech block, insert a loaded magazine (or no magazine at all) andpull the toggle joint about 1/8' rearward, then release.

Before venturing to a gun range to fire the Luger, wefield stripped and cleaned it. Field stripping is accomplished without anytools. The procedure is first to remove the magazine and cycle the action toensure that the gun is unloaded. Then, pull back the toggle and turn thelocking bolt (take-down lever) 90-degrees downward. The trigger plate on theleft side of the frame, just behind the take-down lever, may now be removed. (Sometimes moving the slide a bit forward helpsdislodge the trigger plate) The barrel, receiver, breech block, toggle jointsand their components can now be slid, as a unit, forward off the frame. The largeconnecting pin between the rear link and the receiver may now be pushed free and lifted out tothe left (a spitzer bullet point or the tip of a ball point pen works fine), thereby detaching the toggle joints from the barrel and receiver. Takecare that the smaller pin between the breech bolt and front toggle link doesnot fall out and get lost. This is as far as the pistol needs to bedisassembled for normal cleaning. Reassemble in reverse order.

We thoroughly sprayed the innards of our Luger with Prolixto flush out dirt and crud and then pulled a Bore Snake through the barreltwice. After drying the gun, we applied a small amount of SIG's white lubricantto the frame rails and breech block rails.

German Luger Serial Number Look Up

Our test shooting with the Luger was conducted at the IzaakWalton gun range south of Eugene, Oregon. This outdoor facility has coveredshooting positions with bench rests and target stands at 25, 50, 100 and 200yards. We did our test shooting at a distance of 25 yards, our usual range fortesting handguns. The weather was sunny, with a high temperature of about 75-degreesF. and 5-10 MPH winds.

We requested test ammunition from our friends at Hornady, Remingtonand Winchester, without whose help these reviews would not be possible. Theammunition we used included Remington/UMC 115 grain MC (MV 1145 fps), Remington/UMC124 grain MC (MV 1100 fps), Winchester 124 grain FMJ (MV 1140 fps), Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX (MV 1140 fps), HornadyCustom 124 grain XTP-JHP (MV 1110 fps), Hornady +P Critical Duty 135 grain FlexLock (MV 1115 fps) and Hornady Custom 147 grain XTP-JHP MV 975 fps) factory loads.

We shot five-shot groups for record using a Pistol Perchrest. Guns and Shooting Online staff members Jim Fleck, Rocky Hays andChuck Hawks did the test shooting. Here are the shooting results:

  • Hornady 115 grain FTX - smallest group 7/8', largest group 3', mean average group size = 2.4'
  • Hornady 124 grain XTP - smallest group 1-3/4', largest group 2-3/4', mean average group size = 2.2'
  • Hornady +P 135 grain FL - smallest group 1-3/8', largest group 2-1/4', mean average group size = 1.7'
  • Remington/UMC 115 grain MC - smallest group 3-3/4', largest group 5-1/4', mean average group size = 4.6'
  • Remington/UMC 124 grain MC - smallest group 1-1/8', largest group 2-3/4', mean average group size = 2.0'
  • Winchester 124 grain FMJ - smallest group 1-7/8', largest group 3-1/4', mean average group size = 2.4'
AVERAGE GROUP SIZE FOR 124 gr. LOADS TESTED = 2.55'

German Luger Serial Numbers

We know that Lugers of this vintage were designed for full power loads (today that would be NATO spec ammo) using 124 grain RN/FMJ bullets. Most functioning problems are caused by reduced power ammunition or bullets with flat tips or aggressive hollow points, which didn't exist when the Luger pistol's feeding geometry was designed.

In our testing, we had one failure to feed with the Remington/UMC 115 grain MC load and two failures to feed with the Hornady 124 grain XTP hollow points. The Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense and 135 grain Critical Duty loads caused the most malfunctions among the loads for which we recorded groups, essentially making the Luger a single shot pistol. The Hornady Custom 147 grain XTP-JHP cartridges have long bullets with a large hollow point; these would not even feed from the magazine by hand and testing was discontinued with this load. The Winchester and Remington 124 grain ball ammo caused no malfunctions. These results are about what we expected.

We tried one original Luger magazine and two vintage aftermarketmagazines of unknown manufacture. The aftermarket magazines simply did not feedcartridges correctly, jamming the gun with almost every shot. The originalLuger magazine worked perfectly. After testing the magazines, all subsequentshooting was done with the Luger magazine.

This time out, Rocky shot the smallest groups. TheLuger is a full size, all steel gun with a long, extremely comfortable grip that minimizesrecoil and aids accurate shooting. We have previously mentioned the pistol'stoggle action with straight line barrel recoil and light SA trigger. Thesecharacteristics combined to make our range session with the Luger pleasurable. As you can see from the results above, its accuracy was good for a90+ year old service pistol.

The fine sights, and especially the small rear V-notch, aredifficult to see with our aging eyes. They are certainly inferior to modernPatridge (square notch/square blade) sights, especially for fast acquisition and target shooting.Despite this, we managed to shoot some decent 25 yard groups from a benchrest with the Luger, although we probably could have done better withmodern sights. For most of us, the Luger shot to the correct elevation at 25yards, a good thing since the only possible sight adjustment is for windage andthen only by sliding the front sight laterally in its mounting dovetail.

German Luger Serial Numbers

If a windage adjustment is necessary with a Luger, move thefront sight in the opposite directionfrom the way you want the point of impact to move. For example, if you want tomove the bullet's impact right, you must slide the front sight to the left.

German Luger Serial Number Search

In summation, we found the Luger fun to shoot, accurate (with all loads except the Rem./UMC 115 grain fodder),very comfortable and exquisitely made. It points better than any other servicepistol we have reviewed. It is probably the highest quality and best fitted ofall successful autoloading service pistols. Those individuals who own a Lugerpistol are indeed fortunate.

Note: Most of the historical information in this article was gleaned from the book The Luger Pistol (Pistole Parabellum) byFred A. Datig. Also helpful in our research was the 33rd Edition of Fjestad's Blue Book of Gun Values and the Luger Forum (www.lugerforum.com) online. Therehave been myriad Luger variations and we do not pretend to be experts on the subject. Our historical research, almost inevitably given the long production span andmultiple manufacturers of Luger pistols in various countries, revealed discrepancies even between knowledgeable sources. This article can only attempt to skim thesurface of the Luger pistol's long history and any errors or omissions are ours and ours alone.