I've always wanted a Luger but they've always been out of my price range, so of course when I saw this crappy one for sale, I was interested! It's a DWM. Anyone have an idea on the year? If there ever was a year inscribed, it's been long since, well... corroded away, haha.
I ended up paying $481 for it, which in my opinion was insanely risky because the seller hadn't touched it and didn't know what parts or work it needed -- sold as-is/for parts. I had NO idea Luger components were so expensive, but I lucked out because it needed nothing more than what was obvious from the pics the seller provided -- just a side plate and locking bolt. The side plate the gun currently has is repro that I blued but once I find a corroded original side plate, I may consider swapping haha. I found an original P08 locking bolt on eBay. Everything else appears to be numbers-matching (that I can read), but one of the grips is a different color... whatever, I just want to shoot a Luger haha.
When I bought this gun, I thought it could have been a dug-up relic, but after I field stripped it and noticed no signs of dirt, I changed my mind and leaned more toward it was just stored in a poor damp environment. When left sitting forever, the gun had its safety on -- you can tell this by the corrosion under the safety lever that I'll include a pic of. What do you think? Why is the condition so bad?
The inside of the gun was surprisingly clean and everything was free except for the mainspring which I had to bomb with WD-40 to liberate. Everything inside was as dry as a bone too so I oiled it up. The Luger came with a few mags but they all have problems and at least one I think is repro.
When I went to my FFL dealer to pick it up, my dealer was being very snarky and said I'm in for a world of headaches dealing with this gun, but so far, so good! Hardly any work at all... altogether, including my FFL transfer fee, shipping, and the two parts I had to pick up to make this Luger complete, I have less than $600 in it which may seem like a lot if you're bothered by cosmetics, but I just wanted a Luger haha. If it works, I'm happy! The rifling is nothing to brag about but I think it'll do! I just don't want anything to explode.
Today I'm going to shoot it for the first time.
I will report back to you all if I still have my right hand.
This is the first time I've handled a Luger. They are bigger than I imagined, and actually cooler than I imaged too.
We will see if I change my mind if I get shrapnel in my face soon. Wish me luck!
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