There is perhaps no other handgun that is more iconic than the German Luger. Originally developed by German inventor Georg Luger, the pistol was heavily based on the much larger and cumbersome Borchardt C-93. Luger's improvements to Borchardt's design included redesigning the toggle system, reducing the pistol's overall size by roughly one half. Luger also angled the gun's grip allowing the pistol to point much more naturally than the straight grip found on the C-93. Luger's design was immediately popular with military; with Switzerland becoming the first nation to adopt the Luger in 1900. Luger's home country of Germany was the next nation to adopt the Luger, purchasing a number of guns to replace the unreliable Mauser C-96's that were currently in use by the Army. This first batch of pistols was delivered in 1901 for trials by the army. Subsequent trials by the German Navy commenced in 1904. In both trails, the Luger pistol performed very well and the German government expressed interest in adopting the pistol as the country's official military sidearm. The Navy was the first to official adopt the Luger in 1904, but the Army delayed their adoption, as Mauser requested time to develop a new pistol of their own, which was finished in 1907. However, this new pistol was still found to be less desirable than the Luger, and on August 22, 1908, Kaiser Wilhelm II signed an order for 50,000 Lugers for the German Army, with orders to produce a total of 170,000. The pistol would go on to serve faithfully in WW1, as well as a portion of WW2 until it was officially replaced by the Walther P.38.
This particular pistol is an all correct and matching example made in 1915, as the fighting of the Great War was beginning to intensify. It was produced by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) and features all matching serial numbers, including the magazine.
This Luger is in excellent condition. It features an overwhelming amount of original bluing with crisp markings and sharp corners - indicating that this pistol has never been reblued or refinished (a rare feature for many Lugers, as many examples were "buffed and blued" by well-meaning American collectors during the mid 20th Century).
The action of this pistol is excellent with a nice crisp toggle action. The bore is excellent with sharp rifling and no rust or pitting.
All the parts bear matching serials numbers, and there are no import marks anywhere. This, combined with the early date of this gun make it quite likely that this may have been brought to the States by a an American Doughboy who captured as a war trophy. Even if it isn't a battlefield pick-up, it almost certainly saw combat service; considering Germany's need for arms during the course of the Great War.
The magazine fits well and reliably holds the toggle open on empty. The original wood base plug is in good condition and numbered to the gun.
The grips are in great shape with no cracks or damage. Like most Lugers the grips are a bit loose from shrinkage.
This collectible Luger would be a great shooter or collector's item. Plus the price of Lugers is one the rise, which also make this pistol a good investment!
We have test fired this gun and found it to function flawlessly using 124 gain ammunition. Two full magazines were run this pistol and the gun handled every shot perfectly with no jams or other malfunctions. If you're looking for a shooter, this is the gun for you!
*This weapon was made after 1899 and MUST be shipped to Federal Firearms License holder for transfer. Never bought a gun through an FFL before? Give us a call at (262) 473-5444 and we'd be glad to walk you through this simple process
