[b3slezak]

Hey guys, I just purchased this P08 the other day through a family friend. He didn't have much detail on it as it was his son's who passed away. He believes it was a MP issued German Luger. The holster it came in was in surprisingly perfect condition, as is the gun itself. The markings on it are 733, 33 throughout the gun, there was a 68 that has an X through it and a 33 below it (pictured), it has what appears to be the original clip with 733 on the bottom. I'm happy to send or post more pictures but I'm limited to 10 on this thread. Sorry if I went overkill on the pictures! I'm curious to know: 1. Is it authentic? 2. Any idea on what it would worth? I appreciate your help!!

**valbehaved, I tagged you as I saw you commented on another similar P08. Seems like you know what you're talking about!

 

[b3slezak]

Adding a couple more pictures. I included the belt buckle and belt that came with the gun. The buckle seems pretty cheap/thin metal which would surprise me if it was authentic. Also, you will notice in the above pictures that the front sight is missing. I have the site, it did fall off but fits in perfectly and likely only needs a bit of glue. If anyone has a good idea on how to fix that it would be great. Fits in the slot perfect, just needs to stick.

 

[jim brady]

That is a very nice Luger. My impression is that is has been refinished. Most of the parts are matching, but a couple look to be 'forced matched'. Unfortunately, refinished Lugers are considered 'shooters'. I would expect your Luger, if being refinished as I suspect, to worth about $450 to $550 as a shooter grade pistol. Original untouched Lugers generally go for over $1000 and up.

Replacement front sights are very much available and in-expensive. I'd pay to have a gunsmith permanently install a new front sight vs. gluing one in place. Your DWM pistol should have a year of manufacture date on the receiver bridge, and it looks like maybe it has been polished off?

The accessories, notably the holster, are widely available reproductions. I have a holster just like yours that I bought for around $50. True vintage holsters sell for several hundred dollars.

Closing, I'd like to add that I really like the Luger design. They have a very nice balance and natural point-of-aim. The one thing I dislike about the design is that they are prone to accidental discharge and are not safe to carry loaded for that reason. They are great shooters, but can be picky about ammo that will feed and function.

 

[gdmoody]

Welcome to The Firearms Forum b3slezak.

I am not an expert on Lugers, as a matter of fact, I am not an expert in anything but something just don't look right to me. I have never seen the eagle over a number on a trigger (or on that little thing that has that crooked 33 on it) before. I also have never seen a Luger with 5 proof marks (or whatever you call them) on the frame. I do know that the Germans were anal about serial numbers being stamped on just about all parts so I don't see them scratching the number 33 over there on the left side.

It looks like it has been refinished, too, and then the two extra "eagle stamps" put on the frame. As Abby Schoto would say, it just looks hinkey to me, but hey, like I said I ain't an expert.

EDIT: Jim and I were typing at the same time! I agree that it is just a "shooter" and another reason of that is because the side plate has been Xed out and then the 33 added, it was just not done that way.

 

[Guts3d]

I like the angle of the grip to the barrel. Just seems like a natural extension. Nice buy!

 

[sharps4590]

Sure looks nice...checkering is mighty sharp to have been carried or used much at all. The holster is in such surprising condition because it is surprisingly new. The stitching isn't even discolored nor the bare leather showing through above and the right of the date.

So what...that is one fine looking Luger and I'd have it any day, shooter or not! I regret that I'm not familiar enough with them to offer a value.

 

[b3slezak]

Some great feedback guys and I really appreciate it! I'm new to the forum but very impressed. I'm really hoping it's more than $450-$550! I paid $1,000 for it last week! I wonder if there's any chance that it was just simply never used??

 

[rhmc24]

For info, comparison, show & tell, mine I sold recently for $2000. It was a DWM 1920 9mm (most post WWI lugers were 7.65 mm), matching numbers, marked Pwb, for Politziewehr Bayern (police force Bavaria. Holster has Nazi & makers marks & date 1941. Its two mags are serial numbered to the gun, all of which probably indicates the gun spent its life intra-war in police use & got recalled for use in WW2 where it was equipped with the aluminum plug mags.


Maybe 15 years ago, friend of mine took it down from top shelf, grungy with hardened grease sold it to me for $400, went to LGS & got offer $750. Got home, wife says friend called, wants call back. Fearing he was having 'seller's remorse', I called & he says "I forgot to give you the scabbard & extra mag".

File photo shows a bayonet ---- anyone care to guestimate its worth?

 

[howlnmad]

My eyes focused the same place as gdmoody. The stamped out 68 with the 33 below it.

 

[jim brady]

To me it is worth whatever you think it is worth. Doesn't mean that somebody else would pay you what you think it is worth. I've paid more than the collector's price for guns before. Little example is a Trapdoor Springfield .45-70 Carbine I bought 20 years ago. I bought it from a reputable vendor at a Gun Show who had been selling antique rifles at that show for several years. I looked the carbine over, and when I looked down the barrel it was black and dingey. The seller told me "that barrel will clean up just fine!" and I bought it for $650. Got it home and began cleaning it only to discover that there was ZERO rifling in the middle of the bore. The steel was completely eaten away from corrosion. Took it back to the same vendor, and of course he'd never seen either me or that Carbine before. Sent me on a three year quest to find a replacement original Carbine barrel, and $300 dollars more later I found one. If I'd known what I was doing I would have spent less and saved a lot of head ache. The bottom line is this: if you are looking to buy something as an investment or to make money from, you need to become an expert before you buy.

 

[Dog Soldier]

That is a refurbished Luger and holster, belt etc. Mr. Brady covered this in his post. I would differ with his evaluation. There is now a whole new class of Luger collectors.
Because the perfect Lugers are rare they are very expensive. A class of Luger collectors now collect these "Battlefield" pick ups, mismatched, refinished or what they can find. This has caused Pistols such as this to be priced at $1,000 dollars or more. I believe this is a Vopo Luger guns reworked by East Germany during the 1950s for police use. These guns would have had black plastic Bullseye grips. I just replaced the plastic grips with the wooden ones. The numbers have been ghosted for export to America in the 1960s. The Vopo Lugers are now considered collectables. They did sell for $400 dollars 20 years ago. Not now.

Guts, This is for you. Your observation is correct regarding the Lugers grip frame. Bill Ruger used the action design of the Jap Nambu. Bill then adopted the 50` Degree grip and tapered barrel from the P-08 Luger. This was and is the design of the Ruger .22 Auto for over 50 years. Very astute Guts.

 

[Marblekonus]

I think, cruel history for holster, belt and weapon, parts of the Luger are not original.

This equipment belongs to Nazi time, black means SS, responsible for KZ, the holster ist made by Lenner, Bautzen, a town near the border to Poland, well known for his jail during Nazi time and communism DDR.
The owner of this Equipment was a SS-officer. The sentence on the buckle (Koppelschloß) "Meine Ehre heißt Treue" means "My hounor is faith" and it's original. This sentence belongs to Adolf Hitler.
Parts of the Luger are replaced, the proof marks are not made during Nazi time, it will be new after WWII. I'm wondering the "N" for smokeless nitro is missing, instead the mark is "G", that`s the mark for barrels of a rifle. Maybe a newbe has done this.
On the sledge you can see manufacture's logo: DWM, means "Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik", "German Weapon and Ammunition Factory". The serial-no. ist 733, the part 68 with crossed x was replaced and marked like the other parts with 33,the last two numbers of 733, thats usual. After that procedure the Luger was proofed again.