"The Luger P08: The Nazis' Handgun" Topic

"The ancient Romans had a saying. Si vis pacem, para bellum—"If you want peace, prepare for war."

George Luger took that statement seriously. The result was a pistol known for its accuracy, the ammunition it introduced to the militaries of the world and the evil reputation it later gained.

The P08 nine-millimeter Parabellum—or Luger—pistol was the brainchild of its namesake inventor, and it served Germany faithfully during both world wars. Often associated with the Nazi regime, it was the handgun of the Kaiser's Soldaten before Hitler took power…"
Full article here
link

Nice handgun. I have one and enjoyed it. Sad I sold it.

Amicalement
Armand

Despite its good technical reputation, the Luger is still a complicated machine with several downsides.

When the pistol's breech is open, the jointed arm sits at an acute angle—the kind of mechanics that make the pistol susceptible to malfunctions because of fouling.

The Walter P-38 was a much more reliable pistol.
Still an interesting article Armand, thanks for posting.

Need to get my P-08 to a gunsmith someday – something not quite right in the firing mechanism – it jams on occasion (although the Erma .22lr 'lookalike' is even worse). Mine is not my choice for a go to gun.

Otherwise a nice pistol, although mine appears to be a 'parts' gun with non-matching numbers. Always liked the grip angle.

Amusing that it is so associated with the Nazis though. As the article notes the P-38 was the standard issue in WWII.

I have a P-1 the post war Austrian police version with an alloy slide – another nice gun, although a bit 'bitey.' Always thought the original heavier slide on the P-38 might tone that down a bit.

Yeah, the Luger was more the Kaiser's gun, and the P-38 was more the Nazi's gun.

-Kle.

I've never owned a Luger, but I do like my P-38s (post-war alloy frames). I wish, though, that I could find a hollow point round they will feed reliably.

Doug

I will say that the luger points VERY naturally….

I wish, though, that I could find a hollow point round they will feed reliably.

Have you tried Pow-r-ball ? I don't think it's the best of rounds, but it usually feeds.

My grandfather-in-law's long Luger and P-38 are both very finicky about ammo, my wife and I just shoot ball in them.
-Kle.

Have you tried Pow-r-ball ? I don't think it's the best of rounds, but it usually feeds.

I did, and if I kept 5 or maybe 6 in the magazine, they fed fine, but not with more. It's a really persnickety feed ramp in there. I've polished it a bit, but without any noticeable change (and I hesitate to work on it too much, lest I screw something up).

Doug

My dad actually brought one of those home as a souvenir of his fun times playing with Uncle Adolph's boys. That and a couple of Purple Hearts. Wonder where it ended up.