Shooting A Genuine German World War I Luger Pistol

The Luger is one of the most iconic pistols ever created, not only is it a beautiful firearm, it fits well in the hand and the recoil is minimal and it is a very accurate pistol.  It was first used by the Imperial German Army during WWI and went on to serve the Nazis during WWII until it was phased-out and replaced with the P-38.

The Luger pistol was one of the first practical semiautomatic pistols, and one of the first to go into wide-scale production and use.

Their value turns on their place of manufacturer, date of manufacture and condition. Mint condition models from the Third Reich whose grips bear the iconic swastika clutched in eagle’s talons are the most valuable. The Luger was even mentioned in an episode of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

Georg Luger, working for the German company Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken, provided the Borchardt-Luger design, which during Swiss military trials, was found to be more accurate and reliable than competing designs such as the Mannlicher M1901 and Mauser C96.

There are going to be very few Lugers in operable condition for a couple of hundred dollars. If it is in decent shape, it’s likely pretty valuable. They are an extremely well made and generally very accurate. However, they are far from the best choice for a self defense gun…sorry.

With it being used mainly by German Officers, any G.I. would want one as a war trophy. Either as a gun enthusiast, or a physical representation of their journey during the war. For the same reason that many allied soldiers wanted one, it was considered to be a prime war souvenir especially during WWII.

After all is said and done, I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did!