Stainless Steel Luger Reliability and Questions

[Dwight Gruber]

There are four identifiable variations of stainless steel Lugers:

1. Mitchell

2. Stoeger

3. Aimco

4. Orimar

All of them are OEM by the same manufacturer, currently known as Orimar, made in Texas.

As I understand the situation, the Mitchell was reverse engineered--patterned--from original item, and original Luger parts are interchangeable. Sometime during Stoeger marked production the design was changed and original parts--notably magazines--will no longer interchange.

Aimco and Orimar guns are of course the same with a change only of manufacturer's hallmark.

Is this evolution correct? Can anyone refine it, possibly including dates?

Can anyone, by their own experience, comment on the functioning and reliability of the particular production eras?

--Dwight

[Steve Richards]

Dwight,

My 9mm functions well with 115g S&B ammo. The .30cal handles a batch of privately loaded FMJ well but as you know will not work with Fiochi. I have not tried Winchester.

I think that you have the evolution correct. My 2000 year marked gun has the new style magazine and is AIMCO. The .30cal is from 2002 and is marked ORIMAR.

The president of the company said that the name was changed because the AIMCO name was too closely associated with SToeger.

Steve

[Lugerdoc]

Quite a few other parts beside the mags are not interchangeable with the original PO8. Has anyone been able to get replacement parts from Orimar, in the last year or so? TH

[wdavid431]

I have a stainless 9mm 1992 Mitchell Luger. It fires great and everytime. No jams or problems with Winchester 115. Further, it cleans up nice and is a joy to shoot.

[Johnny C. Kitchens]

Don't forget SPS. Some of the Mitchell version show they are made by SPS in the early models, before Aimco shows up. Yes, I believe it is another name for the same company...