Love of Lugers-How it all started

Thor · 07-04-2002, 05:11 PM

I remember as a small boy watching war movies and listening to my dear old dad telling me about those "cool German Lugers" I also remember my favorite squirt gun was Luger shaped. Probably 9 years old and I didnt get my first Luger until I was 20 yrs old. Bought it from Ralph Shattuck and been hooked ever since. Ralph told me he started his love of Lugers when he was 14, that had to be around 1930 +-. I remember how cool it felt to fire one for the first time and to hold one, almost hynotising! Thor

Hub · 07-04-2002, 05:20 PM

Well mine started after WWII when as a 8 or 9 year old kid at a family reunion I held what I now realize was a standard military and a carbine. Yes I've tried my best to trace these guns but to no avail.
Neil

Brandon · 07-04-2002, 05:36 PM

Hi Ted!
I developed my interest in Lugers when I first held my uncle Gerald's 1936 S/42 (I was probably 10)! Then watching tales of "Tales Of The Gun: The Luger" really got me interested! I got my first Luger in February of this year and have been learning as much as I can about them since then! Even though I am only 14, I'm still trying to figure out a way to attend WOL 2003 and see all those one of a kind Lugers for myself! There is nothing that can provide more knowledge than first hand experience, and that Luger room (Plus talking to Ralph) would provide alot of experience!

Regards,Brandon Metcalf

Jimbo · 07-04-2002, 05:48 PM

As a 50's kid, those excellent WWII movies during and after the war must have been a big factor.

I don't know why the Luger is my favorite handgun or why the Colt 1873 is my 2nd favorite. I know they were my favotite toys in my youth.

All I can say is that the Luger is the most radically exciting and elegant gun ever created IMHO. It has a rich history spanning 50 years as a service weapon. It is visually stunning and works exceptionally well. Heft one in the hand and it makes you feel somthing race inside. I don't understand them. But I am grateful to be able to own some fine examples.

How did I start collecting? I'll tell you later...

Thor · 07-04-2002, 06:32 PM

Brandon, you are getting a big jump start on collecting and research at your young age. By the time you are an old fart like me, you will be WAY smarter! Hope you enjoy your collecting, it sure has been fun for me so far! Thor <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

Brandon · 07-04-2002, 06:34 PM

Thanks for the kind words pal! You guys have really provided me with alot of valuable information these past few months!

Brandon

ronin · 07-04-2002, 08:12 PM

Thor, my story is exactly like yours.

CanÃ?Â´t exactly remember when exactly this happened but its undeniable that in my country, besides the fact that there were a ton of old war movies always on TV, thereÃ?Â´s always been a subliminal pro-german (should i dare say nazi?) feeling. Therefore, most used to vouch for the bad guys and drool at their way cool uniforms and superior hardware.

Luger first among all of it. I guess the Luger is the first gun iÃ?Â´ve ever desired, i remember having many of those metal reproductions that fire caps that are still found at ebay every now and then. They sure bring back nice memories.

A couple of years ago i had the opportunity to visit a small city in the middle of my country. This is one of the few comunities where some of the survivors of the Graff Spee settled down after the battle of the Rio de la Plata (thatÃ?Â´s what we call it here). Let me tell youy that that town has enshrined the Graff Spee and the whole story behind it.

0-0

Dwight Gruber · 07-05-2002, 05:59 AM

I had a bakelite faux-Luger single-shot cap gun, it was nearly full sized and extensively detailed (it would probably get you arrested today), before I was eight years old. It fit my hand like a glove, and I recognized even then that it was something special. By the time I was 12 I had bought, on purpose and with my own money, Fred Datig's book. I collected guns and gunsmith-tinkered through high-school, but only had long guns because I was too young to buy handguns.

(A long hiatus, during which I didn't buy guns, and eventually sold most of them. I never lost my interest, and always regretted the sale.)

Six months ago (40 years later) I decided what the heck, there is reallly no reason for me not to indulge. I've been making up for lost time ever since.

--Dwight

ronin · 07-05-2002, 11:26 AM

Dwight,

So far, yet so close. I started buying my first handgun in '95. The collection has grown steadily ever since.

0-0

Doubs · 07-05-2002, 12:46 PM

My father told me stories of the Lugers he had owned as a young man and I was bitten by the Luger bug about 1954 or 1955. It wasn't until 1957 that I was able to convince Pop to go halves with me and buy one. I was 14 when Railway Express called to say they had a package for us. It was a $37.50 mismatch Mauser with what appeared to be a battlefield repair of the muzzle.... silver solder and counter bored. Pop replaced that barrel with an Italian-made 8 inch barrel that is very accurate. Unfortunately, the pistol has never been reliable. But, it was a beginning and I have other Lugers now that are very reliable. To me, the 4 3/4 inch slender barrels of the .30 Lugers are the most graceful and I like the 7.65mm cartridge. But, I'll take a Luger in any caliber.

Torquemada055 · 07-06-2002, 12:28 AM

My love affair began in the 60's watching old movies, in 79 while on deployment in the Chocolate Mtns of southern California I met a Army Staff Sgt. who had his dad's WW2 bring home and he let me shoot it. That cemented all my emotional attachment to this pistol.
Now as a 42 y.o. dad w/3 kids, I said the heck with responsible action and am gonna buy my first, boy is my wife hot about it ! She has always known of my first love, Guns, so she cant kick to much about my new mistress when she arrives.
A couple more overtimes and I'll be an owner too.

Big Norm · 07-07-2002, 03:01 AM

Ronin,
what an interesting story regarding the Graff Spee. Were the survivors allowed to take their Lugers and other weapons off of the ship or did the weapons go down with the ship? Did a large number of them stay in your country or did many go back to Germany to their families and friends when the war ended? Did the survivors know that the Graff Spee was going to be sunk or did they find out when everybody else did?
Big Norm

07-04-2002, 05:11 PM	#1
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Love of Lugers-How it all started I remember as a small boy watching war movies and listening to my dear old dad telling me about those "cool German Lugers" I also remember my favorite squirt gun was Luger shaped. Probably 9 years old and I didnt get my first Luger until I was 20 yrs old. Bought it from Ralph Shattuck and been hooked ever since. Ralph told me he started his love of Lugers when he was 14, that had to be around 1930 +-. I remember how cool it felt to fire one for the first time and to hold one, almost hynotising! Thor __________________ Thor's Luger Clinic http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/ Ted Green (Thor Yaller Boots) 725 Western Hills Dr SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124 915-526-8925 Email [email protected] ----------------------------------- John3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

07-04-2002, 06:32 PM	#5
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Brandon, you are getting a big jump start on collecting and research at your young age. By the time you are an old fart like me, you will be WAY smarter! Hope you enjoy your collecting, it sure has been fun for me so far! Thor <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> __________________ Thor's Luger Clinic http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/ Ted Green (Thor Yaller Boots) 725 Western Hills Dr SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124 915-526-8925 Email [email protected] ----------------------------------- John3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

07-06-2002, 12:28 AM	#11
Torquemada055 User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sutter Creek, Ca. Posts: 42 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My love affair began in the 60's watching old movies, in 79 while on deployment in the Chocolate Mtns of southern California I met a Army Staff Sgt. who had his dad's WW2 bring home and he let me shoot it. That cemented all my emotional attachment to this pistol. Now as a 42 y.o. dad w/3 kids, I said the heck with responsible action and am gonna buy my first, boy is my wife hot about it ! She has always known of my first love, Guns, so she cant kick to much about my new mistress when she arrives. A couple more overtimes and I'll be an owner too. __________________ Always remember those who came before, they are the reason we can do the things we do.

07-04-2002, 05:20 PM	#2
Hub User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Decatur, IN Posts: 61 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Well mine started after WWII when as a 8 or 9 year old kid at a family reunion I held what I now realize was a standard military and a carbine. Yes I've tried my best to trace these guns but to no avail. Neil

07-04-2002, 05:36 PM	#3
Brandon User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Tennessee, USA Posts: 329 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hi Ted! I developed my interest in Lugers when I first held my uncle Gerald's 1936 S/42 (I was probably 10)! Then watching tales of "Tales Of The Gun: The Luger" really got me interested! I got my first Luger in February of this year and have been learning as much as I can about them since then! Even though I am only 14, I'm still trying to figure out a way to attend WOL 2003 and see all those one of a kind Lugers for myself! There is nothing that can provide more knowledge than first hand experience, and that Luger room (Plus talking to Ralph) would provide alot of experience! Regards,Brandon Metcalf

07-04-2002, 05:48 PM	#4
Jimbo User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SF CA Posts: 167 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	As a 50's kid, those excellent WWII movies during and after the war must have been a big factor. I don't know why the Luger is my favorite handgun or why the Colt 1873 is my 2nd favorite. I know they were my favotite toys in my youth. All I can say is that the Luger is the most radically exciting and elegant gun ever created IMHO. It has a rich history spanning 50 years as a service weapon. It is visually stunning and works exceptionally well. Heft one in the hand and it makes you feel somthing race inside. I don't understand them. But I am grateful to be able to own some fine examples. How did I start collecting? I'll tell you later...

07-04-2002, 06:34 PM	#6
Brandon User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Tennessee, USA Posts: 329 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for the kind words pal! You guys have really provided me with alot of valuable information these past few months! Brandon

07-04-2002, 08:12 PM	#7
ronin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thor, my story is exactly like yours. CanÃ?Â´t exactly remember when exactly this happened but its undeniable that in my country, besides the fact that there were a ton of old war movies always on TV, thereÃ?Â´s always been a subliminal pro-german (should i dare say nazi?) feeling. Therefore, most used to vouch for the bad guys and drool at their way cool uniforms and superior hardware. Luger first among all of it. I guess the Luger is the first gun iÃ?Â´ve ever desired, i remember having many of those metal reproductions that fire caps that are still found at ebay every now and then. They sure bring back nice memories. A couple of years ago i had the opportunity to visit a small city in the middle of my country. This is one of the few comunities where some of the survivors of the Graff Spee settled down after the battle of the Rio de la Plata (thatÃ?Â´s what we call it here). Let me tell youy that that town has enshrined the Graff Spee and the whole story behind it. 0-0

07-05-2002, 05:59 AM	#8
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,902 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,318 Times in 431 Posts	I had a bakelite faux-Luger single-shot cap gun, it was nearly full sized and extensively detailed (it would probably get you arrested today), before I was eight years old. It fit my hand like a glove, and I recognized even then that it was something special. By the time I was 12 I had bought, on purpose and with my own money, Fred Datig's book. I collected guns and gunsmith-tinkered through high-school, but only had long guns because I was too young to buy handguns. (A long hiatus, during which I didn't buy guns, and eventually sold most of them. I never lost my interest, and always regretted the sale.) Six months ago (40 years later) I decided what the heck, there is reallly no reason for me not to indulge. I've been making up for lost time ever since. --Dwight

07-05-2002, 11:26 AM	#9
ronin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Dwight, So far, yet so close. I started buying my first handgun in '95. The collection has grown steadily ever since. 0-0

07-05-2002, 12:46 PM	#10
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,700 Thanks: 792 Thanked 1,692 Times in 555 Posts	My father told me stories of the Lugers he had owned as a young man and I was bitten by the Luger bug about 1954 or 1955. It wasn't until 1957 that I was able to convince Pop to go halves with me and buy one. I was 14 when Railway Express called to say they had a package for us. It was a $37.50 mismatch Mauser with what appeared to be a battlefield repair of the muzzle.... silver solder and counter bored. Pop replaced that barrel with an Italian-made 8 inch barrel that is very accurate. Unfortunately, the pistol has never been reliable. But, it was a beginning and I have other Lugers now that are very reliable. To me, the 4 3/4 inch slender barrels of the .30 Lugers are the most graceful and I like the 7.65mm cartridge. But, I'll take a Luger in any caliber.

07-07-2002, 03:01 AM	#12
Big Norm RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 1,864 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Ronin, what an interesting story regarding the Graff Spee. Were the survivors allowed to take their Lugers and other weapons off of the ship or did the weapons go down with the ship? Did a large number of them stay in your country or did many go back to Germany to their families and friends when the war ended? Did the survivors know that the Graff Spee was going to be sunk or did they find out when everybody else did? Big Norm