newbie question about grandfather's lugers

JohnnieDavis · 01-01-2009, 07:10 PM

Hey all, I come to you with a heavy heart. first off, great forum. last Christmas while at a family party, I learned my grandfather had 4 Lugers he brought home from Italy. my uncle told me he saw them only once, and sold them in the 80s along with his brother's 4, all to the same man. we have no idea who this man is. my uncle said when he looked at them, my grandfather reached behind a cabinet and took them out, so i went to the same cabinet to find 4 EMPTY nails

my uncle described them as the nicest guns he has ever seen. one had pearl/ivory grips with SS Runes in them and a death's head on the other side. another one had grips with the eagle and swastika on them, like the ones pictured below. of course there may not be any records of them ever existing, but what do the experts think about these? possible, impossible, $10,000 for the one pictured below? then to top it all off yesterday i learned he carried his 1911A1 home with him, but sold it too. oh yeah he had a K98 sniper...it never had a chance. I am however greatfull....he was an awesome grandfather who told me everything he went through. he left me a P 38 with matching mags and holster with both german name and his name in it.

please help.

JD

Edward Tinker · 01-01-2009, 07:19 PM

JD, welcome to the forum. Not sure how to help, unless you had actual pictures of the lugers.

But I can say this; no offense to your uncle or grandfather, but no lugers like the two above were "issued" by the german army, nor carried in WW2.

I would say if he had these (and it is very possible) that they were modifications / additions by the GI's or locals.

Ed

drbuster · 01-01-2009, 07:44 PM

I thoroughly agree with Ed's appraisal. The luger with the black grips has been seen on the Forum before (or one like it). A comment ensued that the swastika is not tilted at 45 degrees, seriously raising the question of authenticity. Many lugers were adorned with all kinds of fancy grips, etc., after the war. They may have looked "cool" at the time but in today's collector market, they are a liability.

GerColctor · 01-03-2009, 07:55 PM

Johnnie

Neither of the Lugers in the picture supplied by you are anywhere remotly close to $10,000 in value. A lot of questions are needed to be answered befor an estimated value could be placed on them. The pearl handle grips, with the SS ruines really hurt the Luger. If the SS ruines have been added into the metal surface, then there is a real problem.

As mentioned above, once you start changing, adding or "improving" these pistols, you signifcantly reduce their value.

Joe

JohnnieDavis · 01-04-2009, 08:07 AM

the runes were evidently in the handles, not the pistol itself, but thank you to everyone who commented. the $10,000 figure was based on something I saw from Simpson Ltd.

JD

01-01-2009, 07:10 PM	#1
JohnnieDavis User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	newbie question about grandfather's lugers Hey all, I come to you with a heavy heart. first off, great forum. last Christmas while at a family party, I learned my grandfather had 4 Lugers he brought home from Italy. my uncle told me he saw them only once, and sold them in the 80s along with his brother's 4, all to the same man. we have no idea who this man is. my uncle said when he looked at them, my grandfather reached behind a cabinet and took them out, so i went to the same cabinet to find 4 EMPTY nails my uncle described them as the nicest guns he has ever seen. one had pearl/ivory grips with SS Runes in them and a death's head on the other side. another one had grips with the eagle and swastika on them, like the ones pictured below. of course there may not be any records of them ever existing, but what do the experts think about these? possible, impossible, $10,000 for the one pictured below? then to top it all off yesterday i learned he carried his 1911A1 home with him, but sold it too. oh yeah he had a K98 sniper...it never had a chance. I am however greatfull....he was an awesome grandfather who told me everything he went through. he left me a P 38 with matching mags and holster with both german name and his name in it. please help. JD

01-01-2009, 07:19 PM	#2
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	JD, welcome to the forum. Not sure how to help, unless you had actual pictures of the lugers. But I can say this; no offense to your uncle or grandfather, but no lugers like the two above were "issued" by the german army, nor carried in WW2. I would say if he had these (and it is very possible) that they were modifications / additions by the GI's or locals. Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-03-2009, 07:55 PM	#4
GerColctor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: CT & FL Posts: 312 Thanks: 2 Thanked 45 Times in 29 Posts	Johnnie Neither of the Lugers in the picture supplied by you are anywhere remotly close to $10,000 in value. A lot of questions are needed to be answered befor an estimated value could be placed on them. The pearl handle grips, with the SS ruines really hurt the Luger. If the SS ruines have been added into the metal surface, then there is a real problem. As mentioned above, once you start changing, adding or "improving" these pistols, you signifcantly reduce their value. Joe __________________ It is better to have lived a day as a tiger, then a thousand years as a lamb.

01-04-2009, 08:07 AM	#5
JohnnieDavis User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	the runes were evidently in the handles, not the pistol itself, but thank you to everyone who commented. the $10,000 figure was based on something I saw from Simpson Ltd. JD Last edited by JohnnieDavis; 01-04-2009 at 08:56 AM.

01-01-2009, 07:44 PM	#3
drbuster User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: San Mateo, California Posts: 1,432 Thanks: 2 Thanked 71 Times in 56 Posts	I thoroughly agree with Ed's appraisal. The luger with the black grips has been seen on the Forum before (or one like it). A comment ensued that the swastika is not tilted at 45 degrees, seriously raising the question of authenticity. Many lugers were adorned with all kinds of fancy grips, etc., after the war. They may have looked "cool" at the time but in today's collector market, they are a liability.