Best Birthday present ever

Lugers down under · 08-11-2011, 02:19 PM

Hi Guys on the forum and thank you for my birthday wishes!!

This year I got the best birthday present ever.

A whole morning at the RUAG Holdings AG firearms reference collection at Thun , Switzerland.

Yours truly holding Swiss Borchardt Luger prototype number 5 and my photo of the original Borchardt together with the prototype Borchardt Luger 5.

It can't get any better than that.

It was one of the greatest days of my life.

Kind wishes

Imperial Arms · 08-11-2011, 03:08 PM

About 13 years ago, I had the same excitement to examine and photograph the same BL serial #5 as well as serial #6.

Cheers,
Albert

mrerick · 08-11-2011, 06:19 PM

Quite literally holding history in your hands!

Happy Birthday...

Marc

Ron Wood · 08-12-2011, 02:11 AM

You are living the dream Murray...congratulations. (Sure beats a whistle stop in El Paso, doesn't it!

)

Edward Tinker · 08-12-2011, 05:27 AM

Really great present!!

Ron, stopping by your 'museum' is a once in a lifetime event (ok, maybe more than once) and it is fun as all get out to visit with friends and seeing their collections

Ed

John Sabato · 08-12-2011, 01:04 PM

Best wishes for your birthday Murray! What a great way to spend it!

Lugers down under · 08-13-2011, 12:26 AM

Thanks for your kind comments guys, athough I will admit that a visit to Ron's collection is next on my "bucket list" ,
We got close at the El Paso Railway station but not quite close enough.

I did get the time at RUAG Thun to have a very good look at all of the Borchardt Luger prototypes but did not photograph them all, however one of the many photos did include the 1918 W+F made "Luger toggle action" sub-machine gun. (see my photos below)
I had only see a photo of this gun before in Vittorio Bobba's great book "Parabellum".

I'm sorry that the second photo of the toggle action is a little out of focus,

Kind wishes

Hugo Borchardt · 08-14-2011, 02:52 PM

Wow! Thanks for photos. Congratulations!

08-11-2011, 02:19 PM	#1
Lugers down under User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Great Barrier Island, New Zealand Posts: 228 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Best Birthday present ever Hi Guys on the forum and thank you for my birthday wishes!! This year I got the best birthday present ever. A whole morning at the RUAG Holdings AG firearms reference collection at Thun , Switzerland. Yours truly holding Swiss Borchardt Luger prototype number 5 and my photo of the original Borchardt together with the prototype Borchardt Luger 5. It can't get any better than that. It was one of the greatest days of my life. Kind wishes Attached Thumbnails __________________ Lugers down under

08-11-2011, 06:19 PM	#3
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,909 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,110 Times in 1,510 Posts	Quite literally holding history in your hands! Happy Birthday... Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

08-12-2011, 02:11 AM	#4
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,022 Thanks: 1,090 Thanked 5,178 Times in 1,703 Posts	You are living the dream Murray...congratulations. (Sure beats a whistle stop in El Paso, doesn't it!) __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

08-13-2011, 12:26 AM	#7
Lugers down under User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Great Barrier Island, New Zealand Posts: 228 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks for your kind comments guys, athough I will admit that a visit to Ron's collection is next on my "bucket list" , We got close at the El Paso Railway station but not quite close enough. I did get the time at RUAG Thun to have a very good look at all of the Borchardt Luger prototypes but did not photograph them all, however one of the many photos did include the 1918 W+F made "Luger toggle action" sub-machine gun. (see my photos below) I had only see a photo of this gun before in Vittorio Bobba's great book "Parabellum". I'm sorry that the second photo of the toggle action is a little out of focus, Kind wishes Attached Thumbnails __________________ Lugers down under Last edited by Lugers down under; 08-13-2011 at 12:33 AM. Reason: spelling

08-14-2011, 02:52 PM	#8
Hugo Borchardt User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tennessee Posts: 370 Thanks: 340 Thanked 133 Times in 47 Posts	Wow! Thanks for photos. Congratulations! __________________ My militaria collection is dedicated to the memory of my Grandfather, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Dave Hill, Jr., wounded in action at The Assault of the Second Marine Division on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, 20-23 November, 1943. http://www.tarawa1943.com/pages/casualties%20tarawa.htm

08-11-2011, 03:08 PM	#2
Imperial Arms Banned Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Malta, EU Posts: 579 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	About 13 years ago, I had the same excitement to examine and photograph the same BL serial #5 as well as serial #6. Cheers, Albert

08-12-2011, 05:27 AM	#5
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	Really great present!! Ron, stopping by your 'museum' is a once in a lifetime event (ok, maybe more than once) and it is fun as all get out to visit with friends and seeing their collections 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

08-12-2011, 01:04 PM	#6
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	Best wishes for your birthday Murray! What a great way to spend it! __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*