Stainless Lugers

[Jasta2]

Is any one manufacture of the stainless Lugers better quality that the other? Or are they made by the same tooling? Maybe thinking on buying one. Have yet to find one though.

[mrerick]

If I'm not mistaken, regardless of the brand, the stainless Lugers all come from the same US manufacturer. Aimco. Stoeger, Mitchell, American Eagle.

http://luger.gunboards.com/showthrea...d-Aimco-Lugers

I understand that these have reliability and metallurgy issues, and do not own any.

[Jasta2]

I guess they, along with the Mauser Parabellum , are quite desirable now. Searching the online sights, I have yet to find either of those two listed.

[DavidJayUden]

I'm not sure if "desirable" is the correct term...
dju

[Jasta2]

Maybe "collectable" ? In any case nobody seems to be parting with theirs. OH! I know this is not the place to say this, but.... RED SOX WIN !!

[mrerick]

There is a vast difference between the 1970's Mauser product (high quality) and the stainless Lugers. `

[Jasta2]

Yes, I have owned a couple of 6" Mauser Parabellums in the past. Sadly I let both of them go.

[Sammler]

MAUSER produced a limited number of stainless MAUSER Parabellum pistols. I have one .

[mrerick]

I've never heard of one... Perhaps Mauro or Gerben (that wrote the book) could comment?

[Vlim]

Mauser never produced stainless versions, but they did a matte chrome plated one.

[Jasta2]

could we see a picture?

[mauro]

Dear All,
Mauser never produced stainless versions but they proposed different types of finishing.

The so called Matte Chromed was available since the first days of production and was the first non-standard finishing. You can see one of the early pistol with this finishing, ivory grips and small parts gold plated.

I attach also a brochure of the period that shows the second type of finishing, the so called Nickel-Finishing. This finishing was available later on and was used for models like the IWA collection.

In the Archive, original Mauser documents are available with the price of the different finishing. Interesting also that the Matte Chromed pistols required more attention in the finishing because the thickness was greater than normal bluing.

For Mauser Parabellum collector I use this opportunity to recall the certification service:

http://www.lugerlp08.com/mauser%20pa...tification.htm

Greetings,

[Mac Cat]

I know of one AIMCO (made in Houston, TX) stainless steel Luger, NIB, at a Pawn Shop (Dardanelle, AR). He wanted $999 for it, but didn't really want to sell it. It makes a good conversation piece.

[ithacaartist]

I've owned two stainless Lugers. I just passed one which was branded "OFM" on to another collector. I've never had a Mitchell or Stoeger branded one in hand, but it's pretty obvious from the pics that one can find here and there that the finishing is better on them. It seems to me that the surfaces that are flat don't display the waviness from over-buffing that they are generally known for. Mine overall had tolerances that you could swing a cat through, but I can't say if the Mitchell or Stoeger examples are any better. The gun I sold seemed to shoot OK once the bent ejector was replaced with an original from Lugerdoc. It arrived with four numbered stainless mags, so the owner previous to me likely used it in some sort of competition shooting.

These guns were produced in the earlier part of the wave that brought us stainless guns from other makers as well. Conjecture has it that metallurgy for the application of stainless steel to firearms was still being dialed in at the time. Early ones show displaced metal from use--spalling and galling of the toggle ramps where they're hammered by contact with the toggle knobs during use. Apparently, use of a more appropriate lube for stainless helps with galling. My toggle ramps were spalled, so filing off the material that had been pounded over the edges into the inside of the action was an easy fix. It did not reappear, but neither did I put a lot of rounds through it after. This sort of supports the notion of competition use...

The one I still have was doctored to have scalloped toggle knobs and Cerakoted black over the stainless steel. It's an Aimco-branded commemorative called the 1900/2000, in .30 Luger, 4 3/4" pencil barrel, notched front sight, grip safety, etc. (but no toggle lock) I fired it enough to establish that it'll shoot OK and now reserve it for inspiring ooh's and aah's when showing my collection. It's purdy, all right, but its fit and finish are still an embarrassment when compared to an original.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

The one I still have was doctored to have scalloped toggle knobs...

......Can you post a side pic of that gun??? That sounds interesting...

[Rick W.]

I don't have a lot of background with the stainless Lugers other being burned at the stake on many occasion here for shooting one...............and........for a long time..... smiling and shooting said stainless Lugers with good results fwiw. Thanks for folks driving down pricing so I could have multiples.....

I think I find the Stoeger marked stainless guns the prettiest. Just my opinion there. With that said, nothing really equals the originals; but that is true in most things.

I remember seeing the pencil barreled black Luger down in Houston some years ago. Had the fancy toggles even and.........yes, the 4.75". For a long time, I thought that the commemorative(?) version was only in black over stainless. Then I saw a forum member show the same pencil barreled pistol in plain stainless. I believe it is shown in the old section of old pictures.

I agree the early days of stainless automatic handguns was a learning experience for makers, but guess gotta start somewhere. Learned about the galling characteristics of two similar metals rubbed together, the designers finally got past that for the most part. Dissimilar metal types I guess. Lubes help, proper lubes that I know nothing about...and don't wanna. Web is full of wonderous knowledge.

My first stainless Luger featured a separated barrel extension. I attributed that to hot(very, very) loads, and somewhat to the execution of an design enhancement in the left side sear bar area. I have noticed some burnishing of the ramps on one pistol, but as stated in a previous post, he and I both dressed the ramp area down and things worked out.

Collectors like rarity or perceived rarity. If one looks at the numbers of stainless versus wartime or chromemoly versions, the stainless has some rarity points. Only when the flippers recognize or indulge in the hype of rarity of these stainless guns will the value go up exponentially. Just take a look at the growth in the Interarms markets of their Lugers done on old Swiss support(redone a lot), used to buy them for $300 as many as you wanted because they were not real Lugers.........now the number is 3x-5x because they have been "discovered" as perhaps real Lugers............odd how life is sometimes, have to smile about such a little.

[Sammler]

Some additional information regarding my stainless MAUSER Parabellum. This pistol was one of the many experiments undertaken by the R&D facility of MAUSER. It was not a production item. The pistol left the R&D facility without a serial number and without being proofed. It was after all, an "in house experiment." Proofs and serial number (hand engraved) were added later. I have nothing further I wish to add.

[Vlim]

Sorry, I don't believe you. We have access to the archives and have spoken many times with those who were involved with r&d, sales and management and no evidence of Mauser making stainless steel lugers has ever shown up.

So I am looking forward to seeing your stainless Mauser and any documentation that supports your claims.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

......Can you post a side pic of that gun??? That sounds interesting...

They accomplished the scallops by milling regular knobs just as you did, Rich. Same inappropriate knurling. The stainless guns I've had don't have knurling around the knobs' circumferences.

I mis-remembered...the front sight blade is not notched the way a 1900/06 would have been.

My main gripe is that the grip safety has the incorrect angle to wind up parallel to the rear grip strap. Note how the distance from the former to the latter is roughly equal along its length when the lever is at rest. When the lever is pressed, it bottoms out at the top but doesn't come hear as clost at the bottom. This presents a lump against the hand when gripping and firing it...which isn't as friendly as the one on, say, later 1911 beaver-tails.

[DavidJayUden]

Why doesn't the depressed grip safety lay flush on both bottom and top? Although I don't have one apart to consult, it seems like a job for "Mr. Dremel".
dju