Life is good, indeed.

My wonderful wife has agreed to purchase for me a present--a 1913 Erfurt Luger, in 9mm. This one is unique in that it comes with the letter from the War Department authorizing its importation into the United States in September of 1945.

My question is this: Does anyone know of a gunsmith who will restore good Lugers to pristine condition? And no, this gun will not just sit in the safe, either. It will be fired. A lot.

Any suggestions, or advice?

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Happiness is a 200 yard bughole.

Powderman __

You have a priceless wife. I also acquired a P-08 Luger via the same route.

If the pistol is in reasonably good condition, i.e., not a lot of rust, etc., there's not much to "refurbishing" it yourself. Mine came with a lot of the original cosmolene still inside. Beyond proof testing. It had never been fired.

It's a pretty complicated piece, so don't attempt disassembly without a pictorial break-down. The Gun Parts catalog has an excellent breakdown and they can get you any parts you might need.

Don't have it refinished unless the condition is really bad. The value drops appreciably. Also don't trust it to a gunsmith unless you have absolute faith in him, and unless you have to. Many gunsmiths have never had a P-08 in their hands. So they're no better off than you are.

By all means, shoot it. Modern 9 x 19 mm ammunition is quite mild and safe. However, keep your handload on the moderate side. 5 gr. of Unique behind a 115 gr. FMJ will get you 1100-1200 fps. You'll enjoy it. The P-08 is like an extension of your arm.

Good shooting.

Robert

I have a few p-08's and like to shoot them. I don't feel that it will hurt their value much by doing so. If you re-blue of something of this nature to alter from orginal, you will. There are shooters and wall hangers out there and they are priced accordingly. If you want one to shoot get it and shoot it. They are great fun!