Just showing off…

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

I was in the gun room poking around today and came across one that I haven’t held for a while. It’s one of my favorites though, but I doubt I’ll ever shoot again.

It’s a custom conversion done by one of the Luger communities late, greats, Hugh Clark, back in his heyday. It came to me “in the white” so I had it blued and strawed as per the original German method for the period. It started life as a standard issue Luger but was then cut down to match the dimensions of the Baby Luger, which, if I’m not mistaken, was an EXTREMELY limited production of two, of which only one still survives today (I’ll have to look that up again to be sure).

Anyway, this is my Baby Luger and it’s now my profile pic as well. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Wow, Awesome!

Why never shoot it again?

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Wow, Awesome!

Why never shoot it again?

Because all of the parts match and I don’t want to ruin it by breaking one. I have a dozen other Lugers I can shoot (except the Navy and one of the Artys) if I want. It’s a “sort-of” collectors piece to me.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ah, well Bobs you Uncle then!

Its a beautiful gun in any event.

 

[gobsauce]

I gotta ask , how does the work done to it affect it's value?

If you know ,that is.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

I gotta ask , how does the work done to it affect it's value?

If you know ,that is.

Good question. It was worth (in todays money) about $1,500 at the time. With the work done it’s really only worth what someone will pay for it. I’ve seen similar conversions sell for in the $4-5,000 range. Because it was an average P08 it doesn’t ruin much in the way of history.

 

[Dustbowl]

I gotta believe it greatly depends on the buyer of said piece. To some people it means nothing, it’s a modified Luger, the value has been destroyed. But certain people appreciate the craftsmanship and detail put in and will pay accordingly. Custom Milsurps are the same way. Sure a sporterized 03-A3 is a sin, but one that is done well is a thing of beauty in itself.

 

[d'zaster]

I know nothing about Lugers but OP's mini gun looks pretty dang cool. Snubby Luger!

 

[tark]

Because all of the parts match and I don’t want to ruin it by breaking one. I have a dozen other Lugers I can shoot (except the Navy and one of the Artys) if I want. It’s a “sort-of” collectors piece to me.

I suspect you get criticism from time to time for not wanting to shoot it. I get some myself for not ever shooting my pristine ( as in unfired after proof ) 1913 C-96.

Anything done by Hugh Clark is considered by many to be a masterpiece and a true collector's item.

But if you ever do shoot it again please film it in low light conditions. . I'm curious as to just how BIG the fireball would be!!!

 

[tark]

I gotta believe it greatly depends on the buyer of said piece. To some people it means nothing, it’s a modified Luger, the value has been destroyed. But certain people appreciate the craftsmanship and detail put in and will pay accordingly. Custom Milsurps are the same way. Sure a sporterized 03-A3 is a sin, but one that is done well is a thing of beauty in itself.

WELL SAID, Sir!

Because of who did the work I would lay considerable wager that the OPs Luger has increased substantially in value. I am a collector with the "collectors mentality" toward modifying a classic or rare firearm. But I have seen sporterized milsurps on this forum that I would almost kill to possess. If the gun is not particularly rare or high conditioned I say "go for it."

 

[gobsauce]

I find this kind of work interesting. Almost like a sporterization. Like @tark said, there have been some sporterized milsurp rifles that I'd love to at least handle. This pistol is like that.

This is a professional job, it wasn't in the white then cold blued. If I had the cash and opportunity, this is the kind of thing I'd pay the asking price for.

This is the kind of thing I consider more curio than relic, if that makes sense.

 

[film495]

Because all of the parts match and I don’t want to ruin it by breaking one. I have a dozen other Lugers I can shoot (except the Navy and one of the Artys) if I want. It’s a “sort-of” collectors piece to me.

you're showing off and you have a dozen Lugers and didn't post a family photo? I'll probably never own one, so - I have to live a little through guys like you.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

you're showing off and you have a dozen Lugers and didn't post a family photo? I'll probably never own one, so - I have to live a little through guys like you.

LOL! I don’t have any kids so my money is (mostly) my own. I’ll have to do a family photo soon and post it for posterity sake. I got an interest in Lugers many years ago and decided to start a collection. Foolish little me. Lugers are a deep, deep hole that have so many variations that one can spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars and still not even scratch the surface of just one of the many derivations possible. So now I just buy what I like at the time that I like it and call it good. No sense in going crazy with this stuff. The point is to have fun after all, right?

 

[bannockburn]

Mr_Gun_Guy

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Georg Luger had a Baby Luger. It was his own personalized Luger with his initials "G L" engraved on it.

 

[jmorris]

Because all of the parts match and I don’t want to ruin it by breaking one.

LOL! I don’t have any kids so my money is (mostly) my own.

I am guilty of the same thing, owning firearms for looking at, saving them for someone else to have fun with. As I get further from the beginning and closer to the end, I am starting to question the mind set. Might even change it, if they were just going to be used by the highest bidder and not passed on to someone that knew what it meant to me.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Mr_Gun_Guy

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Georg Luger had a Baby Luger. It was his own personalized Luger with his initials "G L" engraved on it.

Yes, that’s the way I understand it too. There was supposedly only two made at that time and he had one, which he carried. Then there were a handful of them made in .32 cal. I don’t know what is myth and what is actual history but I do know that I just had to have this one when I saw it. And to have one of Hugh’s creations was a big plus too.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

I am guilty of the same thing, owning firearms for looking at, saving them for someone else to have fun with. As I get further from the beginning and closer to the end, I am starting to question the mind set. Might even change it, if they were just going to be used by the highest bidder and not passed on to someone that knew what it meant to me.

Funny that you say that… I’ll be sixty next year and I’ve been considering letting go of the historical and impractical guns within the collection. I’ve got a bunch of Colt Police Positives that I’ll never shoot as well that I should find a new home for. Those were the guns used by the “G-Man” in the old black and white movies - which they always shot from the hip, LOL! - and they hold a special place in my heart. Simpler times…

 

[bangswitch]

It may not be original, but it sure looks the part. That would be great to dig up when someone starts a "show us your snubbies" thread.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Okay, so I got the crew together to do a quick family portrait. Say “Cheese!”

 

[bannockburn]

Nice family photo! I always had a "thing" for the Navy and Artillery model Lugers, especially with those rear sights!

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Me too. The Navy is in superior shape but the two Artys… not so much. The one is my shooter which has been reblued and the other one is in original shape but is only about 70% finish (but it’s matching). There’s also a 1970’s era Mauser, a .22 Stoeger and a scrubbed Russian capture in the family. Erfurt, Mauser and DMW… oldest date is from 1910 during the Imperial era under Kaiser Wilhelm and goes on until 1939, right at the middle of the Nazi era. As you can tell, I didn’t get bogged down with just one rabbit hole… I went down as many as I could, LOL. I would really like to add a nice Swiss to the collection, and one day I probably will. Knowing me, I’ll get one and the next day sell the whole lot.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Wow!

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Looks like I’m going to have to change my profile pic. The Baby Luger will be selling tonight on Gunbroker.

 

[Riomouse911]

Looks like I’m going to have to change my profile pic. The Baby Luger will be selling tonight on Gunbroker.

Are you funding a new purchase?

Stay safe.

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

Are you funding a new purchase?

No, I have a new business that is taking the shirt off my back. It’s a brand new product so it’s taking a lot of money to get it going. I don’t know if this is against policy, but the web address is kap-bak.com.

Moderators, if posting my business address isn’t kosher, I’ll be happy to take it down.