Vet Bring-Back P08 Luger. Value? Opinions?

[gew98]

Not only a crook , but she may be in cahoots with the entity that renumberd that frame.

[phild]

Not only a crook , but she may be in cahoots with the entity that renumberd that frame.

Somebody would have to do a lot of explaining to me in order to convince me that the frame on that 1938 has been re-numbered and also why. Lower frame 'halfs" do somtimes show up as mismatched...usually with the two numbered saftey parts, trigger, hold-open and locking bolt matched to them as well in that those parts are attached directly to the frame. I would expect to see these or at least some of these parts re-numbered to match the upper receiver group if that was the case. I also know that it is no small feat to remove metal/old number on that small frame flat without reducing the frame length (slightly) or dishing the area...making it very noticeable. Then there is the problem of finding the correct letter block range/rear frame bump style....not to mention the re-finishing to blend in to the rest of the 90 somthing % finish......a lot of work and expense for a common code/date, mis-matched mag (why not 'correct' those too while the 'faker' was at it?)...it does not add up.
I friend of mine just sold (at a show) a toggle mis-matched (by serial number, maker, and era!) 'shooter' for about $700....that seems to be average here in the SE for comparable shooter Lugers.
When one adds up all the expense that would have been involved in matching up that 1938 ....$1500 would be about a break even point....Does not make sense.

Matt, the .08 you pictured seems to me to be a (the) Ku variation. I would love to discuss this type because I've never read/heard an explaination for these that made senseand I think I have heard them all. I think that the Ku models are one of the most intriguing Luger types of WWII.

[Matt Weber]

I agree with Phil here. This luger looks correct to me. Nothing wrong with the numbering.

Phil, You are correct about the pic that I posted up. However, I was hoping Jarrid would post again, but since you let the cat out of the bag it's a lost cause now. BTW; cudos to the two other members who emailed me with the correct answer as well. I won't mention names, but you both know who you are!

I agree that the KU luger is a very interesting luger variation. (right up there with the KI, and "deaths' head" lugers!)

We'll have to start another post on the KU luger though, since this threads' topic is over.

Matt

[gew98]

Guys ' I can't see how you 'like' the serialing on that P08 frame. The double hit on the number 8 is no great deal , but the font of that number as well as the font of that number # 2 in the frame serial DOES NOT MATCH the serial fonts on the barrel. Bad Karma - real bad karma.
As for you pondering why and using that 'ponder' to quash any reasoning why someone would fake such items...money. A mismatch frame and magazine(s) P08 is worth considerably less then a matching pistol with mismatch magazines - FACT. I have owned P08's that were the top half of one pistol and the complete lower half of the other.How they got like that one can only wonder , but they were mismatch and honestly sold as such when I got them many years ago.
A cruise of most any gunshow these days will result in nazi era rifles and pistols that have been doctored - right down to removal of import marks and even the addition of laughably fraudulent tote head proofs etc etc. And it's all for money...too simple.

[madboy]

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I have to agree with mauserBill here (gew98) and say that the frame numbering is not done by Oberndorf, and is not even German IMO. Certainly they may not have been stamped in the same place in the factory, nor by the same hand, but the dies themselves would have been made from the same master dies. I have dozens of examples of Oberndorf numbering, either as images on file, or arms in my collection---mostly prewar Oberndorf 98k's--and the fonts are just not correct. All other parts on this Luger appear legit, but the frame number is not right---the '2' especially strikes me as off.


As an aside, as a hobbyist and amatuer metalworker, work such as this is not hard to perfom well, and could easily be accomplished with very little investment for someone who humps up Lugers or 98ks with any regularity. For them, this is business as usual, and like stated, is all for gaining the almight dead president. These days, it seems all the more likely that a piece is humped up, rather than some serialing anomoly or the like.

All this aside, I am pleased to present my first actual post to this fine forum!

Ken