P08 Lugers don't like hollowpoints and other false internet folklore on the P08

[aksu747]

I have read several places online that say that P08 Lugers in 9mm don't feed JHP's or other self defense ammo. I don't know why people say this I picked up a 1916 Luger at the gunshow that has no problem feeding Winchester Ranger T's. Maybe they don't like 115 grain (haven't tried it yet),but all 124 grain seems to feed flawlessly.
I think a lot of the negatives people say about this design stems from them having bad/old worn out mags and springs.

Mine has had all the springs replaced and I have a new Mecgar magazine,I bought it from a guy who specializes in all things Luger P08. I was surprised when I first tried cocking it because the amount of force required was more than other 9mms I tried,I got used to it quickly though.

Another complaint I don't understand is the safety,people complain that is awkward and unusable,yet with just a few hours of practice I can remove the safety on the draw like with a 1911,it just takes a little more practice initially.

I'm glad I saw the InRange mud test of the gun,from what the internet said it should have never passed that test but it worked just fine like you'd expect most well made guns to. I've heard countless time in person and on the internet that the tiniest dust flake will jam up the Luger P08 unless it is kept scrupulously clean,I think the people saying that are just repeated hear·say.

I'm glad I didn't let all I read from stopping me from buying this Luger P08,it is a really cool piece of history and just as reliable as other pistols if taken care of. The barrel isn't original and the gun has been reblued so I got it for a really good price.

The P08 Luger points better for Me than any handgun I've ever held,I am confident in it's ability to point shoot at 25yards. If I point it at something without aiming then later look at the sights they are always lined up to what I thought I was pointing at.

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[Medic!]

Don't get me wrong.
I own and enjoy Lugers. There interesting and historic guns.

But it doesn't matter much what a Luger is or isn't. As far as function goes.
It's a evolutionary dead end. Nobody actively pursues that design as a defensive arm today.

 

[HB of CJ]

Lugers are just cool. A machinists nightmare. Our family heirloom keeper 1900 American Eagle .30 runs just fine on full power ball ammo. The emphases on NATO spec or hotter. The four original mags probably have never been shot that much. A cool nice pistol. The only problem is that our local gunsmith must take down, clean, oil up and reassemble the Luger ... because we don't know how.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Luger's are very cool indeed...very interesting from a historic standpoint.
As for internet folklore and such...that can be said for many firearms...Muzzleloaders come to mind...
Andy

 

[aksu747]

Don't get me wrong.
I own and enjoy Lugers. There interesting and historic guns.

But it doesn't matter much what a Luger is or isn't. As far as function goes.
It's a evolutionary dead end. Nobody actively pursues that design as a defensive arm today.

The only reason no one does is because they are extremely expensive to manufacture,having owned many different handguns,both modern and others from the same period I wouldn't hesitate to use a P08 Luger for self defense or home defense. Especially since mine feeds everything I've tried with unquestioning reliability. Sure magazine capacity isn't the best but I can reload quickly if needed and if I need more than 8 shots I probably should have just grabbed my 9mm Sub 2000 anyway.

Just because something is no longer made doesn't mean it can't excel where modern pistols don't,the P08 points more naturally than any gun I've every held,I have complete confidence in it if I ever needed to use it. I can not say the same for many other more modern designs I've used.

For me there is no better handgun,sure it might be more of pain to field strip, replace springs for,and replace parts but I can overlook that for all its great attributes. I have had modern pistols that don't feed JHP's half as smoothly as this P08 does,it feeds then just as smoothly as FMJ and that blows my mind for a firearm design from over 100 years ago.

We also wouldn't have any 9mm pistols if the Luger P08's 9mm round didn't become so popular shortly after being introduced just prior to WWI. The only historically more significant pistol ever made was the Borchardt C93 which the Luger P08 was based on,before that pistol made in 1893 semi-auto pistols were mostly just a neat idea that didn't take off.

 

[Ownerus]

My only Luger experience is with the one my great uncle brought with him when he came home from France in 1919. A beautiful albeit a bit complex piece of machinery and a masterful repackaging and upgrade of the Borchardt pistol. It's biggest "flaw" IMO is the convoluted trigger linkage gives a less than stellar pull. Sorta like squeezing a rubber ball until breaking a small glass vial inside it. EVERY design is a collection of compromises and the P08 is a pretty elegant one I think though for actual business use give me the 1911

 

[Colts4me]

Lugers, Colt SAA and even the 1911 is considered an obsolete firearm by today's standards but they will all still do what they were made to do. I luv the old guns, they were made by craftsmen.

 

[aksu747]

Lugers, Colt SAA and even the 1911 is considered an obsolete firearm by today's standards but they will all still do what they were made to do. I luv the old guns, they were made by craftsmen.

The Luger is obsolete because of its manufacturing cost,which was the downfall of the Borchardt C93 it was based on. The Borchardt was made from 1893-1896 with very few made between those years,which is part of the reason that the cheapest I've seen one priced is $25,000.

I love the older guns,way more stylish and uniqueness to them compared to modern guns.
I like 1911's but only in their basic GI format,that look is timeless and Imo how they look best.

I'd have no problem using a an SAA either, the old SAA,Colt 1911,and Luger just fit the hands like no other guns do for my hands.

 

[Colts4me]

Lugers just point so naturally and the low bore axis keeps recoil down. Years ago a fellow brought out a badly abused luger to the range and let some of us shoot it. I had never shot a more accurate 9mm at that time and the barrel was corroded from not being cleaned after shooting corrosive ammo. I had to get one after that.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Don't get me wrong.
I own and enjoy Lugers. There interesting and historic guns.

But it doesn't matter much what a Luger is or isn't. As far as function goes.
It's a evolutionary dead end. Nobody actively pursues that design as a defensive arm today.

All true, but elegance points through the roof!

 

[tac]

Lugers are just cool. A machinists nightmare. Our family heirloom keeper 1900 American Eagle .30 runs just fine on full power ball ammo. The emphases on NATO spec or hotter. The four original mags probably have never been shot that much. A cool nice pistol. The only problem is that our local gunsmith must take down, clean, oil up and reassemble the Luger ... because we don't know how.

That is really sad.

I could teach you strip and assemble the P08 in two minutes flat.

tac

 

[Ownerus]

In fact it's quite easy. I know of an 11 year old who once got hold of his great uncles Luger and field stripped it with NO instruction.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Don't get me wrong.
I own and enjoy Lugers. There interesting and historic guns.

But it doesn't matter much what a Luger is or isn't. As far as function goes.
It's a evolutionary dead end. Nobody actively pursues that design as a defensive arm today.

Yeabut for kerplinkin varmints and tin cans they're awesome.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The only reason no one does is because they are extremely expensive to manufacture,having owned many different handguns,both modern and others from the same period I wouldn't hesitate to use a P08 Luger for self defense or home defense. Especially since mine feeds everything I've tried with unquestioning reliability. Sure magazine capacity isn't the best but I can reload quickly if needed and if I need more than 8 shots I probably should have just grabbed my 9mm Sub 2000 anyway.

Just because something is no longer made doesn't mean it can't excel where modern pistols don't,the P08 points more naturally than any gun I've every held,I have complete confidence in it if I ever needed to use it. I can not say the same for many other more modern designs I've used.

For me there is no better handgun,sure it might be more of pain to field strip, replace springs for,and replace parts but I can overlook that for all its great attributes. I have had modern pistols that don't feed JHP's half as smoothly as this P08 does,it feeds then just as smoothly as FMJ and that blows my mind for a firearm design from over 100 years ago.

We also wouldn't have any 9mm pistols if the Luger P08's 9mm round didn't become so popular shortly after being introduced just prior to WWI. The only historically more significant pistol ever made was the Borchardt C93 which the Luger P08 was based on,before that pistol made in 1893 semi-auto pistols were mostly just a neat idea that didn't take off.

Yeabut the 9mm's a has-been.
















lol

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have always wanted to own a Luger! My Grand Dad brought one home from WW2 and we all got to shoot it growing up! I have been fascinated by them ever since, so i keep looking! I don't remember having any issues with care and feeding, it was a pretty strait forward prosess to field strip and reassemble, and it fed every brand ammo we put through it!

 

[Medic!]

I don't want to read anymore, about anybody's guns.

Without pictures!

 

[tac]

I had two P08 - a 1918 DWM all-matching including magazine, and a byf42 - again all-matching bar the mag. Both had contemporary holsters and loading tools - called 'skate keys' because they, uh, look like skate keys

Back in 1997 they were be deactivated, and I finally had enough of looking at them a couple of years back and sold them both to a collector for a ton of money.


Got loads of pics, but I'm a bit emotional about showing them. TTTT, looking at them makes me VERY angry.

tac

 

[Medic!]

Never thought about what kind of money deactivated guns might bring.
Sounds like there's a strong market for guns that no longer go bang?.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I was lucky enough to get to shoot one a bunch a long time ago.. my high school buddy's Dad's (who had passed away) bring-back. I tried to buy it but no way (good for him). What an awesome gun.. great ergos, reliable and accurate.. and cool!
I resigned myself long ago to that if I ever get one it'll be a Stoeger or somesuch for the blastin'.

 

[aksu747]

I was lucky enough to get to shoot one a bunch a long time ago.. my high school buddy's Dad's (who had passed away) bring-back. I tried to buy it but no way (good for him). What an awesome gun.. great ergos, reliable and accurate.. and cool!
I resigned myself long ago to that if I ever get one it'll be a Stoeger or somesuch for the blastin'.

You just need to look around a little,I bought my 1916 DWM at the 2017 Portland gunshow for a little less than $1100,If you look around and are ok with a mismatched gun or one that has been refinished. Mine has a new barrel and has been reblued but it doesn't bother me, I bought it for the history and to shoot the crap out of it.