Non matching numbers Luger

I saw a pretty nice non matching numbers Luger in 9mm at my local gun pusher's store today. It came with a period correct magazine, as well as a later mag. I have wanted one of these for a shooter for sometime. I haven't seen enough sell to determine a going price for one. What should I expect to pay for one? Thanks in advance, Greg

As a general rule, a non matching # Luger with a good bore that fires and functions correctly will go from $500 to around $800. The prettier it is cosmetically, the closer you get to $800 or so. An exception is the East German rebuild VOPO Luger. These are becoming collectible in themselves and may be higher priced for a nice one. You can visit www lugerforum dot com and get all kinds of Luger info.

Charlie

Hi:
What is "Non-Matching"? is it just the magazine or other parts?

Not sure about the magazine. The barrel and frame match, but I noticed some of the other parts had different serial numbers. Whatever you call the toggle linkage doesn't match, along with one or two other pieces. I know very little about them, and have wanted a shooter for many, many years. It's six bills, and I believe I'll go pick it up in the morning.

Six hundred isn't bad for what you can consider a "shooter" luger. Lugers are really fun to shoot. The most naturally "pointing" handgun I have handled. Plus they are pretty accurate, too.

The price ranges quoted are about right for a shooter grade P.08. Good springs are vital to functioning and are usually the first thing requiring replacement.

I'll third the price range quoted. However it never hurts to make a little less of an offer or "Hey can you throw in a box of ammo".

they point nicely but usually have horrible triggers though. if you are going to load for it, probably only be able to use rn bullets and the 124 gr will work better than the lighter ones. it also takes more power to operate a toggle than a slide. loads near the top of the loading info required to reliably work. a loading tool for the magazine is almost a requirement. the mags a tough to load without it. good luck on your new toy. lugers are a whole world unto themselves.

I've been wondering the same thing about pricing on a mis-matched Luger.

I recently bought a really nice Luger, but it's mis-matched. The frame and all assorted frame parts match. The barrel and slide match each other but not the frame and frame parts. The toggle is marked DWM with no number. The barrel is dated 1939. I assume it must have been refinished as it is in about 95% blue with the straw coloring nice and golden.

It came with two magazines. One is a wooden bottom with matching numbers to the frame. The other is an aluminum bottom non-matching. I also got the Luger tool and an issue holster in great shape dated 1938.

I paid $799.95 and was happy, especially after I found out what the holster is worth.

I don't know exactly what I have other than a bunch of parts that make up a nice functioning and appearing Luger that shoots well. I'm happy.

I got it this morning, and it functions correctly. It is also a tack driver!!!! I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the help.

Congrats on the Luger. They are a fun pistol to shoot and can be very accurate.
Most of mine function nicely on Rem-UMC 115gr FMJ.
A couple refuse to do so and a couple of the above will not with even the matching magazine for the pistol, but that's being the nature of the things.
Different ammo usually cures the problem if there's no other obvious hangups.
Ammo and magazines are the first places to look when functioning problems arise.

Unless the mainspring is unusually lightweight in power and the back of the frame is badly battered by the recoiling toggle, I'd leave the mainspring alone.
It's a coil spring in the 1908 Models and quite a trick to change out. Replacements are available from Wolf last I knew.
No need to bother with their 'xtra-power' mainspring for the Luger (if they still offer it) as any loads needing that shouldn't be going through the pistol anyway. The only thing I ever used one of those for was in a cut down Baby Luger where the main spring was shortened in the conversion.

The only other coil spring I can think of quickly in there is the firingpin spring and that's easily changed in the field stripping sequence if needed.
Take a quick look at both to make sure someone hasn't clipped/shortened either. The mainsping can be seen from the top of the open frame when field stripped and also from the sides w/the grips off.

Keep it clean and lightly lubed, it will function fine.


When putting it away (chamber unloaded), lower the toggle to a position where the breech block is about 1/8" or so from being closed (it'll hesitate there,,that's the sear engaging the firing pin).
Hold on to the toggle with the breechblock in that position and pull the trigger back,,then continue to lower the toggle all the way.
The firing pin will now be at rest, pistol uncocked, while in storage.

Thanks for the good info, 2152hq.

I'd love to see some pictures, I've been looking for one too.

I'm no photographer, but here it is.

I have always thought that they had that "cool" factor. I would love to have one, but know nothing about them and they are expensive. Yours looks very nice. Good find.

You see matching numbers on a Luger magazine you are looking at the Holy Grail, or a bogus mag.

The mag in the gun has the wood bottom, but no numbers on it.

That's a nice looking Luger.
If the frame matches the top half,,they're Mauser mfg. The year date code (1940 if I see it correctly in the pic) was the last year they used the full year on the German Military contract IIRC. Starting in 1941 they switched to just the last 2 digits on the chamber ring on the Military contract pistols.
I think you might see a full '1941' on a commercial contract pistol,,then the toggle would have had the Mauser commercial logo stamped on it.

The toggle assembly is WW2 Mauser military mfg also,,just a bit later mfg.
It's in early 1941 when Mauser changed they're military code marking on the Luger toggle from 'S/42',,to '42' and finally to 'byf'.
I think the '42' toggle code was only used on (19)41 dated pistols.
The 'byf' on (19)41 and 42 dated Lugers.

Somewhat confusing but it does show the main parts of your pistol are mid-WarII Mauser mfg. They are strong pistols and make excellent shooters.

The original magazine for a 1940 mfg Mauser would have most likely had an aluminum base,, or a chance perhaps a newer (at that time) plastic base. 1940 was about time they were switching over to plastic for grips and mag bases to conserve aluminum for the war effort.

The older style wooden base magazines were made into the 1930's IIRC as aluminum bases then took over.
The older wooden base mags are a collectors interest in themselves and can go for $100+ themselves depending on condition for the plain Army issue.
Navy issue, German commercial (no serial number), Swiss, Dutch contract can go for more,,sometimes alot more for the Navy & contract mags.

The rounded curve of the bottom base on your wooden base mag looks a bit different than what I can remember. But there are so many variations, commercial contracts, foreign contracts, etc, in those early production pistols that just about any slight variation is possible.

The nickled(?) mag looks postwar mfg w/ the 2 base pins,,perhaps an Erma Mfg replacement. They usually have a tiny 'Erma' marking stamped into them. Hard to tell from the pic.
There were quite alot of post war replacement mags made as the pistols were used/reissued around the world. I've got a couple made in Denmark and a few others that I can only guess but they are not the usual bubble-pak replacement mag sold now.
Of those new replacement mags,,I';ve had great results with the Meg-gar Luger replacement mag, though the mag spring in them is a real bear for me w/o the loading tool.
I use them alot to save wear on the costly originals.

Have fun!
You need a flap holster now...

Thanks for the wealth of infomation, 2152hq.

Thats a really fine looking piece. You did great on the price. I will agree that you should find a repro mag-loader. Its tough to load the mags fully without one. A "fake" mag loader shold only run about $15 - $20. An authentic WW2 example would cost around $75-$100, and it might also very easily be a $15 reproduction with phoney nazi markings. Hard to tell without expert observation.