Great Small Arms Review Article - .45 Luger

[hso]

A gunsmith has recreated the trials .45 Luger

The Return of the M1907 U.S. Army Test Trials .45 Luger - Small Arms Review

Many have complained that the Luger pistol is that it is not a .45 caliber. That was first addressed by Georg Luger in 1907 when he first made the Luger in

smallarmsreview.com

 

[Jim Watson]

Mike Krause built a few .45s too.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I have a very bad case of soda pop budget and champagne taste. As much as I would want one, it's just not practical. P-08 has to be very clean to work and even if it is clean, the trigger is mushy (striker fired).

 

[22250Rem]

Thanks for that very interesting link. I recall reading about those U.S. Army test trials years ago and while I'm also on a "soda pop budget" I can still dream, can't I ?

 

[Jim Watson]

The conventional wisdom is that there were only two .45s made and one of those ruined in destructive testing. But I once saw a thread in Luger collecting circles that there were likely six of them. Not all the same, did you notice the part about fudging the grip angle in the Lugerman guns? So did DWM.

If you want something period, the last contender against Colt was from Savage. After the comparison tests, with Colt selected for further development, Savage bought their guns back as surplus, reblued them, and sold them retail. The only mention I can find of one this morning last sold for $16,000.

 

[retDAC]

IIRC there was a 'smith named John Martz back in the '80s who did a lot of work with Lugers and P38s, including making some .45s.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, he did some wild and wonderful conversions. His .45s were built out of two guns cut into unequal parts, the larger sides welded together. But I was more captivated by the gunzine centerfold of his .22 WMR Luger Navy style.

In the 1950s there was the Wyatt-Imthurn .45 Luger. It was one gun just bunged out to take a .45 barrel. It did not have a detachable magazine, the mag well was closed off at the bottom and rounds were loaded from the top sort of like a Mauser. Most were in "artillery" style with long barrels and an adjustable sight over the chamber. I have seen one picture of a 5".

 

[Slamfire]

Very interesting article, and of course written by someone who drank the Luger Kool Aid. Of course there was a Army conspiracy against the beloved and perfect Luger.
And of course it is permissible to allow competitors to use their own specialized ammunition, thus locking the Government in a sole source ammunition situation by the winner. Of course the 1911 is inferior in all respects to the Luger. Of course, of course.

Any one remember the Germans went to the P38? The conspiracy against the Luger extends to the Nazi leadership! Of course, of course.

However, I congratulate the gunsmith making the new 45ACP Lugers for the work effort, and just neat factor of a 45 ACP Luger. I will recommend, as much as they cost now, buy one. When production ends, a $8500 to $5,000 45 ACP Luger will be the "good old days". And buy a boat load of magazines. Think of filling a 55 gallon drum with magazines. Don't get stuck like Bren Ten owners. A number of Bren Ten owners purchased the pistol with the promise the magazines would follow. Oppsie!, the company went bust before the ship shorts were filled. At the time a Bren Ten magazine was $200 in the after market, might be $600 to $1,000. Interesting article: https://brenten.org/en/Magazines

Have a bud who purchased a mint 22lr High Standard. Came with one magazine. The aftermarket magazines he purchased are unreliable, one set came with an adjustment tool that does nothing.

 

[Jim Watson]

The Luger is a foreign gimmick.
The real overlooked service pistol is the Remington Model 53 Navy.

I, too, struggled with magazines for my High Standard Citation Military. A friend got lucky on gun show clips but I didn't.
I heard about the "A" magazines from the rump organization in Texas, so I ordered three and borrowed a lip tool. They feed about as well as my two originals but one does not drop free. So I use it last in Steel Challenge RFPO.