Looking for a Luger-esque 9mm

[mgmorden]

Ok, so after having shot a Ruger Standard .22 for a bit I've basically fallen in love with that basic ergonomic setup. The extremely swept back grip and the bare barrel just seem appealing. I have now decided that I'd like to have a 9mm in such a form factor, but Lugers (and Lahti's, which seem pretty close in grip setup) are just a tad on the pricey side.

Just wondering - does anyone know if something with that basic form factor was made that isn't quite so desirable from a collectible standpoint? Doesn't have to be toggle action or a anything - just that basic look.

Barring that - anyone know what the ballpark price for a shooter-grade Luger these days? I definitely can't afford a collectible piece, but depending on price it's possible that I could afford an old beater .

Thanks.

 

[ChristopherG]

The bare barrel look, which I like as well, is just not compatible with the action of any semi-auto being produced these days--at least in anything as big as a 9mm.

I think you'll find you can get the Walther P38--the bare-barrel descendent of the Luger, though not with the toggle action--for much less than a real-deal Luger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_P38

The way I generally gauge the market in quick fashion is look something up on gunbroker.com; a quick search there reveals that P38's are relatively abundant and reasonable. At least, much more reasonable than Lugers.

 

[Billy Shears]

Try the Steyr M series of pistols. They have close to the same grip angle (though not the bare barrel).

The next closest thing that comes to mind is a Japanese Nambu.

 

[mgmorden]

Thanks. I've looked at the P-38, but the grip angle isn't what I'm looking for. I'm thinking I may end up having to start looking at beater Lugers.

 

[gc70]

Look for a Mauser Parabellum. The Mauser company bought Luger tooling from the Swiss and produced some very nice guns in the 1970s. If you are patient, you can find one of the recent Mausers in the $800-$1,000 range.

 

[Pilot]

How about a Luger? You can buy a shooter grade Luger that has mismatched parts and/or has been refinished for under $1K.

 

[robert garner]

I've got both;a 1917 luger and the Mauser whisch is a luger made on original equipment in the 70's, for some reason they remade the 29 swiss version which has a strait grip and doesn't feel as good in the hand.Either can be had in a shooter grade for about a grand.
Good luck, it's a purchase like real estate, their not making any more of 'em!
robert

 

[jonnyc]

Swedish Lahti, might be able to find one for under $500.
Rough shooter Luger, might be found for under $700.

 

[searcher451]

I'm with Pilot: If you wish to shoot a Luger, get yourself a Luger. You might spend $500 on this look-alike or $700 on that look-alike, but the bottom line is that you likely won't be satisfied with any look-alike. Save up the cash, find yourself a good shooter in the $900 to $1,200 range (and they are out there if you are pataient), and you'll have it and will be proud of it for a long time to come. To quote the ad man: Don't settle for cheap imitations.

 

[jonnyc]

I've had/have 3 Lugers at or under $700. Patience and persistance will win out.

 

[Jim Watson]

A Benelli Model 76 has much the same grip angle as a Luger, but nothing else in common... except for a single column magazine and roundnose-only feeding that doomed it in the marketplace. Discontinued and available only on the secondary market.

 

[Gordon]

Funny Jim I was thinking the Benelli 76 too. I guess we must have felt the same shooting lugers and that!
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=164723525
Same seller!
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=164761109

 

[Nimble1]

I love my Benelli, its my most accurate pistol. I just hate to shoot it much as I don't know about replacement parts. I have considered buying another just incase...LOL

 

[Rhodesian]

I had a world war two "bring back" 4'' mint Luger in Rhodesia. I do not think you will find anything that fits, feels and shoots like a Luger except another Luger. However I found that mine was quite sensitive about what ammo I used. It did not like any hot loads. I "found" a 200 round box of Hirtenburg ammo that our SAS used, and while the gun obviously fired it, the recoil was such, that the toggle would come forward with too much force and bounce back a tad, and not lock in battery, so the gun would not fire until I pushed the toggle down into battery. When I used slower less robust rounds, it worked fine. Did not know how easy it was to own guns here, so when I made the decision to move here, I gave it to a friend in South Africa. Been crying in my gun oil ever since.

 

[Jim Watson]

A very important point, too heavy a load will cause the toggle to bounce back without picking up a fresh round and be mistaken for too light a load.
The original 1903 9mm load was a 123 gr bullet at 1050 or 1090 fps depending on whether you had the light factory load or the heavy factory load. Not exactly +P.

 

[Rhodesian]

I noticed no one, myself included, suggested you try a High Power. While not a Luger, it has a very good grip angle and feel. Yes, I know about the heavy trigger, I have one. Did a Cylinder & Slide trigger mod which made a great difference. You can however improve the trigger pull on a H P by simply removing the Mag safety, which only affects the gun's ability to fire if the mag is removed with a round chambered. Be aware though, if you shoot anyone with it, some lawyer will have your nuts for garters for removing a safety device.