OT - Value of bring back Luger?

[L_Kilkenny]

Title says it. A friend has one that his grandfather brought back and he's short on $$$. To him, it doesn't have much sentimental value. It's been years since I've seen it but it's condition is 80-90%, never has had any rust and has all the german proof marks including the swastika. Any help would be appreciated, I just trying to keep him from getting hosed buy a dealer.

LK

[L_Kilkenny]

Additional info....

Not a Luger as I had been told. It a P38 marked AC41. Has the original holster with the germans name, rank, swastika and berlin inscribed on it.

LK

[KWK]

Simpson's in western Illinois specializes in Lugers. They also have other WW-II memorabilia. I'm sure they could give you an estimate for a P-38. I've never bought a gun through them, but the owner certainly is pleasant enough to talk with.

They have a very nice selection of used guns, although much of it is old military rifles.

[Hobie]

WHO the former owner was and WHERE he was might also add value. Any connected documents will also add value.

[JB]

You'd need good photos for even a knowledgeable P38 collector to give you a value. Little details like matching numbers, correct magazine, serial number range, etc. can have a big effect on the price.

I've made a couple trips to look at "a Luger daddy took off a German officer" that turned out to be P38's. As well as "a General's pistol" that turned out to be a P38 that some G.I. had nickle plated so destroyed the value.

[jdad]

Go over to Auctionarms, search "P38", put "Jackthedog" in the seller field, and "Ended in the last 90 days".

He has 3 you can look at and compare.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

WHO the former owner was and WHERE he was might also add value. Any connected documents will also add value.

Hobies right. On average a non import marked P-38 will bring $600 to $800. But, if there's providence it can easily double. I do consignment sales and I recently had some WWII guns brought to my by the Vet that brought them back. He was an Lt. with the 125th Liaison squadron in Europe following D-day. He had all the capture papers and custom tags for 3 of the guns, a Mauser 32acp, a Luger and a P-38 and they all had the correct holsters. He also had a copy of a magazine printed in 1946 about his company and it had several pictures of him. The P-38 sold for $1900.
He also had a Colt 1911 in its flap holster with three mags but he didn’t have papers for it. (We won’t go there) But it didn’t matter. He had his web belt and twin canvas mag pouch with the holster still on it and it had his name stenciled on the inside. That Colt went for $2600

[Streetstar]

WHO the former owner was and WHERE he was might also add value. Any connected documents will also add value.

The P-38 sold for $1900.
He also had a Colt 1911 in its flap holster with three mags but he didn’t have papers for it. (We won’t go there) But it didn’t matter. He had his web belt and twin canvas mag pouch with the holster still on it and it had his name stenciled on the inside. That Colt went for $2600
]

With all the doc., i would have thought either one of those would have gone for more ---- i know its apples vs. oranges, but in the 1911's case, thats less money than a new higher end 1911 goes for (Wilson, etc.)

I wont say thats a screaming deal, but in the world of collectibles, $1900 and 2600 bucks is less than a nice watch

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

WHO the former owner was and WHERE he was might also add value. Any connected documents will also add value.

The P-38 sold for $1900.
He also had a Colt 1911 in its flap holster with three mags but he didn’t have papers for it. (We won’t go there) But it didn’t matter. He had his web belt and twin canvas mag pouch with the holster still on it and it had his name stenciled on the inside. That Colt went for $2600
]

With all the doc., i would have thought either one of those would have gone for more ---- i know its apples vs. oranges, but in the 1911's case, thats less money than a new higher end 1911 goes for (Wilson, etc.)

I wont say thats a screaming deal, but in the world of collectibles, $1900 and 2600 bucks is less than a nice watch

Hi Doug,
I agree. If I had started them higher they would have brought more eventually but the owner wasn't comfortable pricing them up and waiting them out. He just didn't believe they were worth that to anyone. All 4 of those guns sold within a month or so.
Also, the three with the capture papers were in the names of other folks that he knew. As an officer he had access to cognac and whiskey that he traded for those guns. The Company magazine had picture of those folks to verify so that help. I also made copies of the magazine for each buyer, too.

Another interesting thing, the company magazine had everyone's home address in the back. This feller has lived at this same address all his life, a half block from me.

The greatest generation for sure.

[Ben_Rumson]

Anyone ever hear of P08s that had black enamel paint put on over the bluing?

[awp101]

Anyone ever hear of P08s that had black enamel paint put on over the bluing?

Yes. IIRC they were VOPO (East German Police) issue.

Or Bubba went crazy with the BBQ grill paint but I believe they were DDR issued.

[Ben_Rumson]

Thanks... Hope I didn't devalue it in my youthful exuberance when I stripped the paint of of it...IIRC it had Brit proofs too...

[awp101]

Thanks... Hope I didn't devalue it in my youthful exuberance when I stripped the paint of of it...IIRC it had Brit proofs too...

The more I think about it, the VOPOs may have been parkerized instead of blued or enamel painted. Does it have a "bullseye" logo on the grips?

[Ben_Rumson]

No it had unremarkable wood grips...It was a friend of mine and he wanted it down to the blue.. I read somewhere that the Brits enamel painted firearms that were to be used in the tropics.. of course this was a few years after I'd stripped the paint