100.00 Luger

My research dept found one source that said the use of the name Luger in the US came from the DWM US sales representative (by name) when he was promoting the first commercial guns they imported in the very early 1900s.

So, it appears that the reason we call them Lugers in the US is that the DWM's US salesman called them that, and the guys selling them to the rest of the world called them Parabellum.

Can't say its true, and I won't say its not, ..but there's been talk!....
;)
 
I just sold a $100 "Luger."

I was glad to sell it. :D

ermaluger.jpg
 
Growing up, for many years, I thought the name of the gun was "Germanluger." Same as "Germanmauser." I never heard it pronounced any other way. :D
 
I seem to remember a friend who got one of the .22s back in the early 70s. It was about $70 in a box with a spare mag and a holster as I recall. His jammed a lot also until he found .22 ammo it liked.

Over the years I have picked up a couple of the 9mm Stoeger Lugers made in Texas. Interesting guns. They were more like $700 things.

 
I know it is old, but recently was able to shoot this little devil!
All in all not bad! Needs HV ammo for sure to really work the toggle.
Had a few jams, but a very small handful.
Put about 250 rounds through her with about 4 hiccups
 

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FWIW, in the letter from Georg Luger reproduced in a link cited in #18,
Luger himself says "my automatic pistol", so it seems perfectly reasonable to refer to the Parabellum pistol as a "Luger", Stoeger's trademark notwithstanding. There was another Parabellum pistol, a 7.65mm (.32 ACP) blowback, made by DWM.

BTW, the name Luger is spelled and pronounced just that way; not Lüger, or Lueger. The name Georg is pronounced approximately "GAY-orgk", not as "George" is pronounced in English.

Luger, however, was not an independent designer like Browning; he was an employee of DWM and they called the pistol the Parabellum. As to "P.08", that is the German army terminology and guns made for commercial sale or sale to other countries are not P.08's. Not all Luger or Parabellum pistols are P.08's any more than all Colt .45 pistols are Model 1911's or Model 1911A1's.

Some years back there was a little plastic cap gun called the Kruger, that was a good scaled down copy of a Luger. The advertising was so deceptive that some folks actually bought the little thing thinking it was a "real" Luger. When another pistol resembling the Luger came on the market a bit later, quite a few people assumed that it was another fake with a phony name meant to trade on the Luger reputation. It took a while before folks figured out that the gun was not a cheap cap pistol, and that the name was genuine - Ruger.

Jim
 
Also ref post#23.

I think we can consider it established that Luger is the commonly accepted name in the US, Parabellum is the factory name, and P.08 the German army designation.

People tend to be a bit sloppy about using the names interchangeably though.

About the Stoeger guns, some were real Parabellums, (as already mentioned) and everything they put "Luger" on after buying the name is legally a "Luger" no matter if it is a toggle top .22, a clone of a Parabellum in 9mm, or a lawn mower.

I do hear "that's not a real Luger!" a bit when I shoot either the .22 or the stainless 9mm. If they're actually interested in learning, I explain the history. If not, I just say "it says Luger right here," show them the name ON the gun, and leave it at that. :D
 
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