Funny ad on gunbroker

Asked the seller a question

So I couldnt help myself. I decided to ask the seller about this pearl harbor luger war trophy. Heres my email to him:

So I'm wondering how you know for sure that this gun was picked up at pearl harbor. I ask because if it in fact was, this would greatly enhance the value. I collect pearl harbor lugers and P38s. Thank you
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Hahahaha

I can't wait for him to respond back that he charged too little or his cousin collects pearl harbor lugers too. Or maybe he'll say, well the guy that sold me it told me so. I can't believe guys like that get their FFL but I can't because I don't have a place to run the business. Such is life...
 
Notice that it is a .30 caliber Luger and not a 9mm. With this in mind it may not be German. :) As he said it was picked up in Pearl Harbor but didn't say how it got there. :confused:
 
Notice that it is a .30 caliber Luger and not a 9mm. With this in mind it may not be German.
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I assume you were kidding but just in case: the original lugers were in fact 30 luger. The P08 IE 9mm variety came out around 1908 hence P08 IIRC. The 9mm luger round is named after Georg Luger, the inventor of the Luger. This is because he invented the 9mm cartridge after militaries in Europe thought the 30 cal round was under powered for military use. After that, he came out with the 9mm to help market the luger to other countries including his native Germany. There is basically no chance it was picked up at pearl harbor. A luger would have never been issued to a Japanese pilot and the odds of finding one in Hawaii for sale at that time are slim to none.
 
I assume you were kidding but just in case: the original lugers were in fact 30 luger. The P08 IE 9mm variety came out around 1908 hence P08 IIRC. The 9mm luger round is named after Georg Luger, the inventor of the Luger. This is because he invented the 9mm cartridge after militaries in Europe thought the 30 cal round was under powered for military use. After that, he came out with the 9mm to help market the luger to other countries including his native Germany. There is basically no chance it was picked up at pearl harbor. A luger would have never been issued to a Japanese pilot and the odds of finding one in Hawaii for sale at that time are slim to none.
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Not only did the Swiss use a .30 caliber Luger but also the US bought some of them for testing. Germany was not the only country to have Luger's especially the .30 caliber model. You are correct that the chances of it being a German Luger lost in Pearl Harbor during WWII are slim to none. The fact is that if it was lost in Pearl Harbor it could have been issued to some country besides Germany and being a .30 makes it even more probable that it was not a German WWII model. Simply point out to the OP that all Luger's were not necessarily German WWII models since they started production of them back in the 1800's long before Hitler.
 
It looks like one of the thousands of .30 (7.65mm) Lugers imported into the US after WWI, and known as the "1920 Commercial". Most were ex-military guns rebarrelled because Germany was prohibited from making guns in 9mm. It has commercial proof marks, not the normal military markings.

Actually, it appears to be in good shape, and is probably worth around $1000 or so retail. The "original" grips are American (Franzite?); the wood grips may be either original Luger grips or repros, but they look good and fit well.

As to the "Pearl Harbor" silliness, I think the guess about a Honolulu pawn shop was probably on the mark.

(FWIW, there was a rather widespread belief among racist Americans that the Germans DID bomb Pearl Harbor. Some yahoos just couldn't believe that the "slant-eyed, yellow skin blankety blanks" were capable of planning and carrying out the operation, so it must have been blond, blue-eyed Germans - enemy sure, but a "worthy" enemy.)

Jim
 
the email response - ties it all together!

THIS PISTOL BELONGS TO A 56 YR. OLD CUSTOMER OF MINE. I CALLED HIM UP AND HE EXPLAINED THAT HE GOT THIS PISTOL FROM HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, WHO WAS A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR. HE BROUGHT THIS PISTOL HOME WITH HIM ( FROM PEARL HARBOR) AFTER HE LEFT THE NAVY. IT HAS ALL THE PARTS STAMED WITH THE SERIAL #. I HOPE THAT HELPS. FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THANKS
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Now that makes perfect sense to me :barf: crap
How can someone who calls themself an American post such an ad? Ignorance or dishonesty?
 
OK.

My take...

If the guy's father was in the Navy, it is POSSIBLE that the gun was one of the 7.65 Lugers used by the Dutch East Indies colonial forces.

It's possible it could have come back as a trophy sometime during the war and been sold for cash.
 
One book (I can't now remember the title) on PH deals with some of the myths, including the claim by an "American pilot" that he shot down two (!) Me-109's. The Japanese carrier business was a coverup for a secret Luftwaffe base on one of the islands. According to this nonsense, FDR and Churchill conspired with Hitler to bring the US into the war so it could be destroyed; the Japanese were innocent scapegoats. (I guess Obama should apologize to them.)

Jim
 
Hasn't HE Got Around To Them Yet??

Simply an oversight I'm sure, very soon the "America Sucks" tour will visit Tokyo as well. It's opened to sell out crowds everywhere else! God help us all!
 
A Pearl Harbor Luger which can be sent to any of the 47 states.
The guy is a certified Firearms dealer
not a certified Social Studies teacher :rolleyes:
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INCONSISTENCIES :eek:
 
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