P-08
The Luger was first designed in 7.65 Parabellum. Later adapted to the 9x19 parabellum (this pistol was acutally the reason the 9x19 was developed) and there are variants in other calibers including the .45. Georg Luger designed it in 1898 as a variant to the Hugo Borchardt and teh Borchardt C-93 while basing the 'toggle lock' on the designs of Hiram Maxim. Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken was the first manufacturer, beginning production in early 1900. This pistol was known for his high reliability (when kept clean), ease of use, and its extreamly sensitive trigger. The German officers of WW1 and 2 almost NEVER carried this weapon chambered due to the nature of the trigger. The frame has a 55 degree cant that allows completely erganomic shooting and the barrel remains stationary during firing, lowering recoil (due the the toggle/knee-joint action). The Luger had a 100 year service life expectancy (and damn near reached it). It was also converted to full auto, but was not adopted due to it having such a hight cyclic rate. The German Navy adopted it in 1904 (while it was .30 Luger/7.65 Parabellum), and later the German Army (in 1908) when it was converted to 9x19 Parabellum.
DWM also produced each one with a date code on top of the barrel. They produced these guns with date stamps several years ahead of its actual pruduction date. I have one dated 1936, that my Great Grandfather took off a dead Nazi SS Officer, after putting a .45 in the base of his skull. (Its in my safe right now. He brought it home, NEVER BEEN FIRED. It has NO scratches, pitting, or discoloration with maching serial numbers on the upper/lower/both mags/holster/ and the field strip tool) Its been fired 8 times since leaving the factory - I shot 4 of those in my very early childhood). People see the date and say there was no way this was a war time piece, but it is.
Since then, one of the most popular .22's ever produced was based on this design (the Ruger MKI, II, and III - the lower anyway).
The european specs for 9mm were loaded a lot hotter than US 9mm (its equivelant to the us +P or +P+, this is why the Luger likes to misfuction with US 9mm ammo). This insidentially is the same round that H&K developed the MP5 around. Then changed the action to the .40, 10mm, and 45ACP variants. H&K also stole the design of the G3 from CETME, refined it, and produced it. (The .223, version the 53 was a modification first done by US Class 2 Manufacturers in the late 70's early 80's - and later H&K adoped the design and began producing it). - I love firearms history and designing.