As I’ve already stated in a separate article on the C96 “Broomhandle” Mauser, certain German-made semiautomatic pistols have a truly iconic status, due to a combination of their distinctive cosmetic/aesthetic appearance, as well as their usage in real-world history and pop culture fiction alike.
The aforementioned Broomhandle Mauser was the choice of real-life heroes like Winston Churchill – who credited the gun with saving his life during the Battle of Omdurman – and cinematic sci-fi heroes like Han Solo in “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.” There was the Walther P38, which was the sidearm of the vile Waffen-SS in WWII before going on to to serve with fictitious TV heroes like Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin in the 1960s classic spy show “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”
And then, in a class all by itself, you have the P08 Parabellum “Luger,” the granddaddy of 9mm pistols and star of more war and spy movies and TV shows than you can shake a stick at.
P08 Parabellum “Luger” Early History and Specifications
As aptly stated by Sam Jacobs, lead writer and chief historian for Ammo.Com, “After the American revolver, there is simply no other handgun in the world that is as easily recognizable as the Luger pistol. The Pistole Parabellum is it’s [sic] official name, but to virtually anyone, the weapon is simply the ‘Luger.’ Georg Luger designed this iconic weapon, as well as the ammunition with which the Luger is loaded – the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge.” Indeed, one of the other official names for the cartridge is the 9mm Luger.
Herr Luger invented the pistol in 1898, initially chambered in the .30 Luger (7.65x21mm Parabellum) cartridge. He followed up with the 9mm Luger in 1902, thus predating the .45 ACP cartridge by three years. So, whenever one of those endless 9mm vs. 45 ACP debates flares up for the umpteenth time, one indisputable bragging right the 9mm fans can claim is that “We got here first!”
As an additional bit of gee-whiz historical trivia, Mr. Jacobs adds: “While the weapon is largely associated with Germany, Luger was, in fact, born in the Austrian Empire in 1849, in a city just over the border from modern-day Italy.”
An important note: In my 34 years of shooting, I’ve noticed quite a few new shooters get the names “Luger” and “Ruger” confused. To be sure, Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. is an all-American gunmaker. However, to add to the confusion, (1) Ruger’s very first product, the Standard .22 semiauto pistol, bears at least a passing resemblance to the Luger (though some nitpickers might say it actually more closely resembles the Japanese Nambu Type 14), and (2) Ruger has manufactured its fair share of autopistols chambered in 9mm Luger, such as the P85.
Clear as mud?
Specifications of the standard version pistol includes a barrel length of 3.9 inches, an overall length of 8.7 inches, a weight of 1 pound 15 ounces, and a standard magazine capacity of 8+1 rounds.
While the overwhelming majority of semiautomatic pistol have a slide action, and a few such as the Ruger .22 use a bolt, the Luger used a fairly unique toggle action, which also helped contribute to its iconic cosmetic appearance. The toggle goes up and back, like bending a knee, to chamber, eject and load.
Real-World Battlefield Performance
The Pistole Modelle 1908 (P08) 9mm version of the pistol was adopted by the Imperial German Army in 1908. Six years later, it would receive its baptism of fire in the muddy, bloody trenches of World War I.
The verdict? Dave Campbell sums it up best in a March 2016 article for NRA American Rifleman Magazine:
“Luger was an ardent adherent of accuracy, and his famous pistol has a deserved reputation for precision, due in no small part to its closely fitted components. Paradoxically, it is that same fine fitting of parts that contributed to its equally deserved standing as a temperamental pistol. In the presence of dirt and/or a lack of lubrication, the P08 has an unfortunate habit of stuttering. Wars were still conducted in often filthy environs, where dirt, dust and mud were the order of the day. The P08 was—no surprise—not an everyman’s pistol; it was usually reserved for officers.”
That said, the pistol remains the gold standard for autopistol ergonomics due to the natural-pointing characteristics of its grip design — “the sleek 55-degree grip angle,” as Mr. Campbell put it – even more so than the M1911, Browning Hi-Power, or Smith & Wesson Model 39. At least 18 countries adopted it over a 42-year span despite its flaws, and over 3 million were eventually built.
Want Your Own?
If you want a genuine vintage Luger Parabellum pistol, then be prepared to cough up a few Deutschmarks, er, dollars. According to True Gun Value, “A LUGER P08 pistol is currently worth an average price of $2,009.77 new and $1,649.35 used. The 12 month average price is $2,009.77 new and $1,672.71 used.”
Mind you, that’s a pretty lowball, optimistic price estimation for ya. To put things in perspective, Simpsons Ltd. (“Firearms For Collectors,” “Family Owned and Operated Since 1962”) has a total of 23 Lugers listed for sale on its website; the three cheapest ones, relatively speaking, are priced at $2,495.00, $2,695.00, and $2,795.00. I hasten to add that all of those are chambered in .30 Luger, the ammo for which is a helluva lot harder to find than 9mm Parabellum; the lowest price 9mm option they have sells for $3,250.00. The prices only go up from there, eventually shooting all the way up (bad pun intended) to $22,670.00!
On the Guns International website, the prices are somewhat less painless, with some guns selling as (relatively) low as $1,499.00. Now, if you don’t mind settling for a modern replica like the O.F.M. Corp. American Eagle stainless steel offering, then the price dips a tad bit further, to $1,325.00.
Christian D. Orr has 34 years of shooting experience, starting at the tender age of 14. His marksmanship accomplishments include: the Air Force Small Arms Ribbon w/one device (for M16A2 rifle and M9 pistol); Pistol Expert Ratings from U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP); multiple medals and trophies via the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) and the Nevada Police & Fires Games (NPAF). Chris has been an NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor since 2011.
