Luger pistol
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| Luger Pistol | |
|---|---|
 P08 of the German Army |
|
| Type | Service pistol |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | Germany 1904 - 1945 Switzerland 1900 - 1945 |
| Used by | Germany, Switzerland |
| Wars | World War I and World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Georg Luger |
| Manufacturer | Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken |
| Produced | 1900 - 1942 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.92 lbs. |
| Length | 8.75 in. |
| Barrel length | 98 mm - 203 mm (3.9 in - 8.02 in.) |
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| Cartridge | 7.65 mm Parabellum, 9 mm Parabellum |
| Feed system | 8 round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Iron |
The Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), popularly known as the Luger pistol is a semi-automatic self-loading pistol patented by Georg Luger in 1898 and manufactured by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900. It was a popular military and civilian handgun of the first half of the 20th century.[1] The basic design and its variants are also known under a variety of civilian and military designations (e.g. Ordonnanzpistole 00, and P08).
In modern times it has been popularized through its use by Germany during World War I and World War II, though it was also used by many other countries. It is notable in firearms history for being the pistol for which the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge was originally developed, though the Luger pistol was first introduced with a 7.65 mm Parabellum cartridge and has also been chambered for other cartridges, including the .45 ACP.
The Luger pistol is a semi-automatic toggle lock pistol based on principles by Hiram Maxim that is fed by a removable magazine, and that operates on the short-recoil principle. Designed by Georg Luger, it was an evolution of the earlier Hugo Borchardt design, the Borchardt C-93 (introduced in 1898).
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[edit] Design
The Luger pistol was manufactured to very high standards and thus has a very long service life, in excess of 100 years with proper maintenance and care, albeit dependent on the number of rounds fired. Luger pistols are extremely accurate due to precise engineering, ergonomic grip angle and shape, decent trigger pull, and a design that allows the barrel to remain aligned with the axis of the frame during use. This is in contrast to some other designs which cause the barrel to tip during recoil, such as Browning's M1911. Luger pistols function reliably when properly maintained, but their close mechanical tolerances are not suited to dirty battlefield conditions since much of their firing mechanism is exposed. Many soldiers who have used the Luger Pistol praise the 55 degree angle of the handle, as they find this handle configuration to be ergonomic and intuitive.
[edit] Operation
The Luger uses a jointed arm mechanism (the joint is called a knee, or in German Kniegelenk (knee joint); it is also called a toggle-action, as opposed to the slide actions of almost every other semi-automatic pistol. The toggle-action mechanism is explained as follows: after a round is fired the barrel and toggle assembly (both locked together at this point) travel rearward due to recoil. After moving roughly one-half inch (13 mm) rearward, the toggle strikes a cam built into the frame, causing the knee joint to hinge and the toggle and breach assembly to unlock. At this point the barrel stops its rearward movement (it impacts the frame), but the toggle and breach assembly continue moving (bending the knee joint) due to momentum, extracting the spent casing from the chamber and ejecting it. The toggle and breach assembly subsequently travel forward (under spring tension) and the next round from the magazine is loaded into the chamber. The entire sequence occurs in a fraction of a second.
In World War I, as submachine guns were found to be efficient in trench warfare, experiments with converting various types of pistols to machine pistols (Reihenfeuerpistolen) were conducted. Among those the Luger pistol (German Army designation Pistole 08) was examined; however, unlike the Mauser C96 which was converted in great numbers to Reihenfeuerpistole, the Luger proved to have an excessive rate of fire when used in full-automatic mode.
[edit] Service
The Swiss Army evaluated the Luger pistol in 7.65 mm Parabellum (.30 Luger in USA) and was adopted in 1900 as its military side arm, and designated as the Ordonnanzpistole 00 or OP00.
In 1900 the US purchased 1000 Lugers (in 7.65 mm Parabellum) for field trials, after a Late 1890s/1900 competition that included the Colt M1900, Steyr Mannlicher M1894, and an entry from Mauser. Later, a small number were sampled in the then-new, more powerful 9 mm round. Field experience in the Philippines and ballistic tests would result in a requirement for still bigger and larger rounds. Further trials and testing of a variety of pistols by the US, including a DWM entry, would eventually lead to adoption of the M1911.
The DWM entries in the later (1906) competition in .45 ACP are among the rarest of all handguns. DWM, Savage, and Colt were the final three contenders after others were eliminated. DWM withdrew for reasons that are still debated—though the Army did place an order for 200 more samples. The final stages of the competition were left to Colt and Savage. The Luger did become a popular civilian firearm in the U.S. for the next two decades.
The Luger pistol was accepted by the German Navy in 1904, and in 1908 (as Pistole 08) by the German Army after the caliber was changed to 9 mm Parabellum because the 7.65 mm Parabellum cartridge was considered too weak. It replaced the older Reichsrevolver that was in service until then. A variant, the Lange Pistole 08, had a stock and longer barrel, and sometimes used with a 32 round drum magazine (Trommelmagazine 08); this model is also known as the 'Artillery Luger'.
The Pistole 08 was the standard side arm for the German Army during both world wars, but was being replaced by the Walther P38 by 1938. By that time the Luger pistol was simply too expensive for military use due to its high standard of manufacturing. Another reason for the demise of the Luger pistol's military use may have been its sensitivity to dirt and dust resulting in malfunctions. The rarity of this weapon made it a sought souvenir and trophy by Allied forces for its accuracy and superiority to the P38. At that time Mauser was manufacturing both the Walther P38 (under the "byf" code) and the Pistole 08. The Luger pistol was also used by the Soviet Union during World War II.
[edit] Usage today
Although obsolete in many ways, the Luger is still sought after by collectors both for its sleek design, good accuracy, great durability and by its connection to Imperial and Nazi Germany. In Switzerland, the Luger pistol (OP00) is still used in sports shooting events due to its accuracy.
Serial production of the Pistole 08 ended when Mauser refurbished a quantity of Lugers in 1999 for the pistol's centenary, although they still produce a limited number each year for sale to collectors.
The Luger was highly prized by American soldiers during World War II. Thousands were taken home as souvenirs and are still in circulation.
Despite the fact that Lugers are not rare, collectors often find themselves paying over US$ 1000 / €1200 for a World War I or World War II dated example, which has led to the production of modern replicas by several companies, including the American Eagle range produced by Mitchell Arms (sample of "Mitchell Arms" made Luger). All Luger pistols have collector value with some models, such as the "American Eagle" (having the eagle stamp over the chamber), being more desirable.
It is an interesting artifact of post-World War II ammunition development that in the United States, Lugers have often been maligned as being unreliable and prone to jamming. This is because typical factory-spec American 9 mm ammunition is nowhere near as hot as German military-spec ammunition—modern loadings in Europe are typically closer to old military loads. Currently the ammunition which Lugers were designed for falls into +P or +P+ SAAMI specs for 9 mm ammunition.[citation needed]
[edit] Bibliography
- Imperial Lugers by Jan C. Still (Still's Books - 1994)
- Third Reich Lugers by Jan C. Still (Still's Books - 1988)
- Weimar Lugers by Jan C. Still (Still's Books - 1993)
- Lugers at Random by Charles Kenyon (Hand Gun Press - 1990)
- Luger Mechanical Features (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2002)
- The Luger Models (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2001)
- The Luger Producers (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2001)
- Luger Accessories (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2003)
- DWM Luger (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2001)
[edit] References
- ^ Hogg, Ian V.; Weeks, John S. Military Small Arms of the 20th Century (7th Edition), p.39. Krause Publications, 2000
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| German-made firearms and light weapons of World War II |
|---|
| Side arms (Pistole) |
| Mauser C96 | Luger | Walther P38 | Walther PPK | Sauer 38H | Mauser HSc |
| Rifles & carbines (Gewehr & Karabiner) |
| Karabiner 98k | Gewehr 41 | Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43 | StG44/MP44 | FG42 | StG45(M) | Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 |
| Submachine guns ( Maschinenpistole ) |
| Bergmann MP18 | MP38/MP40 "Schmeisser" | MP3008 "Volks MP" |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| MG08 | MG34 | MG42 | Faustpatrone | Panzerfaust | Panzerschreck
Flammenwerfer 35 | Panzerbüchse 39 | Granatwerfer 36 | Granatwerfer 42 |
| Notable foreign-made infantry weapons |
| P.640(b) | Vis.35 | Vz.24/G24(t) | MG26(t) | Panzerbüchse 35(p) |
| German-made cartridges used by the Wehrmacht |
| 7.92 x 57 mm | 7.63 x 25 mm Mauser | 7.92 mm Kurz | 7.65 mm Luger | 9 mm Luger |
