Make: Erfurt Royal Arsenal

Model: Luger P.08 (Parabellum-Pistole)

Serial#: 285j

Year of Manufacture: 1917

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by a Detachable Magazine

Barrel Length: 4”

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is blade dovetailed to a serrated, banded base fixed to the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered wood. The inside of each panel has a crowned letter and "85". The grips have even handling wear and discoloration. There are some light nicks and scratches. The left panel has a very small loss at the rear edge by the stock lug. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Strawed

Finish Originality: Original, numbers matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling is worn, but visible. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 4/10.

Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 50% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is scattered minor surface oxidation and some minor erosion. Most of the strawed finish has muted or worn to white. The grip areas show handling wear. There is some other scattered finish wear, mostly on raised features. There are light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, some inspection marks are shallow, but visible. Overall, the pistol is in Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box Paperwork and Accessories: The pistol comes with a single non-matching alloy-floorplate 8-round magazine.

Our Assessment: The Luger (Pistole Parabellum or P-08) is perhaps the most aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing of all autoloading centerfire pistols. It is also one of the strongest, most accurate and most recognizable service pistols ever made. Georg Luger developed his famous pistol in 1898-1899 (starting with the Borchardt/Luger transitional pistol). The Luger is, essentially, a much improved Borchardt type pistol, which was itself based on the toggle action concept used by Sir Hiram Maxim in the world's first practical machine gun. The Luger was so well liked and reliable that it was still being made and issued to German troops well after the P38 was adopted by the army. This Erfurt Arsenal made Luger was made in 1917. It has retained serial-matching parts on the pistol itself (the included magazine is non-matching), strong mechanics, about 50% of its original finish and a fair bore. This is an interesting find for Luger collectors and those with an interest in German military arms as used in WWI and WWII. It may even still make for a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!