The Luger Pistol Gun Digest. Editors Note This is a sample article from Gun Digest Research, where you  can search thousands of archived Gun Digest Annual Book archives. To learn more go to https research. From Gun Digest Book, 1. Edition, 1. 95. 7. For generations the most famous name in pistols has been Luger. There is no country however small or insignificant in which that name, or its foreign counterpart, Parabellum, is unfamiliar. To make the statement that it is the worlds finest, most accurate, well designed or generally the best pistol would merely be expressing an opinion, but what are the reasons for its popularity Why has it been accepted as the best and what is the story behind its phenomenal success To relate the tale from the beginning we must go back to a well known arms designer of his day, Hugo Borchardt, a naturalized American citizen. Borchardt was a mechanical genius of some note, for he not only entered the inventing profession at an early age but also developed many diversified types of mechanical devices. The earliest record we have of Borchardt, as applied to the weapons field, is a letter written in his own hand to Mr. E. G. Westcott, President and Treasurer of The Sharps Rifle Co. Hartford, Conn., dated March 1. Borchardt was applying for the position of Superintendent of that company I took the superintendency of a shop in the worst condition at Trenton New Jersey, designed the tools and finished a contract for 5,0. Co. Mr. Meecham, who was treasurer of The Pioneer Breechloading Arms Co., hesitated at first in placing confidence in me, owing very likely to my age, I was 2. There were about 6. I afterwards had a foremanship in Singer Sewing Machine Co. His first patent, for a bullet grooving machine, was issued on July 2. This was followed by a bullet patching machine in 1. Sharps Borchardt in 1. Borchardt Pistol, 1. Borchardt was versatile indeed, but it appears that his many patents added few coins to his coffers, for he was constantly changing jobs and addresses. His part in developing the Sharps Borchardt rifle was his greatest achievement before forsaking his adopted country for Europe, where he remained for the rest of his life. He did not, however, give up his American citizenship. Georg Luger was born in Steinach in Tirol in 1. Jagdkarabiner Parabellum In the early Luger literature, there has been little written about the DWM circa 190001 twodigit serial numbered preproduction. Collectable P08 Luger Parabellum Items For Sale. TERMS All firearms are sold in compliance with all federal, state and local laws. No sales outside of the United. ErfArty20/1832Erf-Mag4x.jpg' alt='Luger Serial Numbers Dwm Luger' title='Luger Serial Numbers Dwm Luger' />Originally an officer in the Austrian Army and with a decided liking for mechanical things, he became acquainted with Herr Mannlicher, inventor, among countless other designs, of the Austrian Infantry Ordnance Rifle. Together these two wizards produced an automatic, army rifle, Lugers military career was at an end opening the door to a new vocation, one that was to make Luger world renowned. In 1. 89. 1 Luger held a position with the firm of Ludwig Loewe of Berlin, from whence he was sent shortly thereafter to exhibit yet another military rifle in the United States, and where he more than likely first met Hugo Borchardt. It is known that Borchardt left the United States and took a position as director of the Hungarian Arms Company, but he soon had a disagreement with the Hungarian War Minister, General Fejervary, and undoubtedly through the influence and persuasion of his new friend, Georg Luger, was offered a job with Loewe, which he accepted. The next we hear of Herr Luger is in the year 1. United States Naval Ordnance Board. That new design was a semi automatic pistol named after its creator, Borchardt The Borchardt Pistol was patented in all of the major countries between 1. Sometime in 1. 89. Automatic Pistol, Borchardt Patent was offered for sale on the commercial market to the world at large. It was of the finest precision workmanship and only the very best materials were used in its construction. The pistol carried a beautiful, glossy satin finish. The barrel was approximately caliber 3. This cartridge was the forerunner of and interchangeable with the well known caliber 3. Mauser round. It is also almost identical to the 7. Mannlicher Pistol cartridge, Model of 1. The Borchardt was sold in the United States for 3. For an extra 5. 0. Unfortunately, few of these complete outfits remain intact today although they may be encountered from time to time in some of the larger collections. Crouse Hospital Diabetes Wellness Program'>Crouse Hospital Diabetes Wellness Program. The Borchardt Pistol was originally marketed by the Loewe firm but soon after the weapon was placed on the market, that company absorbed the Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik of Karlsruhe, forming a company thereafter known as the Deutsche Waffen and Munitionsfabriken of Berlin Karlsruhe January 1, 1. After that date all weapons were manufactured at the DWM plant in Berlin, and only ammunition was made at the Karlsruhe subsidiary. On November 2. 2, 1. Boston Herald printed a glowing report about Borchardt and his new pistol, noting that Georg Luger exhibited the new gun before a U. S. Navy small arms board at Providence, R. I. on November 2. Nhm Writer Tamil on this page. The account went on to say that the exhibitor fired 2. The magazine was described as holding eight cartridges, with nickel jacketed bullets, and these were the Luger rimless type. It is interesting to note that it was Georg Luger and not Hugo Borchardt who brought the pistol to this country for these tests. Notice that the cartridge is indicated as being of the LUGER rimless type which leads us to believe that Georg Luger might have had more to do with the marketing of the pistol than is generally believed. Also of interest is the fact that although the press gave it an excellent notice the U. S. Navy failed to follow up the tests with any further trials of the Borchardt Pistol. The U. S. Army also tested the Borchardt, for the Chief of Ordnance ordered a board of officers to meet at Springfield Armory on October 2. Borchardt Automatic Pistol Carbine. This test was not pursued further so it may be assumed that the pistol did not meet with the complete approval of the officers on the board. Georg Luger was more than an employee of the new firm of DWM. He received a handsome salary, could patent all of his inventions at company cost and had all of his traveling expenses cared for by the firm. Having no definite office hours, he was more of a partner with a fixed salary and a lengthy contract. After five years his salary was doubled and his contract extended. A point of interest which should be interjected here is that Luger spelled his name exactly that way. LUGER, and not LUEGER or LEUGER as has been erroneously quoted. His personal signature, as early as 1. Luger family do not recall the name ever having been spelled any other way. According to close friends and relations, Borchardt and Luger were the best of personal friends though they oftgn had their differences at the factory. Years after the deaths of their husbands the two widows were constant companions. Luger had a son, Georg, Jr., who lives today in Berlin at the age of 8. Luger Pistol and its famous inventor. Herr Luger, Jr. was a famous pistol shot, with a Luger, of course, though he modestly disclaims any outstanding ability. His life was spent with much larger and more complicated weapons than those produced by his sire, namely torpedoes. Excellent though it was, especially in relations to the other pistols of its day, the Borchardt left a great deal to be desired. The inventor believed his gun to be perfect, though, and so steadfast were his refusals to redesign even the smallest component that DWM, the manufacturers, called upon Herr Luger to make the desired changes. This he did in the following manner. Parabellum P0. 8 Luger Handgun World War II Database. Country of Origin. Germany. Type. Handgun. Caliber. 9. 0. 00 mm. Capacity. 8 rounds. Length. 22. 3. 0. Barrel Length. 10. Weight. 0. 8. 70 kg. Contributor C. Peter Chen ww. The Parabellum Pistole 0. P0. 8 recoil operated semi automatic pistols were originally designed by Georg Luger of Loewe Company in the United States in 1. Luger. The firm fought hard to secure a military contract, but the heavy price tags of these pistols made it difficult. Finally, in 1. 90. Switzerland was signed for the rights to manufacture them the resulting models were designated Ordonnanzpistole 0. OP0. 0 pistols. The United States made a purchase for a batch of these pistols for trials, but ultimately chose to sign a contract with Loewes competitor, Colt Browning. The design originally used 7. The new design generated further interest. Since 1. 90. 0, some German officers had already been purchasing these pistols privately, noting their quality, accuracy, and reliability. In 1. 90. 4, they were officially chosen as the standard side arm of the German Navy, followed by the Army in 1. German designation P0. Since 1. 90. 8, the vast majority of Luger pistols were used by Germans. Parabellum P0. 8 pistols were originally manufactured by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken DWM, a subsidiary of Loewe, starting in 1. German state armory in Erfurt also produced them to supplement DWMs numbers. During WW1, Parabellum P0. Allied soldiers. After WW1, production for the most part ceased as the Versailles Treaty placed restrictions on the German armament industry. In 1. 92. 5, production of the Parabellum P0. Simson and Company. Owned by Jews, Simson was liquidated, and the machinery eventually made their way to the Mauser organization, which began manufacturing the pistols in 1. Although the Walther P3. German officers since 1. Parabellum P0. 8 pistols remain in production until 1. In WW2, Parabellum P0. Stories were sometimes told of soldiers risking their lives on the frontline in search of Parabellum P0. German officers. In the late 1. Switzerland replaced Parabellum P0. Police forces in post war Germany, however, continued to use them for some years to come. Today, Parabellum P0. Sources The P0. 8 Luger FAQ, Wikipedia. Photographs. Visitor Submitted Comments. Show older comments. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2.