Did ww2 veterans get to keep their guns?
Americans were generally not allowed to keep their weapons but as others have noted exceptions were sometimes made by sympathetic officers. Captured enemy rifles and pistols could be kept if you obtained approval and were given “capture” papers, sometimes called war trophy papers, from your commander.
Are lugers reliable?
Yet, the Luger has a reputation for toughness and accuracy that obviously served German soldiers well. Lugers from the early 20th century are particularly well-made, built to standards so exacting that many P08s that first saw service during World War I were completely usable during World War II and beyond.
When did the German Army adopt the Luger pistol?
By 1908 the German Army adopted the Luger as its official sidearm. This was a total game changer for the Luger Pistol and the fortunes of the DWM factory. With the start of World War I in 1914, the German military ordered the model 1908/14 Luger by the hundreds of thousands.
What happened to the Luger after WW2?
But the Luger was its own worst enemy. Like a lot of German military hardware, it was expensive to produce—one of the reasons why Hitler’s army turned to the less-expensive Walther. After World War II, the Swiss stopped using the Luger. Other countries soon followed.
Are old Luger pistols worth anything?
After World War II, the Swiss stopped using the Luger. Other countries soon followed. But collectors have always valued the pistol. It screams “bad-boy gun” because of its Nazi past, and rarer Lugers such as the ones chambered for the 7.65-millimeter round sometimes sell in excess of $1,200.
Why are lugers so popular in Germany?
Yet, the Luger has a reputation for toughness and accuracy that obviously served German soldiers well. Lugers from the early 20th century are particularly well-made, built to standards so exacting that many P08s that first saw service during World War I were completely usable during World War II and beyond.