Luger Pistols

One of the first semi-automatic pistols ever created, the German 9 mm Luger was the product of technology developed by firearms engineer and inventor Hugo Borchardt, who had previously lived in the U.S. and worked for Colt and Winchester. The German Luger was designed to use the uncommon toggle-lock mechanism, which employs a jointed arm to lock in contrast to the slide action employed by almost every other semi-automatic handgun.

There is perhaps no more enduring symbol of a World War II German military officer than the Luger Model P08, their sleek, standard-issue sidearm. But the pistol's popularity extended far beyond the German Reich. In fiction, the German Luger was carried by hard-boiled San Francisco private detective Phillip Marlowe in Raymond Chandler novels. And in real-life drama, Lolita Lebrón and three other Puerto Rican nationalists memorably blazed their way to notoriety with Luger pistols in hand in a deadly attack on the United States House of Representatives on March 1, 1954.

The Luger pistol holds a special fascination for firearms lovers and historians. It is highly sought after by collectors and shooters for its distinctive profile, accuracy, association with infamy, and connection to the Germany's Imperial and Nazi past.

Quick Facts

• In 2010, a rare .45 caliber German Luger, one of only two in the world, sold at Greg Martian Auctions for $430,000
• In 2012, Rock Island Auction had a Hitler Guard German Luger for sale with a flashlight attachment and holster which sold for $184,000
• In 2011, a DWM Model 1902 American Eagle cartridge counter Luger pistol with holster sold at Rock Island Auction for $74,750, a world record
• German arms manufacturer Mauser started creating pistols in the 1890’s. View our collection of <a href=”https://www.invaluable.com/mauser-pistols/sc-L7GYAOHZV5/”>German Mauser pistols for sale</a> on Invaluable.