I know that there are better choices. Probably much better. However, I'm curious to know if anyone here has had experience with a Luger for concealed carry. Does anyone know of a Luger-specific concealed-carry holster, or would I (probably) have to go with something custom-made? I mainly ask because my P08 has great sentimental value to me, and it's just about the only firearm that I would never sell/trade under any circumstances.
P08 for concealed carry?
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OldMarksman
Staff
Tis won't address your question, but you should understand that you are unlikely to be able to use expanding defensive ammo in a Luger.
I'd save the Luger for the range.
I'd save the Luger for the range.
I don't event think the Germans had a concealment holster for a P-08! They used stuff like PPk for concealment work. Incredibly bad choice for that role unless you are making an unrealistic movie plot or things get so bad that it is all you got left. If it is a collectable P-08, ( unlike say, a replica) it will endure more wear and tear, and be constantly in a position to be dropped, or banged into stuff, scratched, rusted from perspiration, thus devaluating it. The service holsters were designed to be as protective as possible to keep out dirt and dust. A concealment rig would not do that too well. Please, find something suitable for CCW.
Aw, cut the man some slack!
It won't matter if the gun will jam on feeding the second hollowpoint. The first one will fire just fine.
And since that will follow a loud "Achtung!" as he produces a Luger from hiding, I don't think there will be much need for a second shot. Probably not even a first one.
Now, the quick release of that thumb safety, that is a different question. Does any human being have a thumb that can quickly flip the Luger safety to 'off'?
Bart Noir
It won't matter if the gun will jam on feeding the second hollowpoint. The first one will fire just fine.
And since that will follow a loud "Achtung!" as he produces a Luger from hiding, I don't think there will be much need for a second shot. Probably not even a first one.
Now, the quick release of that thumb safety, that is a different question. Does any human being have a thumb that can quickly flip the Luger safety to 'off'?
Bart Noir
Stevie-Ray
New member
I've got one and I can't for the life of me even think of one good reason why I'd carry it. But if I did, it seems there are a host of possibilities. For instance, whatever fits a Ruger Mark I (RST-4) would probably fit a Luger. Mine will fit in several softside holsters I now have that were decidedly not designed for it.
I've shot nothing but hollowpoints in my .30 Luger, so I don't think bullet configuration would be the issue, but the safety would certainly be a problem. I'm sure someone could make a carry holster for a Luger. There are still a lot of three-sizes-fit-all holsters on the market, so it's possible something would work, even if it's not intended for a Luger.
I think it's a bad idea...
The already mentioned issues, show why it's not a good option for carry from a physical standpoint, (Size/weight, ammo, safety, damage to gun)
But another factor that (Unfortunately) must be looked at is the problem that could arise out of using your luger to defend yourself.
Show anybody a Luger, and they think NAZI. This is not what you want people thinking if you just shot a person.
This would be even worse if you are white, and the person you shot was a minority.
I believe the news reports would be something like:
White Man Shoots African American with a Nazi pistol.
And if you go to trial, how many on the jury would link the luger to nazi? So yeah I'd save the luger for range toy.
The already mentioned issues, show why it's not a good option for carry from a physical standpoint, (Size/weight, ammo, safety, damage to gun)
But another factor that (Unfortunately) must be looked at is the problem that could arise out of using your luger to defend yourself.
Show anybody a Luger, and they think NAZI. This is not what you want people thinking if you just shot a person.
This would be even worse if you are white, and the person you shot was a minority.
I believe the news reports would be something like:
White Man Shoots African American with a Nazi pistol.
And if you go to trial, how many on the jury would link the luger to nazi? So yeah I'd save the luger for range toy.
Coltman 77
New member
Although we know better, rburch makes a good point above.
Actually I have thought of carrying my Mauser Luger with the four inch barrel and the grip safety with the thumb safety off in a belt holster that covered the trigger guard. It is such a classic pistol and carries as many rounds as my other single stack pistols, Sig239, Walther P5, HKP9s, etc. The sights on the Luger are very small and fine and hard to pick up fast, although at the range the Luger is extremely accurate, but then reality sets in and I grab my Glock why carry and beat up some of my fine all steel guns when the Glock is lighter, carries more rounds, is reliable and accurate and so ugly I am not worried about it.
I have a Mauser Luger that probably made the trip to Stalingrad and captured by the Russians or maybe came back here through East Germany. It was rearsenalled and reblued (black) by one of the two. It has been 100% reliable with all 9MM ammo I have run through it including my own reloads. I would not hesitate to carry it in a pinch and have on a few occassions in an Uncle Mike's holster that fits it.
Remember, many used Lugers as self defense guns pre and post WWII when it was more available and less valuable. Mine's a shooter grade so I don't worry about devaluing it, although I take very good care of it. They are very accurate also.
Remember, many used Lugers as self defense guns pre and post WWII when it was more available and less valuable. Mine's a shooter grade so I don't worry about devaluing it, although I take very good care of it. They are very accurate also.
Gator_Weiss
New member
I have owned and sold many Luger pistols over the years.
I have owned and sold many Luger pistols over the years. Many of them were arsenal refinished Lugers, which in themselves are getting hard to find today. I traded off my last one a few years ago, so now I dont have one. I really would like to find another one over the next year or so top put up and save for my son.
I never had a problem with the P-08 Pistol. I fired everything I had through those pistols, and all of it fed and fired just fine.
For target work, it shot fine with 115 grain FMJ. Probably what it was mostly designed around.
For anything else, it handled every hollow point round I ever put through it, and jamming was not a problem.
The secret to the Luger is to take care of it well....keep it clean....dont over oil it....and dont wear it out from playing with it and taking it apart all the time. Polish it, oil it lightly, and leave it alone until you need it. It will last you a lifetime.
The Luger has a nice, thin, tapered barrel, with no bulky slide on it. The grip area is moderate in size, and any shoe repairman, holster and belt maker, or leather saddle maker can help you design a holster that you can use to conceal it. People are effectively concealing bulkier pistols than that Luger.
I have owned and sold many Luger pistols over the years. Many of them were arsenal refinished Lugers, which in themselves are getting hard to find today. I traded off my last one a few years ago, so now I dont have one. I really would like to find another one over the next year or so top put up and save for my son.
I never had a problem with the P-08 Pistol. I fired everything I had through those pistols, and all of it fed and fired just fine.
For target work, it shot fine with 115 grain FMJ. Probably what it was mostly designed around.
For anything else, it handled every hollow point round I ever put through it, and jamming was not a problem.
The secret to the Luger is to take care of it well....keep it clean....dont over oil it....and dont wear it out from playing with it and taking it apart all the time. Polish it, oil it lightly, and leave it alone until you need it. It will last you a lifetime.
The Luger has a nice, thin, tapered barrel, with no bulky slide on it. The grip area is moderate in size, and any shoe repairman, holster and belt maker, or leather saddle maker can help you design a holster that you can use to conceal it. People are effectively concealing bulkier pistols than that Luger.
Pappy John
New member
What's the matter....you couldn't find something to carry with MORE moving parts that have to all work perfectly at the same time in order to function?
Interesting curio, but I wouldn't bet my life on a typical example.
Interesting curio, but I wouldn't bet my life on a typical example.
chris in va
New member
And if I may also point out, you really don't want to use a priceless (to you) gun around for CC work. More often than not the gun is taken into temporary custody by the PD while a self defense shooting is worked out. Some guys report getting it back years later as it sits in some gun locker.
Gator_Weiss
New member
Many moving parts? A Luger? I wouldnt be to sure on that.
Many moving parts? A Luger? I wouldnt be to sure on that.
The Luger is fixed-barrel.
The toggle hits a simple inclining wedge to release on recoil. A simple breach situation.
There are many arsenal refinished lugers out there, assembled from surplus parts and so forth.
If the guy likes his luger, he can sure as hell carry it. The luger shoots bullets. It will stop a crook. Yes, there are other types of pistols that might be easier to carry. But this guy likes his luger, and he is not hurting anything by liking it and using it to defend himself.
We all have some pet pieces. That is what makes us enthusiasts and hobbyists......because we all have some pet pieces.
The gun world doesnt have to be all brand-new plastic to be acceptible in the world of the enthusiast and hobbyist. Let him enjoy his steel luger if he wants to. I certainly enjoyed mine.
Many moving parts? A Luger? I wouldnt be to sure on that.
The Luger is fixed-barrel.
The toggle hits a simple inclining wedge to release on recoil. A simple breach situation.
There are many arsenal refinished lugers out there, assembled from surplus parts and so forth.
If the guy likes his luger, he can sure as hell carry it. The luger shoots bullets. It will stop a crook. Yes, there are other types of pistols that might be easier to carry. But this guy likes his luger, and he is not hurting anything by liking it and using it to defend himself.
We all have some pet pieces. That is what makes us enthusiasts and hobbyists......because we all have some pet pieces.
The gun world doesnt have to be all brand-new plastic to be acceptible in the world of the enthusiast and hobbyist. Let him enjoy his steel luger if he wants to. I certainly enjoyed mine.
I had not thought of the "Nazi pistol" angle, but there is another reason for not carrying any very valuable (including sentimental value) gun as a defense weapon. If you have the misfortune to use the gun, the police will descend on you and the first thing an officer will order you to do is to DROP THE GUN.
If you stop to think it over because the gun is engraved and gold inlaid, or because it belonged to your grandfather, you might well be shot! The police are not going to be nicey-nicey and let you holster the gun or hand it over in some formal ceremony. Drop it or die!
Moral: Don't carry any gun you won't be willing to drop on a concrete sidewalk or in a dirt bank.
Jim
If you stop to think it over because the gun is engraved and gold inlaid, or because it belonged to your grandfather, you might well be shot! The police are not going to be nicey-nicey and let you holster the gun or hand it over in some formal ceremony. Drop it or die!
Moral: Don't carry any gun you won't be willing to drop on a concrete sidewalk or in a dirt bank.
Jim
You cannot make any sort of blanket reliabilty statement for the gun, they were used successfully for military purposes for very many years by many countries, but carefully cared for and carried by officers in very protective flap shell type holsters. Not a "drop it in the mud gun" like a Glock or maybe a 1911. I don't suppose it is any worse than some folks that carry single action revolvers for G.P. and defense/field/camping/etc. purposes, although the revolvers at least have more horsepower available for their weight and other drawbacks. Heck, I could carry this little H&R DAO breaktop .32 for CCW, it is certainly as concealable as some mini guns, but it is not at the top or even in the middle of any recommended lists. But it might do as a last ditch as well as the P-08 would do the job in a real pinch. Real pinch, I mean disaster, all other guns vanished, etc.
Citizen Carrier
New member
Better choice. Sounded like you wanted to carry a "barbecue gun" of a sort.
I had a couple of 1970s Mauser Lugers for a short while. And like you, I thought it would be neat to carry one. I never did though. The guns simply weren't reliable enough or fast enough into action.
Self-defense situations are rarely going to be like Rick and Captain Renault at the Casablanca Airport.
I had a couple of 1970s Mauser Lugers for a short while. And like you, I thought it would be neat to carry one. I never did though. The guns simply weren't reliable enough or fast enough into action.
Self-defense situations are rarely going to be like Rick and Captain Renault at the Casablanca Airport.
Gator_Weiss
New member
The Luger is not a "Nazi" gun.
The Luger came out and came into being long before anyone thought of Nazism. The Luger design and the parabellum cartridge is over 100 years old.
The third reich came into being about 1933, and it ended abruptly in 1945.
Germany has a seriously long history. A few thousand years, in fact. The third reich was only 12 years into existance when it was crushed by the American combat boot. It also fell under the yoke of communism.
Shooting an attacker with a Luger should not be a problem. In fact, it can be said that the criminals made the world so dangerous, that a citizen had get out and dust off one of his antiques just to be able to protect himself.
Shooting someone should never be a goal. Shooting someone is something that you do AS A LAST RESORT in stopping an attack on yourself, or an attack on someone else who has not the means to fend off the attack.
When an attacker is shot, provided that there was a reason to have to do it, and provided that no more shooting took place than was necessary, and provided that there was no other readily available alternative, you should do just fine in front of a Grand Jury. If someone is shot unreasonably, then a trial obviously needs to take place. If you are into deception and into altering facts and altering the evidence at the scene, you can expect to get yourself indicted. Integrity and reasonableness and a good lawyer are key components in protecting yourself from being prosecuted for defending yourself. Carrying a Luger isnt going to be much of a factor in that equation.
The Luger came out and came into being long before anyone thought of Nazism. The Luger design and the parabellum cartridge is over 100 years old.
The third reich came into being about 1933, and it ended abruptly in 1945.
Germany has a seriously long history. A few thousand years, in fact. The third reich was only 12 years into existance when it was crushed by the American combat boot. It also fell under the yoke of communism.
Shooting an attacker with a Luger should not be a problem. In fact, it can be said that the criminals made the world so dangerous, that a citizen had get out and dust off one of his antiques just to be able to protect himself.
Shooting someone should never be a goal. Shooting someone is something that you do AS A LAST RESORT in stopping an attack on yourself, or an attack on someone else who has not the means to fend off the attack.
When an attacker is shot, provided that there was a reason to have to do it, and provided that no more shooting took place than was necessary, and provided that there was no other readily available alternative, you should do just fine in front of a Grand Jury. If someone is shot unreasonably, then a trial obviously needs to take place. If you are into deception and into altering facts and altering the evidence at the scene, you can expect to get yourself indicted. Integrity and reasonableness and a good lawyer are key components in protecting yourself from being prosecuted for defending yourself. Carrying a Luger isnt going to be much of a factor in that equation.
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