DWM Artillery Luger

Description

Mint & matching with presentation case + holster! The photos say it all with this highly collectable WW1 ‘Lange P.08‘, otherwise known to collectors as the Artillery Luger. Intended as a hybrid between a submachine gun & carbine, the Artillery Luger was one of the first “Personal Defense Weapons” issued to soldiers on the battlefield. On June 3, 1913 the Kaiser personally approved the adoption of the Lange (long) P.08 for “the field artillery & the airmen.” Artillery units were traditionally at risk of encountering the enemy but rarely enough that having a heavy long-barrel weapon would be a burden during their normal duties. The Lange P.08 was a compact but powerful defensive weapon that offered significantly more firepower than a standard sidearm, without the weight & bulk of a full-size rifle. In addition to Artillery units, the Lange P.08 was also issued to MG crews & is documented as being used shock troops (stormtroopers), as with the 32 round ‘Trommelmagazin 08 (known as the snail drum magazine), this represented a substantial rate of fire which in close trench warfare proved to be a real asset & was extremely popular for trench raiding parties. Although production of the Artillery Luger stopped in 1918, thousands of pistols that had remained in storage after WWI were reissued during WWII to German frontline troops & remained in service until the end of the war. These were highly valued as souvenirs by the Allied troops & are sought after by collectors around the world. Many were taken home after the war as trophies & this example was obtained from an Australian collector by SCGS who has had this for several decades. This comes with a holster dated 1917 complete with tool & cleaning rod along with the delightful display case & is now available for purchase to the discerning collector. The stock in the case is a repro, as are the magazines in the box we are pretty sure but all other accessories above are genuine. The magazine in the pistol is absolutely original & numbered just 3 digits from the gun! These rarely come onto the collector market here in Australia so this is your chance to own the best example we have seen & arguably the best one in the country. Do your own research & you will see that this great example of probably the most iconic pistol of the 20th Century would make an excellent addition to any serious collection or a damn great start to one! What you see is what you get & this does not come with the snail drum magazine or the holster. These are the only photos at this time so please view them carefully as they form the main description & override all written information. You can wait for more & take the chance it will be sold (which history shows it will be) or make your decision based on what you see & be the lucky one who adds this outstanding pistol to their collection. Whilst we check these out for serviceability, the warranty has expired & these are sold on an as is basis. As with all used guns, we recommend you have this checked by a suitably qualified person prior to shooting. Call for shipping cost to your dealer.  

Specifications