Aggressive and precise "Parabellum. Legendary "Parabellum Features of various modifications of the Luger

The Luger pistol in the history of self-loading pistols occupies a place generally similar to that of the Kolt Single Action in the history of revolvers. The swift, classic lines of the Luger made it one of the most attractive weapons in the world. In addition, it was this sample that introduced the world to the 9mm Luger / Parabellum cartridge, which became one of the most popular pistol ammunition in their entire history. Luger pistols participated in both world wars and were in service with the armies of many European countries. So it’s not surprising that the Lugers are highly valued by weapon collectors, and some of them are quite expensive.

Creators

Typical WWI P 08 pistol
1916. Price - from 2400 to 28000 DM. Except DWM, pistol P 08
during the First World War produced an arms factory in
Erfurt. The photo shows the stamp of the police school in
Sensburg. These models have been improved after
Berliner Ludwig Schivi patented in June 1930
trigger pull fuse.

The Luger pistol (better known in Europe under the commercial name "Parabellum") was created by two people - Georg Luger and Hugo Borchardt, who worked at the German weapons company DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken). DWM is the product of the Love brothers, Ludwig and Isidor. Their company, originally called Ludwig Lowe und Companie, was a tool and sewing machine manufacturer. After receiving a government order in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, the Lowe brothers' company began producing rifle scopes. Experience and high quality products led to the fact that the company of the Love brothers began to receive other military contracts, both from their government and from abroad. Shortly thereafter, guns took the place of sewing machines in the company's product line.

In 1886, Ludwig Lowe passed away and Isidore began a joint venture with Mauser to manufacture rifles for Turkey. Over the course of time, the operations of both companies in the field of weapons production have become very closely intertwined. Love acquired controlling stakes in the German munitions manufacturer Mauser and Deutsche Patronenfabrik Lorenz. These acquisitions resulted in the creation of DWM.

Georg Luger and Hugo Borchardt were friends and work colleagues at Love's firm, and both had a serious interest in creating (and not unsuccessful) self-loading weapons and cartridges for them.

Russian М1906, Bulgarian 08,
American Eagle, Portuguese Marine Portugal-Marine.

Borchardt, German by birth and American citizenship, worked for several small companies before joining the large American firm Winchester Repeating Arms Co. His first patent, obtained while working at the Winchester factories, was the design of a machine for cutting grease grooves on the surface of lead bullets. He also designed the 1878 Sharps rifle. In 1890, after working in various companies, Borchardt went to work for the company Love, where he created a self-loading pistol of his own name.

Georg Luger, an Austrian, entered the world of arms through his collaboration with Ferdinand von Mannlicher. By the time he joined Lowe in 1891, Luger had been experimenting with rifle bolt designs for 20 years. Luger used Borchardt's design as a base for his own pistol. The Luger pistol was smaller and lighter than Borchardt's bulky pistol, and as a result, the Luger pistol had much greater military potential.

Luger's Anatomy

Automatic pistol Borchardt M.1893 cal. 7.65 mm.
The prototype of the famous Parabellum.

The Luger pistol is a self-loading weapon powered by a detachable magazine and automatic with a short barrel stroke and rigid locking. The barrel is locked by a crank mechanism, which is in the dead center position at the time of the shot. After a short rollback of the moving parts, the levers are removed from the dead center position when they collide with the protrusion on the fixed pistol frame and fold upward, unlocking the bolt. In this case, the entire reloading cycle is carried out - removing and ejecting a spent cartridge case, sending a new cartridge into the barrel.

The most characteristic external features of Luger's pistols were the slightly tapered barrel, tapering towards the muzzle, and the grip that was strongly inclined backward, which contained the magazine. The large angle of the handle contributed to the natural hold of the pistol when aiming and the soft feel of the recoil.

Over the course of a long period of service, Luger pistols have undergone relatively few modifications, which speaks of the initial thoughtfulness of the design.

"Lugers" in foreign military service

Borchardt-Luger (Parabellum) M. 1914 cal. 9 mm. Carbine
model with Leer's 32-round disc magazine. Root
modernization of the Borchardt pistol on the wings
talent of engineer Georg Luger.

Although the main goal of DWM was to get German military contracts for the supply of Luger pistols, in reality this only happened after a number of other countries adopted these pistols. In 1900, the armies of Bulgaria and Switzerland were the first to express interest in self-loading Luger pistols for adoption. In both cases, the pistols were designed for 7.65mm bottle-cased cartridges, known in the United States as .30 Luger. Both had 120mm barrels and were produced in the DWM factories, whose logo was stamped on the top of the rear locking lever. Swiss pistols were also branded with a Swiss cross against the background of the sun at the top of the chamber. Bulgarian pistols in the same place bore the coat of arms of the Bulgarian royal house. In both of these countries, commercial versions of the same pistol were sold.

In addition to Bulgaria and Switzerland, Luger pistols were also purchased by Brazil, Holland, Portugal, Russia and Turkey.

American "Lugers"

In 1900, Luger pistols were also presented for trials in the United States. They performed well enough for the Americans to order 1,000 more pistols to continue testing until 1908. The main dissatisfaction of the Americans was caused by too small, in their opinion, the caliber of the pistol. Around the same period, a number of pistols were sold on the US commercial market.

P 08 pistols carefully converted by Mauser can be recognized
according to the old hallmarks of the military departments. But in the front on the arms
all of them have new data and together with the certificate of the plant
Mauser in Oberndorf are kept in a plastic case.

As a result of wishes for an increase in caliber, DWM developed a new 9mm cartridge in 1902, commonly known as the 9x19mm Parabellum. The name "Parabellum" comes from the Latin proverb "Si vis pacem, para bellum", which means "If you want peace, prepare for war" and served as the motto of DWM. Subsequently, the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge became the most massive ammunition for pistols and submachine guns in the world.

The new 9mm Luger pistols, however, did not receive the warm welcome in the United States that DWM hoped for. The Americans recognized the accuracy of the Lugers' shooting, but expressed dissatisfaction with the constant delays in firing. The need to use both hands to reload weapons and eliminate delays made this pistol completely useless in the eyes of American cavalrymen. Colt revolvers remained the main short-barreled weapon of the US Army until the introduction of the Colt M1911 pistol.

In 1907, a small number of Luger pistols were fired under the new American 45 ACP cartridge to participate in a government competition for a new pistol for the US Army. As you know, Colt pistols won this competition. All "American" Lugers carried the American coat of arms on the upper side of the chamber.

While an attempt to sell the Lugers to the American military ended in failure, the same pistols were sold quite successfully on the civilian market. Major American importers and distributors of Luger pistols included Abercrombie Fitch and Stoeger, the latter even registering the Luger trademark in its own name.

German military "Lugers"

Perhaps the most unusual pistol stock design
was patented by Josef Benke of Budapest and
Georg Thiemann from Berlin in 1926.
The wooden grip cheeks were removed and replaced with steel
parts of the structure, made in one piece with the parts,
covering the trigger guard.
In this form, this weapon was operated with one hand.

Luger's unsuccessful debut in the United States was not repeated in his native land, where a completely different fate awaited these pistols. DWM tried unsuccessfully to sell the Lugers to the German army, which had been testing various variants of the pistol for several years without much success. The navy, as usual, had a different opinion from the army. In December 1904, the German Navy officially adopted a 9 mm Luger-Borchardt pistol under the designation "9 × 19 mm Pistole, Marine-Model 1904, systeme Borchard Luger". "Sea" Lugers had barrels 150 mm long, unique two-position sights with a range of 100 and 200 meters and an extractor, which also plays the role of a cartridge indicator in the chamber. Early naval Lugers had flat-faced side lugs with an anti-rebound mechanism.

In 1906, an improved version of the pistol appeared - "Marine-Model neue art" (new version), which had a spiral helical return spring instead of the earlier flat one and had no anti-rebound mechanism. The 1906 pistols remained the main model of the company until the famous Pistole 08.

The appearance of the P.08 brought few changes compared to the 1906 model. The most notable innovation is the disappearance of the automatic safety lock at the rear of the handle. As a result, to put the weapon on the fuse, it was required to turn the fuse lever down. As for the rest, there were almost no differences between the R.08 and its predecessor.

P.08 pistols had barrels 100 mm long and used cartridges of 9 mm caliber. At first, these pistols did not have a bolt delay, since the delay of the old model was removed from the design. Later, this problem was solved by the introduction of a spring-loaded delay, which, under the influence of the magazine feeder platform, rose up and came into engagement with a cutout in the pistol bolt.

The German Navy received its own version of the P.08, which lost its automatic grip safety compared to the earlier naval models, but retained the two-position sight and the 150mm barrel. All military versions of the P.08 were equipped with a special holster, which had a side pocket for a spare magazine and a separate compartment for accessories.

P 08 pistol with plastic grip cheeks.

In 1914, naval model pistols began to be produced with barrels 200 mm long, and such pistols received the designation Model 1914 or Model 08/14. The pistols of the 1914 model of the year differed from the P.08 in an elongated barrel and a special adjustable tangential sight located on the breech of the barrel. The special holster attached to the pistols of the 1914 model of the year could also be used as an attachment to the pistol, in addition, special drum magazines were released - snails with a capacity of 32 rounds. Later, such stores were abandoned due to their bulkiness and tendency to delay when firing.

After the First World War, the Lugers remained in service with the German army and in this role continued to be produced until 1942, when they were replaced in production by the P.38 pistols from Walter.

Until the 1960s, pistols produced jointly by Interarms and Mauser for the United States were completely identical to the original Lugers, however, modern collectors consider them, rather, to be replicas.

Manufacturers

While DWM was the main manufacturer of Lugers for Germany, a number of other companies were involved in the production to cover the needs of the war. Here is a short list of them (manufacturers' names were usually stamped on the top surface of the locking levers):
- DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitionfabrik) - Karlsruhe, Germany
- Erfert Arsenal - Erfert, Germany
- Spandau - Spandau, Germany
- Simpson & Co - Suhl, Germany
- Mauser - Oberndorf, Germany
- Krieghoff (H. Krieghoff waffenfabrik) - Suhl, Germany

In addition, several foreign companies were licensed to manufacture Lugers:
- Vickers (Vickers - Armstrong Limited) - UK
- Waffenfabrik Bern - Switzerland

Calibers

The most common calibers for Luger pistols are 9x19mm and 7.65x22mm, both bearing the Luger's name or the "Parabellum" name, a trademark of DWM. In addition, there were options for the 32 ACP (7.65 × 17 mm Browning), .380 ACP (9 × 17 mm Browning Short) and 45 ACP cartridges, but they are all extremely rare. No less rare are conversion kits for .22 LR cartridges (5.6 mm rimfire), as well as for Flaubert cartridges of 4 and 6 millimeters.

Trunks

Pistol 08, disassembled for cleaning,
removed the left cheek of the handle.

Luger pistols were produced with barrels of very different lengths. The most popular options were with barrels of 95,100 and 120 millimeters, found on both military and commercial models. Naval and special gift models had barrels 150 mm long, while artillery Lugers of the 1914 model and some commercial models had barrels 200 mm long. Luger's carbines, as a rule, had barrels 300 millimeters long and a detachable butt and forearm. Commercial carbines of 1920 had tables ranging in length from 300 to 500 millimeters. The shortest Luger had a barrel 82 mm long and existed in a single copy. It was the personal pistol of Georg Luger himself, decorated with his monogram.

Scopes and trim

Luger pistols with barrels of 150 mm or less had non-adjustable sights. Artillery Lugers of the 1914 model, as well as commercial long-barreled pistols and carbines, had tangent pillars installed in the breech area.

Most, though not all, Lugers had a slot on the back of the grip for attaching a detachable stock.

All Lugers had a high quality finish and a precise fit of the moving parts. Metal surfaces - blued, some pistols were decorated with engraving. The grip cheeks are mostly wooden, with neat fine notches, however, pistols produced during the Second World War may have plastic cheeks.

Best of Guns & Ammo, Russian edition

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Offline granddad

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• Moscow city

Frontline officers, veterans of the NKVD, intelligence and SMERSH are familiar with this pistol. Created at the beginning of the century, designed with exceptional success, survived two world wars and claimed many lives. "Parabellum" is still in use. For the uninitiated, it is a mystery. The unusual design of the pistol and the stories of those who fired from it give rise to legends and speculations about the power of this weapon. Its sinister design has a compelling power. Communication with him can change a person's character. Parabellum is unique. In the entire history of the development of automatic weapons, no one has invented a pistol with a more original, efficient and ergonomic design. For almost a hundred years now, this weapon system has aroused the professional interest of combatants, sportsmen, gunsmiths and, of course, intelligence officers.

It so happened that this pistol was designed sequentially by two German engineers. In 1893, the inventor Hugo Borchardt patented an automatic pistol with an unusual barrel locking system based on the dead center principle of moving parts - a bolt, a connecting rod and a bloodworm. The mechanical system was calculated mathematically, worked extremely reliably, had a very high accuracy of combat and impressive bullet penetration. But, as gunsmiths know, only beautiful weapons shoot really well. Borchardt's pistol design was disgusting. There was no weight balance as such, and therefore the pistol, which possesses ideal combat from the machine, did not hit at all when fired from the hand. It was the ugly duckling, just a working model of a successful engineering idea.

Seven years later, in 1900, Borchardt's theoretical concept was embodied in a real weapon system by another German designer Georg Luger, who completely changed the layout of the weapon. The pistol grip has acquired an optimal angle of inclination and has been orthopedically adjusted to the average size of the shooter's palm. The designer placed a return spring in the inclined handle, which made it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the weapon and the mass of moving parts. It was possible to lower the barrel along the axis as much as possible - and the angle of throw during the shot decreased. The center of gravity has shifted forward - and the weapon has acquired an impeccable balance of weight. The pistol has decreased in size, has become lightweight and convenient. All this was achieved while maintaining the reliability, accuracy and design capacity of the system. Georg Luger pursued the goal of creating a portable, ultra-accurate and long-range fire weapon for athletes, foresters, hunters and travelers, suitable for survival in difficult conditions, capable of suppressing the enemy at the maximum distance pistol combat. But that was not all. The pistol was created for commercial purposes - in order to be bought. It was clearly worked on by an unknown, but talented designer in his own way. The appearance of this weapon tuned the psyche to the medieval Teutonic cruelty characteristic of German aristocrats. The pistol transmitted to its owner an incomprehensible destructive psychoenergetics - it inspired a feeling of offensive aggressiveness in the one who held it in his hands. It received the commercial name "Parabellum" (from the Latin dictum: "Si vis pacem, para bellum" - "If you want peace, prepare for war"). The ugly duckling has turned into a kite.

In the civilian commercial version, "Parabellum" was produced (and is still being produced) with a caliber of 7.65 mm. At one time, it favorably differed in weight, linear and ballistic characteristics from the rest of the automatic weapon.

The Kaiser's military in German was practical about the original design. They suggested that the inventor increase the caliber of the system to 9 mm and recommended that the pistol be adopted by the Bundeswehr. A 9 mm cartridge with a "cut-off cone" bullet (with a flat front platform, crushing the tissue of a living target upon impact and causing shock) was specially developed for the pistol. With the increase in the caliber of the Parabellum, its striking qualities have increased so much that they make an impression in our time. In 1908, this weapon system was adopted by the German army under the code name Pistol 08m (die Pistole 08). The fighting qualities of the new weapon were fully manifested in the maneuverable partisan and semi-partisan large-scale conflicts that swept around the globe after the First World War. At that time, there was no better weapon of this class. "Parabellum" began to be produced in China, Mexico, Iran, Turkey, Spain. It was in service in Switzerland, Holland, Bulgaria and other states under the name "Borchardt-Luger".

The automatic pistol is based on a short back stroke of the barrel. The movable weapon system is a barrel with a receiver, inside which parts of the locking mechanism and the percussion mechanism are mounted. The barrel with the front sight on the muzzle is connected to the receiver using a threaded connection. The receiver is fork-shaped. A shutter with an impact mechanism and an ejector is placed and moved inside the fork. The shutter is articulated with a connecting rod, and the latter with a bloodworm. The bloodworm has a massive tooth that interacts with the beveled surface of the pistol frame when braking the moving system after rollback. All articulated linkage of the device is a crank mechanism, in which the slide is a bolt. The barrel and receiver assembled with their parts can move in the grooves in the longitudinal direction. The bloodworm in the joints with the connecting rod has two rollers with a notched surface, made with it as a whole, which give the weapon an unusual look. Two deep cutouts on these frames allow the bloodworm to rest on the receiver so that the center pivot pivot is below the front and rear pivot pivots.

In the forward position, the bolt is locked, since the connecting rod and the bloodworm form an obtuse angle with each other, facing downward. When fired, the pressure of the powder gases is transmitted through the sleeve to the bolt. The receiver prevents an increase in the obtuse angle between the hinge and the crank, and under the influence of the recoil force, the entire system described above moves back about 6 mm when locked. Unlocking begins after the bullet leaves the barrel, when the rollers of the bloodworm "hit" the profile surfaces of the frame. The bloodworm begins to turn upwards with the rollers, the articulated link quickly passes through the dead position, after which the bloodworm receives a sharp increase in angular velocity due to the curvilinearity of the profile surfaces. The connecting rod and bloodworm are folded, the shutter opens. When the bolt is opened, the connecting rod cocks the drummer with a cocking tooth. The bloodworm is connected by means of a transmission lever with a return spring located in the handle, which returns the movable system to its original position after the cessation of the recoil energy. When moving forward, the bolt picks up the cartridge from the store and sends it into the barrel. When the trigger is pressed, the transmission lever mounted in the trigger cover acts on the release lever mounted on the receiver. The release lever pivots on the axle, releases the hammer that breaks the capsule. A shot is fired and the reloading process starts over. When the barrel with the receiver moves backward relative to the frame, the uncoupler "runs over" the lateral surface of the transmission lever and is installed inside the body. In this position, shooting is still impossible - you need to release the trigger.

In this case, the transmission lever moves to the side and releases the disconnector, which, under the action of a spring, enters from the housing of the release lever and becomes under the transmission lever. If you press the trigger now, the shot will be repeated. The trigger mechanism allows only single fire. Fuse in the "Gesichert" position - the flag is lowered, the fuse bar blocks the trigger. Locking the cocked striker is very reliable.

To load the "Parabellum" press on the magazine latch, then remove the magazine, equip it with cartridges. Insert the loaded magazine into the handle. The bloodworm is grabbed by the rollers, pulled up and down until it stops and released. The weapon is ready to fire. The raised position of the ejector serves as an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. This opens the inscription "Geladen" - charged. When the last cartridge is used up, the bolt is locked with a slide stop and the movable system stops in the movable position. In order to close the shutter, it is necessary to remove or slightly release the magazine and slightly feed the bloodworm back. In the presence of cartridges in the store and an open moving system, the crank is also fed back behind the rollers - in this case, the bolt comes off the slide delay.

Parabellum works very reliably. The supply of a cartridge from the magazine to the chamber eliminates distortions and sticking of cartridges - in the cramped space of the fork of the steel box, the cartridge simply has nowhere to "wriggle out". The pistol is not afraid of sand and dust - they are "blown out" upward after firing from a small opening window of the receiver after the spent cartridge case by the residual pressure of powder gases. The resource of "Parabellum" is 25 thousand rounds. It is interesting that the older and more "splashed" the mechanism, the softer its recoil and, accordingly, it "throws" less when fired. Due to the inevitably generated backlash between the parts of the moving system, the recoil impulse consistently acts on each of them and is not felt so sharply. With a preserved and well-groomed bore, the wear of the mechanism has practically no effect on the accuracy of the battle.

The Parabellum is serviced, conserved, cleaned and lubricated as usual. It should be noted that the German weapon steel, in contrast to the Russian one, "loves to rust" very much. Therefore, you have to clean it more thoroughly. The bore of the "Parabellum" is not chrome-plated. The Germans, like us, did not know how to chrome barrels at that time. The design of the "Parabellum" is thought out to the smallest detail and calculated with true German precision. In fact, this is a compact firearm, where the work of parts and mechanisms is based on the strictest engineering calculation. Every detail, its mechanical and weight balance in the process of interaction with other parts and mechanisms, metal resistance, are carefully calculated. From a mechanical point of view, the system is ideal - it uses the energy of the powder charge to the maximum to eject the bullet and minimally to reload the weapon. This is achieved due to the relatively small mass of the shutter and the specificity of its interaction with the rest of the moving parts. The weapon system designed only in this way could accelerate a relatively heavy (7.9 g) bullet to a speed of 330 m / s. short - 85 mm barrel. The barrel itself is drilled into a light taper and processed very cleanly. The accuracy of the "Parabellum" battle is absolute and has not been surpassed on combat automatic pistols so far - the spread of bullets at a distance of 25 meters fits into the diameter of a five-kopeck coin. The main sample - the short-barreled holster "Parabellum" confidently "gets" the target in the head at a distance of up to 100 meters. Pistols were also produced with a barrel length of 200 mm and an aiming bar, like a rifle, notched at a distance of 300 meters, with an initial bullet speed of 390 m / s. With an attached butt-holster, such a pistol was actually a lightweight automatic carbine. There was also a training version of the "Parabellum" caliber 5.6 mm and a special model with a silencer for silent shooting.

Pistols, produced before the war at various factories in Germany, were of very high quality, with a large margin of safety with the highest manufacturing accuracy, and impeccable cleanliness of the working surfaces of the parts. "Parabellums", admitted in other countries from much worse materials, made not so carefully, also fired very decently - the quality of firing was determined by the engineering calculation inherent in the design.

The 9x19 cartridges used for firing from the "Parabellum" (they are called "08 Parabellum"), in terms of their tactical and technical characteristics and design features, turned out to be almost the most practical for the operation of pistol automatics. The sleeve of such an ammunition tapers slightly from the middle of the body to the muzzle (by 0.3 mm), which provides easy extraction after the shot. With the advent of submachine guns designed for this cartridge, the production of ammunition with the "cut cone" bullet ceased, and Germany switched to the production of "08 Parabellum" cartridges with an ogival (egg-shaped) bullet, which is most suitable for the automatic operation of a submachine gun. turned out to be so successful that since then they are still used for firing from the vast majority of pistols and submachine gun systems. Parabellum "bullet of such a cartridge accelerated to a speed of 470-500 m / s.

The features of the mechanism provide the pistol with a high rate of fire and increased bullet action on a target at long distances for pistol fire. Designed for trained and trained shooters, it is easy to shoot and easy to hit even for a novice. Thanks to the orthopedic handle, "Parabellum" sits in the hand like a glove. The barrel is located low - almost at the level of the shooting hand. The locking system opens up, and therefore the weapon "knocks off" when fired slightly. From the "Parabellum" can be fired quickly and quickly. Some of the inconvenience of loading is compensated for by the amazing accuracy of shooting - at a line-of-sight distance in the forest where he aimed, he got there. Moreover, he hit right away, from the first shot. It is very good to shoot from this pistol, keeping the enemy at a respectful distance. The inclined handle allows you to effectively shoot offhand from the abdomen, without aiming at the silhouette, by ear in the dark. This weapon is ideal for shooting at running targets. The mechanical strength of the pistol allows it to be used as a brass knuckle in hand-to-hand contact. Therefore, "Parabellum" was indispensable for frontline intelligence officers, saboteurs, special missions, mercenaries and terrorists.

In essence, "Parabellum" was the weapon of an aristocrat-hunter, but it could only hunt people with it. His appearance and the physical sensations it evoked aroused feelings of confident superiority and brutal inflexibility in accordance with the fascist theory of the superman. These qualities of weapons amused both the sporting excitement of the German rangers in the fight against poorly armed partisans, and the bloodthirstiness of the SS officials, who amused themselves by shooting at the civilian population.

At the front, this pistol did not particularly show itself. Its accuracy and range turned out to be unclaimed against the background of the work of other automatic weapons, which solve tactical tasks with increased fire density. However, our officers did not miss the opportunity to remove "Parabellum from the killed German - as a personal holster weapon, it was incomparably better than a service TT."

Operatives, ours and the Germans, did not like Parabellum. It was not adapted to be carried in a pocket, there was no self-cocking, so necessary for a sudden oncoming collision, it was impossible to do with one hand to bring the weapon to the "fight" position. The fuse did not turn on inconveniently and did not lock the moving parts - when the fuse was turned on, the shutter opened. In case of severe pollution, in frost, with a cartridge defect, thickening of the lubricant, the crank did not completely close the shutter - the disconnector reached the transmission lever, and in this position the locking system stopped, because the force of the return spring was not enough. At long distances this did not play a role - to send a cartridge, it was enough to slap the bloodworm with a hand from above, but at close distances of a detective fight "point-blank" any delay could be the last.

Parabellum was difficult to manufacture. Its manufacturing technology required a lot of milling operations. Even the shop was milled. Therefore, since 1938, the Germans preferred the not so accurate and ergonomic, but more practical and adapted to the conduct of sudden fire at close distances, "Walter P-38", although the "Parabellum" continued to be produced until the last days of the war. I saw a 1945 ersatz pistol with plastic grip cheeks and a magazine stamped from roofing iron.

After the Second World War, the production of Parabellum combat pistols was discontinued. It was not modernized - no one was able to create a more advanced automation system. Attempts by other designers to design weapons that work on the same principle have not been crowned with success. The concept of how the Parabellum design relates to the layout of its movement has remained unsolved. The phenomenon of the effect of the external design of this pistol on the shooter's psyche has not yet been studied. In many countries, the combat version of the "Parabellum" is declared a weapon of targeted destruction and is prohibited from use. Despite the fact that over the past 50 years, a huge number of these pistols were sent for melting down, "Parabellum" has survived to this day. Interest in it does not disappear: "Parabellum" is a lust for weapon collectors and a hot commodity in military antiques stores. There are such weapons in museums and ... in the arsenals of special forces - for particularly accurate work.

Offline granddad

Granddad

• Moscow city

An excellent pistol in all respects! But, very capricious! He is very sensitive to cleanliness! Two clips and must be cleaned, otherwise there are delays and misfires!

Attached files

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• Moscow city

Export modifications of Luger pistols

Luger pistol Model 1900 supplied to the Swiss army

The first country to adopt the Georg Luger pistol into service with its army was Switzerland. Model No. 3 (Versuchsmodelle 3 - from German. Experimental model), presented for the Swiss tests 1898 - 1899. personally by Georg Luger, was harshly criticized due to its heavy weight, insufficient balance and, in particular, large dimensions. These shortcomings made the weapon impractical for use in the army. Back in Berlin, Georg Luger immediately began to work on improving the design. After carrying out the necessary tests of the modified pistol, in 1899, a contract was signed with DWM for the supply of 3,000 pistols for the Swiss army. Pistols Borchardt-Luger model 1900 caliber 7.65 mm were in service for a long time, as they had no analogues at that time in terms of the combination of such high combat and service-operational qualities. The peculiarity of the Swiss pistols was the area under the safety catch in the position of the possibility of a shot, which was not covered with bluing until 1920, when the inscription “GESICHER” and the usual bluing appeared in the place of the “fire” position.

Swiss models were produced with an automatic safety lever, even after it was abandoned in the P.08 model, which was adopted by the German army. These Lugers were designated by a Swiss cross above the chamber in the center of the diverging rays of the sun. After 1909, the cross was depicted in the center of a stylized shield. Weapons produced for the army were supplied with a test sample in the form of a small cross or the image of a "cartouche" - a cross with the Latin letter "V" under it, framed in a frame. Before the First World War, Switzerland, which turned out to be DWM's most important and largest partner, was supplied with about 15,000 Lugers of various models. After Germany needed a large amount of weapons in connection with the First World War and supplies to other countries stopped, Switzerland set up its own production of Lugers.

Model 06/24, produced in Bern

Swiss Luger model 1929

Lugers for the Dutch army received the designation "pistol M11". There were two contracts in total. The pistols of the first contract - "1923 DUTCH", were assembled by the British company Vickers & Co. The second Dutch contract of 1934 or "1934 MAUSER DUTCH CONTRACT" - pistols manufactured by Mauser, produced from 1936 to 1940. Caliber - 9 mm, produced 1000 pieces. The history of the pistols of the first contract is especially interesting. The Versailles restrictions in force at that time made it almost impossible to supply such weapons from Germany. As a result, the Dutch government began to work on this issue with the famous British company Vickers. However, not having technical documentation, she had to create her own, which significantly delayed the execution of the contract. The British were forced to start purchasing parts for assembling pistols in Germany, but the barrels were supplied by the British firm Elswick. The assembly process and marking were carried out at the factories of Vickers & Co., and a feature of this weapon was the word "GELADEN", ​​stamped on both sides of the ejector.

In the "safe" position of the lever of the safety catch, where the standard models have the inscription "GESICHERT", they put "RUST". Overlaid with an arrow indicating a “safe position”, this inscription can be translated as “break”. On the left front of the receiver there was a "W" sign with a crown crowning it. 3820 of these pistols were produced. This is how the manufactured and assembled pistols with the corresponding brands were supplied by the British to the Netherlands since 1920. However, a more interesting part of the history of this weapon is associated with the Second World War. A number of these pistols were delivered to the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia), stationed there at the time, to the armed forces of the Netherlands. On these pistols, the upper surface of the connecting rod bears the inscription VICKERSLTD. The year of manufacture and the serial number were put on the upper rear part of the barrel. Since 1930, a brass plate with Dutch markings has been fixed on the left side of the receiver of these pistols. A fairly large number of these weapons were captured as trophies by the Japanese army during the offensive of 1941. 1941 - 1942 captured Parabellums were relabeled. On the surface of the bolt box, above the chamber, the Imperial chrysanthemum is stamped.

Luger, manufactured by Mauser under a Dutch contract in 1934

Portuguese Luger caliber 7.65 mm, model 1906, designated M2

Portugal conducted a series of tests on pistols designed by Georg Luger in 1901 - 1902. One hundred copies were supplied for this purpose. By 1908, the Portuguese army had received approximately 5,000 Parabellum model 1906 pistols with a barrel length of 120 mm, using the 7.65mm Luger cartridge. The designation "M2" on the top of the receiver, above the chamber, crowned the image of the Portuguese crown. The ejector bore the inscription "CARREGADA". The position of the lever safety catch was not indicated in any way. Soon after receiving the first order for the army, the Portuguese navy received no less than a thousand 9mm Luger pistols with a 100 mm barrel. Such models had the designation "MP" on the left front side of the receiver, and above the chamber was an anchor with a crown above it. After the change of political regime in Portugal, the designation "MP" was changed to "RP" (Republic of Portugal), and also the crowns and "M2" were removed.

In South America, Luger pistols also became widespread. 200 - 250 early version P.08 pistols were produced for Bolivia. On the receiver, above the chamber of these models, the inscription "EJERCITO DE BOLIVIA" is applied, on the ejector - "CARGADO", the "safe" position of the safety lever is indicated by the inscription "SEGURO". Brazilian government 1904-1905 expressed interest in testing Georg Luger's pistols. In 1907, a contract was signed for the supply of 5,000 pistols. A distinctive feature of such weapons is the inscription "CARREGADA" on the ejector. Between 1901 and 1903 The Mexican government delivered several Borchardt-Luger model 1900 pistols for testing, which ended successfully in 1905, after which about 200 of these pistols were used in the cavalry and artillery forces. A distinctive feature of the "Mexican" Lugers is the inscription "EJERCITOMEXICANO" on the left side of the receiver.

Offline granddad

Granddad

• Moscow city

M2 in caliber 9 mm, supplied to the Portuguese navy

Model 1906 Parabellum, also known as Luger 1906 Russian Contract

Delivered to Russia Parabellum model 1906, caliber 9 mm, allowed to be worn by officers in the ranks in accordance with the "highest approved" in 1907 order No. 74

A number of 1906 9mm and 7.65mm models were sold to France. Above the chamber was a stylized image of a lily with the inscription "St Etienne" in the scroll below it. The full name of the company was applied to the top of the barrel. On the ejector there was an inscription in French: "CHARGE".

Russia in the period from 1906 to 1909 received under the contract about 1000 Parabellum model 1906 pistols in 9 mm caliber. This weapon had a designation on the top of the receiver, above the chamber, in the form of crossed Mosin rifles. For the pistols supplied to Russia, frames of the Bulgarian order were used. Therefore, the "safe" position of the safety lever is indicated by the inscription "ОГЪНЪ", as in the Bulgarian model. This inscription is visible when the fuse is off. The ejector has the inscription "CHARGE". In the period from 1906 to 1907. 9 mm pistols of the 1906 model of the year adapted for firing in automatic mode were tested, delivered in accordance with the Russian order. The test results showed an extremely low accuracy of fire of automatic pistols, as a result of which they were deemed unsuitable for combat use and further work was discontinued.

As in the two previous photos, this sample of 1906 of 9 mm caliber was supplied to Russia and is referred to by collectors as "Russian Contract"

Model 1908, manufactured under contract with Bulgaria in 1939

In 1901 - 1902 the Bulgarian authorities purchased Borchardt-Luger model 1900 pistols in 7.65 mm caliber with a barrel length of 120 mm in the amount of 1000 copies. Due to the specifics of political relations, the contract was carried out by a commercial delivery. The pistols bore the Bulgarian princely coat of arms over the chamber and the stylized trademark of the German DWM. From 1000 to 1500 Parabellum model 1906 pistols in 7.65 mm caliber were modified in 1908. Starting with these pistols, the inscription "ПЪЛЕНЪ" (the third letter of the Bulgarian alphabet) was now applied to the ejectors of all models. In connection with the beginning of Bulgaria's liberation war in 1910, another 10,000 pistols of the 1908 model were ordered. This weapon was equipped with a belt swivel attached to the lower rear edge of the grip. The contract was executed in two deliveries of 5000 pistols each. In 1939, Bulgaria was supplied with 300 pistols of the 1908 model of 9 mm caliber and with a barrel length of 102 mm.

The adoption by the Swiss army of the pistol of Georg Luger and the huge, constantly growing popularity of John Browning pistols at that time, forced the US government to begin testing pistols with the aim of adopting the best model for arming its army instead of revolvers. Two Borchardt-Luger model 1900 pistols were delivered to the United States by DWM representative Hans Tauscher on March 9, 1901. Three officers, including Captain John Thompson, who later designed the famous submachine gun, tested the pistol, fired more than 2,000 shots. Tests included heavy-duty shooting and high-speed shooting. As a result, the pistol was recognized as fit for service. For field tests in 1902, 1,000 pistols and 200,000 cartridges were ordered for them. This party was later distributed to several military schools and rifle schools.

In 1900, the German designer Luger decided to improve the Borchardt system pistol and develop a new layout scheme for such a weapon. The result of the joint work of Luger and Borchardt was the world-famous automatic pistol of the Luger system, or as it is also called Parabellum. His device made it possible to maximize the use of the energy of the powder charge to eject the bullet, while the minimum amount of energy was used to reload the weapon. This was achieved by the presence of a shutter with a low mass and the peculiarities of its interaction with the rest of the moving parts.

The pistol had very good linear and ballistic characteristics, demonstrated excellent accuracy and accuracy of fire, possessed solid bullet penetration and a high rate of fire.
The designer made changes to the blueprints of the weapon:

• the pistol grip was conveniently fitted to the shooter's hand and had an optimal angle of inclination (gentle angle of 120⁰), it housed a return spring and a detachable magazine;
• the barrel was carried out as lowered as possible along the axis, its locking system was carried out using levers on a hinged joint;
• the spring of the barrel locking mechanism was made of a plate and was attached to the bolt using an articulated lever.

Some collectible samples (replicas) of the Luger-Parabellum system are still produced today.

Specificity of design, principle of operation

The "Parabellum" automatics work according to the scheme of the barrel recoil with its short stroke back and locking by the system of articulated levers (crank mechanism). The barrel with the receiver constitutes the pistol's movable system, inside which the parts of the percussion mechanism and the locking mechanism are mounted. The connection of the receiver to the barrel is made using a thread. Inside the receiver, a bolt with an ejector and a percussion mechanism is located and moves. The barrel bore was locked by hinges.

The device of a single firing mechanism includes: a trigger, a transmission lever, a cylindrical firing pin with a striker, a mainspring with a guide rod, as well as a trigger lever with an uncoupler that allows only single fire to be fired.

The safety device of the latest samples consists of a safety lever with a flag and a safety device itself. The fuse was placed in the left wall of the frame, in an inclined groove, and its lever was pivotally connected with its front shoulder.

The mechanism for the extraction of spent cartridges consists of a spring reflector and an ejector with a spring.

The box magazine of the Luger pistol is located in its grip and is loaded with 8 cartridges arranged in a single row. When all cartridges are consumed, the bolt stops at the slide delay in the rear position.

Features of various modifications of Parabellums

The earliest model of the Borchardt-Luger pistol was released in 1900 and was adopted by the Swiss army. Its characteristic features were: a spring ejector located on the upper flat surface of the bolt, a frame and flag fuse blocking the receiver (sear). This model had a barrel length of 122 mm and was designed for a 7.65 x 21 mm cartridge.

The 1902 pistol was created for a 9 mm cartridge, so the muzzle was made thicker and shorter, its length was 102 mm. The number of grooves in the bore was increased from 4 to 6, and the length of the receiver and the frame became equal.

In the Parabellum version of the 1904 model, an automatic safety device appears, which is a lever with the ability to swing on an axis fixed in the lower part of the handle. If it was necessary to put the weapon on the safety catch, its lever turned with a flag forward. In this case, the protrusion on the automatic safety device was in contact with its lever arm, which made it impossible to turn it. To remove from the fuse, it was necessary to turn its lever back with a flag. This happens automatically when the palm of your hand is wrapped around the pistol grip. In this case, the heel of the fuse itself is recessed and its tooth releases the trigger.

In the 1904 model, the liner ejector has undergone changes - the spring type has been replaced by a vertical tooth ejector. The pistol's sight has become a reversible one with the ability to set a firing distance of 100 or 200 meters.

In the drawings of the 1906 model, changes were made: the return spring in the handle became not a lamellar, but a cylindrical, twisted, the fuse design and its location were changed (it began to be located at the bottom and lock the sear). The Parabellum of the new model was manufactured in two variations - chambered for 7.65 mm caliber with a barrel length of 122 mm and a 9 mm cartridge with a barrel length of 102 mm.

The 1908 pistol had only the safety catch and the automatic safety was removed. Characteristic special details were an extractor, which was combined with an indicator of the presence of cartridges in the chamber, and a cylindrical return spring.

Artillery model of the pistol "Parabellum"

The artillery model of the pistol-carbine "Parabellum" P08 ("long pistol") was produced by the German arms company "DWM" in 1913 and was intended to arm non-commissioned officers of flight units, field artillery and machine gun crews in Germany.

The long 9 mm Luger-Parabellum pistol began to be equipped in 1917 with an attached thrommel magazine (Leer's disk magazine) with 32 rounds, an attached flat holster-butt and had an increased firing range. A specific feature of the pistol was the obliquely set bar of the sector sight, which automatically took into account the lateral deflection of the bullet when setting the firing distance. The adjustable sight was placed on the barrel in front of the chamber and had notches for a firing range of up to 800 meters.

The artillery model had the following technical and ballistic characteristics:

• barrel length / total length - 200 mm / 324 mm;
• length with attached holster-butt - 680 mm;
• weight with a magazine without cartridges - 1.12 kg;
• drum capacity - 8/32 rounds;
• maximum pressure in the bore - 2.200 kg / cm2;
• muzzle velocity - 380 m / s;
• rate of fire - 30 rds / min.

Dismantling "Parabellums"

To disassemble any Luger-Parabellum pistol, you first need to completely remove the magazine and discharge it, the drummer must be released from the cocking, and the fuse must be turned off. Incomplete disassembly is performed as follows.

1. Take out the store. To do this, press to the right on its latch, then pull it out of the handle by the head of the bottom.
2. Dismantling the release cover. For separation, take the pistol in the right hand and pull its movable mechanisms back. Turning the barrel delay with the flag down, the release cover is moved to the left and disconnected. When separating the trigger cover of a Parabellum pistol with an automatic safety lock, care must be taken to ensure that it is recessed.
3. The moving part is disconnected. To separate it, the pistol is taken in the right hand and moving the movable part forward, separate it with all the details from the frame.
4. Disassembly of the moving part. To do this, the axis of the bloodworm is removed to the left and the shutter with the bloodworm and the connecting rod is removed from the receiver, moving backward.
5. Branch of the drummer. With the help of any metal rod, the mainspring stop is recessed and rotated by a quarter of a turn. Overcoming its resistance, the bolt with the mainspring and the stop are disconnected. Then remove the drummer from the bolt.

Complete disassembly, due to its complexity (the presence of a large number of parts of complex shape), is rarely performed and is resorted to in exceptional cases (severe pollution, rusting or breakage). It is performed in this way.

1. After partial disassembly, the ejector is separated. To do this, a pin is knocked out with a thin punch, while the ejector moves forward and is disconnected together with the spring.
2. The trigger, its spring and barrel delay are separated when they are moved to the left.
3. The trigger is detached after removing its spring.
4. The slide lag is separated. To do this, it is raised and then taken out of the nest.
5. Remove the cheeks. To do this, unscrew their fastening screws.
6. Separate the fuse lever and the fuse itself.

At the end of the summer of 1907, the German army conducted tests to replace the standard revolvers in service with field artillery crews with modernized Gewehr 91 carbines. The results of army tests showed that the carbine is not always convenient and sometimes interferes with the soldiers when conducting artillery fire. A conventional Parabellum pistol, even when using an attached buttstock, could not replace a carbine, since it was intended exclusively for close combat.

Over the next few years, the design of the Parabellum pistol underwent optimization so that the weapon could combine compactness and the ability to shoot at long distances. Together with Georg Luger, a major of the Bavarian army took part in the development of a new model of the pistol. Adolf Fischer... It was Fischer who, on November 30, 1912, presented the first prototype of the Luger Artillery Pistol for evaluation by the state admissions committee.

One of the challenges facing the engineers was to not change the fundamental design of the Parabellum pistol, using standard parts to get a weapon with the desired ballistic characteristics. First of all, in order to increase the firing range, instead of the standard barrel, it was decided to use a long 200 mm barrel.

For the possibility of firing at long distances, the weapon was equipped with an adjustable entirely, which was installed in the upper part of the barrel. The rear sight division scale made it possible to conduct aimed fire from a pistol at a distance of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 meters. The button for moving the sight slider is located on the left side of the rear sight. Prototypes and early Parabellum Artillery pistols (Trial prototype and Early Luger Artillery) a special adjusting screw was installed on the rear sight, which made it possible to further fine-tune the rear sight.

When adjusting the propeller in the vertical plane, the rear part of the rear sight with a slot for aiming moved in the dovetail groove. In order to increase the range of adjustment of the rear sight, a special groove was made in the front of the slide box of Luger Artillery pistols.

Prototypes and early Artillery Luger pistols also had a front sight with an adjusting micro-screw. The screw made it possible to move the front sight in the groove of the base and more accurately adjust the sight of the weapon. In later serial weapons, in order to simplify the manufacture and reduce the cost, the front sight was installed as usual, without an adjusting screw.

In the process of testing and modernizing the Parabellum Artillery pistol, changes were also made to the rear sight design. There are four main varieties. The first version of the rear sight has an adjusting microscrew installed on top of its aiming slot. The second option has both a microscrew and a locking screw installed in the front of the rear sight on the right. The third version of the rear sight has neither a microscrew nor a screw in the front. The fourth variant corresponds to the majority of late-production serial pistols. It does not have an adjusting microscrew, but a screw is installed in the front of the rear sight on the right.

The Luger Artillery pistol uses 9 mm Parabellum cartridges (9 × 19 mm Parabellum) as ammunition. The total length of the pistol without the stock is 327 mm, the barrel length is 200 mm, the weight of the weapon is 1100 grams. The pistol was supplied with an attached butt, which was installed in special grooves made in the rear of the grip, as well as in the pistol.

By the summer of 1913, work on a new model of the Parabellum pistol was fully completed. The weapon essentially differed from the standard Luger models, only with a long barrel and a sector sight mounted on it. If we compare the drawings of the Parabellum P-08 pistol and the drawings of the Luger Artillery pistol, it becomes clear that there are not so many differences between these pistol models, which of course facilitated their manufacture.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the German Empire was a federal state that united 22 monarchies, 3 free cities and the land of Alsace-Lorraine. Its ground forces, unlike the navy, were subordinate to local, not federal, authorities. Many decisions, including the adoption of a particular model of small arms, were approved by the monarchs of individual German lands. The Parabellum Artillery pistol was adopted by the Prussian army on July 03, 1913, after the signing of the corresponding document by Emperor Wilhelm II. The Bavarian army adopted the pistol on July 27, 1913, by the decision of Prince Ludwig (future King Ludwig III).

The weapon has received an official designation Lange Pistole 08 (Long Luger, Long Luger pistol) or "Lg. Pist. 08 "," LP. 08 "... Term Luger artillery was never official or used in documents. It was subsequently introduced by dealers and over time became a staple among collectors. Many weapons researchers consider it incorrect, since the Luger Lange Pistole 08 was not adopted by all artillery, but only by its separate branch - field artillery. In addition, the pistol was used to arm military pilots, medical personnel, machine gun crews, etc. Moreover, the widest use of this weapon was in the assault infantry units, therefore the Long Luger, it would be more correct to call Luger Sturmpistole (Luger assault pistol, Luger assault pistol).

At the dawn of military aviation, its main armament consisted of a stock of bombs and conventional small arms, most often self-loading pistols. On April 23, 1912, in his report, the Chief of the General Staff of Germany noted that arming aircraft with conventional Parabellum P.08 pistols was not effective. From that time on, tests began on Parabellum pistols with an elongated barrel. The Luger Lange Pistole 08 pistol turned out to be quite convenient for use in air combat. The long barrel, improved sighting devices and the presence of an attached butt made it possible to conduct aimed fire at a longer distance. In this case, the pilot could fire using only one hand.

The only problem for the aviators was the low ammunition stock of weapons and the need to change magazines. To eliminate this problem, the development of a store of increased capacity began.

Initially, work on the disk magazine was carried out to equip it with the Mondragon M1908 self-loading rifle, which was also used to arm German military aircraft. On the basis of these first rifle disk magazines, a disk magazine for the Luger Artillery pistol was later created (Round drum magazine for Luger Artillery).

Disk or drum magazine "snail" type for a pistol, which was named "Trommelmagazin 08" or "T.M.08" was developed by a Hungarian engineer Friedrich Blum... Friedrich Blum's German patents for a drum magazine for a Luger pistol DRP 305 564 and DRP 305 074 dated July 8, 1916 describe not only its design, but also the method of equipping the magazine with cartridges. Several companies were involved in the manufacture of disc magazines: Gebrüder Bing A.G. (Nuremberg), Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (Berlin), Vereinigten Automaten-Fabriken Pelzer & Cie (Cologne). The appearance and marking features of different manufacturers were slightly different.

The disk magazine held 32 rounds. The coil spring located inside the store was cocked with a special key, which, after the spring was compressed, was fixed in the socket on the magazine drum cover. The first 12-15 rounds could be loaded into the magazine without the use of special tools. For further equipment, a special Magazine Loaders with a lever was used.

A tarpaulin or leather case was used to carry the disk magazine. The use of covers became relevant especially after it was decided to use disk magazines and Luger Artillery pistols to arm the assault units of the German infantry. Luger assault pistols in the army received the designation P.17. The Luger Artillery (P.17) compact, repeating pistols proved to be very convenient and effective in assault combat in enemy trenches.

Subsequently, these weapons were replaced by submachine guns and the early Bergmann submachine gun (MP18) used disk magazines from Parabellum pistols. During the First World War, German army units were equipped with disk magazines and special loaders at the rate of one equipment set for five disk magazines.

Collectors distinguish several main varieties of Luger Lange Pistole 08 pistols. They differ from each other by place of manufacture (Erfurt, DWM or Mauser), purpose (military or commercial) and of course marking features.

Pistols Luger Artillery Erfurt 1914 Military order (Luger Artillery Erfurt 1914 Military contract) manufactured at the royal rifle factory in Erfurt. This is one of the first Luger Lange Pistole 08 pistols of the military order.

These pistols are marked "1914" on the top of the chamber. On the upper surface of the front bolt lever is the manufacturer's stamp in the form of the inscription "ERFURT" under the crown.

The researchers point out that the serial numbers of the Artillery Luger Erfurt pistols can be 1-5 digits with a letter.

From the very beginning of the First World War, Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken Aktien-Gesellschaft (DWM) was also engaged in the manufacture of Luger Artillery pistols for the German army.

Pistols Luger Artillery DWM 1914-1918 years of release (Luger Artillery DWM 1914 Military contract) are branded with intertwined DWM letters on the top of the front bolt lever. On the top of the chamber, there is a marking indicating the year of manufacture of the weapon.

Serial numbers of pistols DWM 1914 Artillery Luger, according to the reference data, can also have from 1 to 5 digits with a letter. Researchers point out that during the First World War, about 5,000 Luger Artillery pistols were manufactured in 1914 (serial numbers in the range 262 - 1995a), in 1915, about 15,000 pistols (serial numbers 294 - 7283a), in 1916 a little more than 20,000 pistols (numbers 203 - 2660b), in 1917 about 90,000 Artillery Lugers (numbers 248 - 4884w), in 1918 no more than 25,000 pistols (105 - 997e).

Quite rare, but you can still see pistols at arms auctions Luger Lange Pistole 08 Red Nine, on the surface of the cheeks, the handles are cut out and filled with red or black paint with the numbers "9".

The reason for this marking is again associated with the history of the Mauser K-96 pistols. The main part of the Mauser K-96 pistols was chambered for the 7.63 mm caliber, but the Mauser pistols of the Prussian contract of 1916 were manufactured for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge. To avoid confusion with ammunition on the cheeks of the grip of this weapon, the number "9" was usually applied in red and the pistols were named. By analogy, in some cases, the nine was applied to the cheeks of the grip of Parabellum pistols.

Pistol Luger Artillery with double marking 1920/1917 (DWM Double Date 1920/1917 Dated Weimar Artillery Luger) a rather rare variety that appeared during the Weimar Republic, which arose on the site of the former German Empire in 1919. At this time, immediately after the end of the First World War, according to the Treaty of Versailles, the German army was reduced to 100 thousand people. The military pistols of the German Army have been destroyed, altered or re-registered. Pistols Artillery Luger with double marking, just an example of a rare weapon that, after re-registration, remained in the armed forces of the Weimar Republic.

In 1920, DWM began to export Luger Artillery pistols, model 1920 commercial, converted (Luger 1920 Commercial Artillery Rework).

These pistols were made in the 20s-30s of the 20th century. This weapon did not have military acceptance marks and markings on the surface of the chamber. They are branded with the DWM brand on the top of the front bolt lever. There were commercial marks on the weapon.

In addition to the 9mm Luger 1920 Commercial Artillery Rework pistols, the researchers claim, DWM manufactured the 1920 Luger Artillery commercial pistols chambered for 7.65mm cartridges.

In addition to the royal rifle factory in the city of Erfurt and the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken Aktien-Gesellschaft (DWM) company, after 1930, the Mauser company also began to manufacture Artillery Luger Pistol pistols. One of the famous importers of Parabellum pistols in the United States was the Austrian immigrant Alexander F. Stoeger, whose gun shop was located in New York. He called himself the only authorized importer in the United States and Canada of genuine Mauser, Luger weapons and ammunition.

Several hundred pistols Luger Artillery Mauser A.F. Stoeger contract were manufactured in the period 1930-1934 and shipped to the United States. Early pistols were branded DWM at the top of the front bolt lever. On the surface of the chamber of these pistols, the US coat of arms - the American eagle was applied. Luger Artillery Mauser A.F. Stoeger contracts are in English: "SAFE" and "LOADED". On the right side of the bolt box there is the marking text "GERMANY", "A.F.STOEGER INC / NEW YORK.", On the right side of the frame: "GENUINE LUGER - REGISTERED U.S. PATENT OFFICE ".

In 1934, the Shah of Persia (Iran) ordered 4,000 Parabellum pistols from the Mauser factory. About 1000 of them were pistols of the Luger Lange Pistole 08 model with serial numbers 3001 - 4000. The weapon was intended for arming the Shah's personal guard.

These pistols have a very recognizable appearance due to the fact that all the inscriptions on them, including the numbers on the rear sight scale, are made in Farsi (Persian). The coat of arms of Persia is depicted in the upper part of the pistol chamber. The literature indicates that the weapons were sent to Persia in three batches between December 1935 and June 1936.

Most of the pistols Mauser Artillery Luger,Persian order (Mauser Persian Luger Artillery) in the 70s of the 20th century they hit the European commercial market and for this reason these pistols are sometimes found at arms auctions.

After completing the order for Persia, the Mauser company manufactured about 100 Luger Artillery pistols for the police in Bangkok, the capital of Siam (Thailand). The serial numbers of these weapons range from 3453 to 3552. These pistols are named Mauser Artillery Luger, Siamese order (Mauser Siamese Luger Artillery). A distinctive feature of the Siamese order pistols is the presence of Siamese markings on the rear surface of the frame.

The front bolt lever of the Siamese Artillery Parabellums bears the manufacturer's brand name in the form of a "barrel" with the text "MAUSER". On the surface of the chamber, the year of production of the weapon is marked.

After the end of World War II, various models of Parabellum pistols were manufactured at the Mauser plant during the French occupation, including the Luger Lange Pistole 08.

The top of the front bolt lever of these pistols bears the manufacturer's trademark with the text “MAUSER”. There is no marking at the top of the chamber.

The use of the Luger Lange Pistole 08 in aviation, especially after the appearance of the 32-round disc magazine, led to attempts to develop a pistol in which it would be possible to switch fire from single to automatic. Several designers, including Georg Luger himself, tried to create a fully automatic weapon from the Parabellum pistol.

Probably one of the first to be developed by Manuel and Everardo Navarro from Zelaya (Mexico). They filed US patent No. 1113239 on October 13, 1914. According to Navaro's design, the switching of the fire mode took place when the leaf spring, mounted on the pistol trigger lever, was moved. After moving, the spring could be fixed with a handle - a screw. In the forward position of the spring, the trigger worked normally, i.e. the pistol fired single-shot. In the rear position of the spring, the weapon fired in bursts. In automatic firing, in order to stop the fire, it was necessary to release the automatic safety lever.

Stanislaw Gurtys from Poznan received the German patent DRP 492 163 on October 16, 1926, which also provided for a firing mode switch mounted in the form of a lever on the trigger cover. The prototype or patent model of the Parabellum pistol based on the Gurtis design was based on the Luger Artillery pistol with serial number 6474a.

A small number of experimental pistols Luger Artillery to Selective Fire more advanced designs were manufactured during the First World War. The fire mode switch is installed on the trigger and is a spring-loaded button that moves the trigger sleeve.

Pistols with a firing mode switch (Luger Artillery to Selective Fire) remained experimental, since with automatic fire the rate of fire of the Parabellum pistol is very high, and the crank mechanism for locking the shutter did not provide reliable holding of the weapon and, accordingly, accurate aiming.

Originally, the stock for the Luger Lange Pistole 08 pistol was supposed to use an all-wooden holster-stock. Undoubtedly, this was influenced by the design of the holster-butt of the pistol. Several prototypes of the Artillery Luger have been fired with such a solid walnut stock holster. The total length of the fully wooden butt-holster is 370 mm, the maximum height is 165 mm, the thickness at the lid is 52 mm. Unlike the Mauser, the butt holster for the Luger covered the entire pistol grip.

On the left side of the butt holster there are two loops for attaching belts. The lid opening button is also located on the left side of the butt above these hinges. Inside the holster, there is a compartment for placing the cleaning rod. On the inner surface of the cover there is a clamp for attaching a combination screwdriver.

By November 1913, it was decided to use a flat wooden buttstock in the form of a board as a stock for the Luger Artillery, which outwardly resembles a stock. However, the stock for the Luger Artillery pistol is 28 mm longer than the stock of the Marine model. A metal tip is installed at the end of the butt, which is inserted into the grooves of the pistol grip. The butt is fixed in the weapon by turning the locking lever installed on the left side of the butt tip. The total length of the wooden flat stock for the Luger Artillery pistol is 343 mm, the thickness is 15 mm, the maximum stock height is 114 mm, the thickness of the butt tip is 23 mm, its height is 41 mm. Unlike the Marine Luger's butt, a marking disc was not installed on the surface of the Long Luger's butt, but was marked with the letter "G" under the crown (Erfurt's stamp) or "S" under the crown (DWM stamp).

A leather holster is attached to a wooden flat stock with straps. The side holster has a special compartment for storing the cleaning rod. The holster flap attaches to the strap, which is screwed to the wooden part of the buttstock on the left side. On the back of the holster there are two loops for attaching belts. The Luger Artillery pistol is carried in a holster-butt with straps over the shoulder. Leather covers for two spare magazines could be worn both on the belt and on the belt along with the holster.

Another difference between the Lange Pistole 08 pistol butt holster and the Luger Naval P04 butt holster was the appearance of a protective cover for the butt tip. The tip protector is attached to the stock with straps and a clasp.

The Parabellum Artillery pistol was actively used only during the First World War of 1914-1918. After the defeat of Germany and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, a significant part of these pistols were either destroyed or converted into short-barreled Parabellum P08 pistols. Luger Artillery pistols that have survived to this day are the pride of many private collections and museum expositions. The Antique Market rates the Parabellum Artillery Models quite high. The price of only the more common ones is in the range of 2,000 - 3,000 dollars. 1914 Luger Lange Pistole pistols range from $ 3,000 to $ 7,000. Of course, the rarest and most valuable are prototypes of Luger Artillery pistols and especially rare varieties of serial pistols, which are estimated in the range of 10,000 - 50,000 dollars.

The German P08 pistol (or "P'08" or "Luger") was one of the most famous German pistols of World War II. In fact, its origins date back to before World War I, when the pistol was originally created by Hugo Borchardt.

Only after some time in the life of this weapon the name Lugeran reliably stuck with it. In these terms, sometimes Luger's notation can be misleading, although to some extent it is correct. Serial samples of P08 pistols were developed for the 7.65 mm cartridge caliber and were adopted by the Swiss army by the beginning of the 21st century.

The history of the creation of the pistol

The first competitive tests for the German army, the pistol began to take place in the vicinity of Berlin in 1902. Many samples of short-barreled weapons from German and foreign manufacturers took part in these tests.

The state competition lasted quite a long time, until 1904, as a result of which the modified Luger pistol was declared the winner. In 1903, during the tests themselves, the caliber for the P08 was changed from 7.65 mm to 9x19 mm.

This model itself was an improved version of the previous generation 9mm pistols known as the "neuerArt". In the same 1903 it was named "Parabellum", which later became the motto of the DWM company.

The word "Parabellum" itself comes from the Latin expression "Si vis pacem, para bellum", which translates as "If you want peace, prepare for war", or rather, only the last part of this expression was included in the name - a pair of bellum.

The pistol first entered service with the Kaiser Navy in 1904, and the pistol entered the German Empire's land forces in 1908, which is why it acquired the most recognizable name "P08".

And in the period between the two world wars, despite the restrictions stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles regarding the loss of Germany in the First World War, the pistol continued to be committed either on German territory or at production facilities in other parts of Europe.

The British even released the P08 range of pistols through Vickers-Armstrong and Company with spare parts sourced from Germany. These versions were eventually sent via Holland for Dutch troops to the East Indies overseas.

By the beginning of the Second Myrrh War, despite the complexity of production, the German army already had more than 550 thousand samples of these weapons. The Luger pistol continued to be produced for the Wehrmacht units until 1942.

It was subsequently replaced by the new Walther P38. The further release of the P08 and its various modifications were made exclusively for commercial use.

Design features and main characteristics

The pistol is designed so that the automatics work on the principle of applying recoil with its short barrel stroke back.

The channel is locked by means of a system of articulated levers (crank mechanism), which are in the standard position and, when fired, in the “dead center” state.

In this position, under the action of the direct pressure of the bolt, the folding of the levers during the shot is completely excluded.

The receiver with the barrel is a moving system in which parts of the percussion mechanism and the locking mechanism are located. The docking of the barrel with the receiver takes place using a special thread.

In the receiver itself there is a moving bolt with an ejector, as well as a percussion mechanism.

Single trigger device:

• Trigger;
• Transmission lever;
• Cylindrical drummer with striker;
• Fighting spring with a guide rod;
• Trigger lever with uncoupler.

The last detail is necessary for firing only single shots.

disassembled parabelum

The Luger fuse includes the fuse lever itself with a flag and the main fuse part, which is located on the left side of the frame, in an inclined state.

TTX and brief information

Type of	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	German empire
Service history	German Empire (1904-1918) Weimar Republic (1919-1933) Nazi Germany (1933-1945) Switzerland (1900-early 1970s) Other countries (1900 to present)
Used	World War I Spanish Civil War The Second World War Second Sino-Japanese War Indonesian National Revolution Chinese Civil War Korean War (limited use) Vietnam War (limited use)
Developer	Georg J. Luger
Designed by	1898 year
Manufacturer	Deutsche Waffenund Munitionsfabriken
Production years	1900-1942
Total produced	2,800,000 (P08) 285,000 (mod.1900)
The weight	871 g
Length	222 mm
Barrel length	120 mm
Caliber	7.65 x 21 mm Parabellum 9 × 19 mm Parabellum
Bullet muzzle velocity	350-400 m / s
Effective firing range	350-400 m / s 50 m
Magazine capacity	8 and 32 rounds on a drum magazine

Features of various modifications of the Luger

Third model

The first prototype P08, known as Versuchsmodelle III, which means experimental model 3 in German, was tested in the Swiss army in 1898.

During the tests, it was criticized by the Swiss commission due to its excessive weight and unbalanced center of gravity, which did not contribute to the comfort in the conduct of hostilities.

After this verdict, Luger returns to Berlin with the aim of remaking the pistol. The main decision of Luger and his company was to change the shape of the cartridge, which would subsequently lead to the transformation of the pistol itself and to reduce its weight.

Thus, a new cartridge with a caliber of 7.65x21.5 mm was created with a bottle-shaped case, it was shortened by 5 mm compared to the previous version.

Repeated tests of the pistol took place in 1899 and already in 1900 the sample was adopted by the Swiss army. DWM has signed a contract for the supply of 3,000 units of these small arms.

Pneumatic

The KWC P-08 Luger KMB41D pistol is made almost entirely of metal parts. The magazine is designed for 21 metal balls.

The initial speed of the bullet is 100 meters per second. The modification is equipped with the Blowback recoil imitation system.

Shumovoy

The modification of the ME Luger P-08 pistol is designed to perform signal and noise actions. In it, as in the original version, the barrel is locked by a crank mechanism.

The magazine of the pistol is designed for four blank cartridge-cartridges with a caliber of 9 mm, into which the pistons are inserted. When fired, the cartridge-cartridge flies out, creating a noise effect, while sparks or flame and smoke come out of the barrel. The fuse is also taken from the original, it is a flag sample.

Specifications:

Bullet speed	100 m / s
Energy source	CO2 gas cylinder
Material	Metal
Ammunition type	Metal balls
Recoil	Blowback simulation system
Magazine capacity	21
Caliber	4.5 mm
total length	220 mm
Sight type	Sighting bar and front sight
Weight (equipped)	0.840 kg

Luger artillery

The Lange P08 pistol or simply “artillery” Luger was a pistol carbine for use by German army gunners as a kind of early personal defensive weapon. This pistol could be aimed at shooting up to 800 meters.

Its feature was the elongated barrel and butt, and sometimes it was equipped with a drum magazine for 32 rounds. Early production LP08s had micrometric adjustable front and rear sights.

It was also available in various commercial carbine versions with even longer barrels. In total, during the First World War, about 195,000 units of these weapons were produced for the German army.

The captured Lugers were highly prized by Allied soldiers during both World Wars as spoils of war.

However, during World War II, German soldiers knew about this and used the Lugers as "bait" for or hidden mine-traps.

The bomb was detonated while trying to pick up an allegedly accidentally thrown pistol. This tactic was widespread enough that it made the veteran soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition deeply suspicious of the apparently abandoned Luger they had discovered.

The history of the creation of a self-loading pistol began in 1882, when Hugo Borchardt opened his own office in Budapest. It was then that he met Ludwig Leve, who showed great interest in the Hungarian arms industry.

In 1890 Borchardt visited his firm, where the young designer Georg Luger was already working. Shortly after visiting Leve's factory, Borchardt set to work on a self-loading pistol.

Having patented a new pistol in 1893, he, according to some sources, tried to locate its production at the Liège "Factories Nacional" and eventually reached an agreement with the Berlin manufacturer Ludwig Leve.

One of the directors of the company decided, as an experiment, to make a sample of Borchardt's pistol. Work on the new pistol lasted about 18 months. This is how the first commercially viable 7.65 mm Borchardt C93 self-loading pistol was born.

Video

“The design of the pistol sets the shooter's psyche for confident, uncompromising brutality. This phenomenon has not yet been studied. In many countries, parabellum has been declared a weapon of targeted destruction and banned for use. " This quote is from A.A. Potapov's "Pistol Shooting Techniques: Practice SMERSH" may well serve as an illustration of the established reputation of a known type of weapon, but is there any reason for this?

It's a strange thing, but after pretty much twisting in his hands and a little (a rarity after all) shooting from "Parabellum", the author did not feel any special attacks of cruelty. Easy and short trigger, typical for most single-action pistols, good sights - and, in general, all the impressions. Perhaps, of course, a specialist in the field of psychology and industrial design is really needed here, but, rather, on the territory of the former USSR, and in other places, absolutely fantastic properties are only attributed to this pistol.

Birth story

Usually, when talking about "Parabellum", only one name pops up - Georg Luger. Meanwhile, to make the story of his appearance clearer, the names need to be announced much more.

Assembly drawing of the legendary "Parabellum"

First after Luger is Hugo Borchardt. Actually, it was on the basis of its design (first of all, the locking principle) that Luger developed his pistol - therefore, in a number of sources it is referred to as a double, "Borchardt-Luger". Initially, Luger was Borchardt's subordinate and helped him in fine-tuning the self-loading pistol, but later the two designers went their separate ways. The firm of the brothers Ludwig and Isidor Leve, which also "rose" in the production of Smith-Wesson revolvers for the Russian army, merged with another German ammunition company to form the DWM concern (Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken). At the same time, Borchardt preferred to remain in the same place in Loew, but Luger headed the design group at DWM.

At the new location, Luger continued his work on fine-tuning the Borchardt C93 pistol. He created a very advanced pistol for its time, the main drawback of which is fully described by the words "crude design". On the one hand, a number of innovative technical solutions were introduced in the C93, which, in one form or another, became standard for pistols as a class of weapons: the location of cartridges in a detachable magazine in the handle, a push-button magazine latch, a bullet in an all-metal sheath, a groove on the sleeve instead of a rim.

At the same time, the butt plate of the frame protruding far back turned the pistol into a rather cumbersome design even without a butt, and its disassembly was rather difficult, especially in the field. Russian officers, after testing Borchardt's pistol, noted:

"Complete disassembly and assembly of a pistol requires such skill and, in general, is so difficult that their production by the lower ranks cannot be allowed without significant risk of ruining the weapon.".

The changes made by Luger were not so much radical constructive as layout. In particular, he moved the return spring to the grip, which noticeably shortened the pistol. The chosen tilt of the handle of 125 ° ensured comfortable shooting in the style familiar to the military at that time, from one hand.

With the light hand of the Swiss

The first who had a chance to test new pistols were officers of the Swiss army, which was just looking for a replacement for the revolvers in service. However, Versuchsmodelle III, aka Experimental Model No. 3, provided by Luger in 1898, did not initially evoke enthusiasm. Only after the modifications did the Swiss army begin to receive the Pistole, Ordonnanz 1900, System Borchardt-Luger. In addition to a fairly solid order for 2,000 pistols, this order served as an excellent advertisement for Luger's brainchild, since the military of many countries considered: "What's good for the Swiss is worth trying for us too".

Every whim for your money

Following the Swiss, new pistols were purchased by Denmark and Brazil. The success was also facilitated by the fact that Luger designed not just a pistol, but a pistol-cartridge complex. Initially, it was the cartridge that was modified - considering that the new smokeless propellants are powerful enough, Luger shortened Borchardt's 7.65 × 25 mm cartridge, first receiving the 7.65 × 21 mm parabellum cartridge (it was for it that the first pistols were produced). In 1902, the famous "nine" appeared, the cartridge 9 × 19 mm. To this day, this cartridge is the standard NATO pistol ammunition and is gradually becoming such in the Russian Federation, deservedly considered one of the most widespread and popular.

Interested in a new pistol and overseas. Already in 1901, a DWM representative delivered a 1900 model pistol to the United States. The result was an order for 1000 copies, distributed to military schools and colleges. In 1903, Georg Luger personally brought pistols under his new 9-mm cartridge, with different barrel lengths. After a series of tests, the Americans first ordered 50 different pistols chambered for a 9-mm cartridge, including several "pistol-carbines" with a long barrel and a wooden butt, and then another 700 pieces chambered for a 7.65-mm cartridge.

German paratrooper with "Luger"

However, the full-scale rearmament of the Americans on the Parabellum never happened. The last attempt was made in 1906 for pistols chambered for the new American 45ACP cartridge. The exact number of made "forty-five" is unknown - the numbers from two to five copies are named - and, of course, their collection value can hardly be overestimated. The last time such a pistol was sold at an auction was in the midst of the 2010 crisis for "only" half a million dollars, and it can be assumed that at a more favorable time it would have cost much more.

The greatest success to the share of Luger's brainchild fell nevertheless in his native (for a pistol, since Georg himself was an Austrian) Germany. In 1904, a variant with a 150 mm barrel was adopted by the Kaiser's fleet - this is how the "naval" model 1904 appeared. Finally, in 1908, the "same" model 08 appeared, which was adopted by the German army. From that moment on, almost all the production of pistols at DWM was sucked out like a vacuum cleaner by the military, but still the P08 was not enough for the army - since 1911, a weapons factory in Erfurt was connected to production.

The army, on the other hand, became the customer and consumer of another well-known Luger model from a series of pistols-carbines - artillery, with a barrel length of 200 mm. It was for her in 1916 that a drum magazine for 32 rounds was made, which later migrated from the "ersatz-PP" to the MP-18 submachine gun.

On a string to the world – you get a Swedish volunteer for the Finnish army. Among the variegated weapons and equipment there was a place for the "Luger"

"Parabellum" quite deservedly became one of the symbols of German weapons in the First World War, and even during the Second World War, despite the appearance of the more modern and technologically advanced "Walter" P38, it did not give up its position until the end.

In Russia and the USSR, "Luger" was officially ordered twice - since 1906, about 1000 pistols of the so-called "Russian contract" have been delivered, with inscriptions in Cyrillic and a brand in the form of crossed Mosin rifles. In addition, there is information about the delivery of parabellums for the Soviet Navy in the late 20s or early 30s, but without precise details. Also, "Luger" could be purchased by officers of the imperial army at their own expense, but we can confidently say that the largest number of "Parabellums" ended up in the USSR as trophies.

Against the former owners: an American soldier with a Parabellum and two German prisoners. The pistol, along with the "Walter", has always been a welcome trophy for the allied soldiers

On trials in 1942 at the shooting range of the Main Artillery Directorate, Soviet specialists noted the smooth operation of the automation and the accuracy of the battle, superior to TT. At the same time, in difficult conditions - with grease, dust, freezing - "Luger" worked with delays.

Curiosities of the name and the cost of popularity

Separately, it is worth considering the issue of the name of the pistol. The name Parabellum, taken from the famous Latin proverb Si vis pacem, para bellum - "If you want peace, prepare for war", was the slogan of the DWM company and was applied not only to the Luger's design, but also to its patron, as well as to other samples. Both commercial pistols and more serious systems were sold under this brand - for example, the aircraft machine gun created in 1913 was also called "Parabellum". On the other hand, Luger also created several samples of pistols. All this can be briefly summarized as: Not every "Parabellum" is a "Luger", but not every "Luger" is a "Parabellum"! The full name of the pistol is usually written as "P08, Parabellum, Borchardt-Luger".

A wooden stock and a large-capacity magazine made a light carbine from the Luger

Finally, one cannot fail to mention an amusing literary incident associated with "Luger":

« It was a 0.45 Luger with an extended grip. He was lying in a puddle of water, and lumps of non-melting snow were still clinging to him; and while I watched with open mouth, one lump fell off the trigger and fell on the table surface. Then I looked around the hall. The hall was empty, only Lel was standing next to the table and, tilting his head to one side, looked seriously questioningly at me. From the kitchen came the usual kitchen sounds, the owner could hear the soft bass and the smell of coffee.

– Did you bring this? - I asked Lelya in a whisper.

He tilted his head to the other side and kept looking at me.

His paws were in the snow, dripping from his shaggy belly. I gingerly took the pistol. That was a real gangster weapon. Aimed combat range - two hundred meters, a device for installing an optical sight, a lever for transferring to automatic firing and other amenities ...»

“He hung up a Mauser, then a Luger with a telescopic sight (from this Luger Kopchik shot two policemen to death on the last day of the Turn) and fiddled with a Browning Model N196 - small, almost square, - when a familiar voice behind him said:

– To the right, Andrey, a little to the right. And one centimeter lower. "

The first quote is taken from the story “The Hotel“ At the Dead Mountaineer ””, and the second from the novel “The Doomed City” by the brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

The controversy surrounding these pistols began even before the first book was published. Arkady Strugatsky gave the manuscript to the author of political detectives Theodor Gladkov, who was considered an expert in weapons among writers. Gladkov, of course, immediately began to prove that there are no "Lugers" with a telescopic sight in nature. Further, the legend diverges - according to some sources, Arkady promised to replace the aforementioned pistol, according to others - he said: "This is my" Luger ", I do what I want." Judging by the appearance of optics in the second work, the second version is closer to the truth.

Theoretically, the optics could be installed on the Parabellum ...

If "Lugers" in caliber. 45 were really made for an American competition - although, of course, the assumption that such a pistol could have appeared in the hands of a simple police inspector is too fantastic - then there are many more questions with optics. On a system with a movable barrel and levers that extend upward, it is possible to attach the optics only to the frame. In addition, the trajectory of the 9 × 19 cartridge, and even more so the 45ACP, at a distance of more than 100 meters, even in the P08 models with an elongated barrel, will, to put it mildly, be far from straightforward. The weapon will have to shoot at a specific distance and then hope that the shooter, firstly, will be able to correctly determine the distance to the target, and secondly, that the field of view of the optics is sufficient for the correction. Not surprisingly, scopes have not taken root even on much more powerful submachine guns. So, fiction remains fiction.