[Guest]

I inherited 6 swiss parabellums from my grandfather (thanks, Opapa). I enjoy pistols and am excited about these (once I figure out how to get them here from Switzerland).

I don't really have any idea as to what he has given me outside that it's 6 good looking guns, any comments would be appreciated on worth and historical significance, if this is possible from one picture.

thanks- Jim

Download Attachment: Luger1.jpg
264.36KB

 

[pipeman45]

I wish you all the luck in the world on getting them home.Thanks to your Grandfather, You have some very nice looking pistols there.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. Should not be too much of a problem I hope. BATF says I just need to get them to a FFL. On the Swiss side I own the guns so it's not a sale/export situation. I just need to get the executer ship them to the FFL. UPS does not seem to have a problem with this, at least I can't find anything on their web site that says they won't. So, we shall see...

Jim

 

[Edward Tinker]

Good luck, great instant collection! Sorry your Opa (dutch for grandfather BTW) passed, but he had good sense in guns!

Ed

 

[Pete E.]

Hi James,

What a wonderful "instant" Swiss luger collection. You have hit the "mother lode" !!!

Regarding bringing them into the USA; you might give Bob and Brad Simpson a call. They do importations into the USA. There are some costs both on the Switzerland end and on the USA end. I think in Switzerland you will need to have a dealer help with exportation and costs and you will need a dealer here in the USA help with the importation. Here is their web site link and its contact page :

http://www.simpsonltd.com/

Regarding your Swiss luger, could you post some serial numbers so we can figure out what you have and when they were made. You can leave an "x" or two in the full serial numbers if you do not want to disclose them completely such as "259xx".

From the photo, I think I see :

1. A M1900 Swiss luger made by DWM, that should have a cross/sunburst on the top of the chamber.

2. A M1906 Swiss luger made by DWM, that can have either a cross/sunburst or a cross/shield on the top of the chamber.

3. Two (2) M1906 W+F Bern lugers made by the Swiss at the Bern arsenal. Both should have blank chambers but should have +/Bern/Waffenfabrik" stamped on the top of the forward toggle link. Close up photos of the side plates and knowing the serial numbers of each would help us define what 'variation' each luger of this model you might have.

Both of these two luger in your photo have a muzzle cover on the end of each barrel. This were commerically made by Luthy and go for $ 150 or so in the USA and are very hard to find and very desireable by collectors...they probably sold for $ 10-20 when new...many years ago.

4. A red M1929 Bern luger and a black M1920 Bern luger. Again...serial numbers would let us know more specially and if the color of the plastic grips and magazine bottom are "proper and correct" for the guns' serial numbers. Your red Bern should have a red plastic magazine bottom.

5. All guns appear to be in 7,65 mm caliber (i.e. .30 luger).

Looks forward to more photos, serial numbers, etc...

You have some wonderful lugers. Hope you get them into the USA and into your gun safe !!!

If you decide to forgo bringing them into the USA, there is a gun dealer in CH that might want to help you do consignment sales...contact Mr. Stefan Mahrer at :

http://www.swissdagger.com/index.html

However, luger values in CH tend to be much lower than luger values in the USA...so if you sell them in CH, you might not make as much money...

Regarding the valuation of your lugers. Let's get the serial numbers and maybe a few more photos...as condition with lugers is everthing when it comes to value...(original versus Bern rework versus gunshop rework). A very early serial number for your M1900, for example, could yield a very high dollar value whereas a serial number in the 4700 or later range would lower its value quite a bit...

From the englarged view of your one (1) photo, it does look like most/all of your luger may have their original factory finish...or at least a Bern factory rework...which does not hurt value much at all...

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Pete, for all the great information. I really want to keep this set, these are all my grandads personal pistols. The executer of the estate already offered to auction them off over there but I declined. He (being Swiss should be no great surprise) was a serious marksman and has dozens of medals of all the competitions he's won. This set was nothing compaired to his main collection. He had an example of every single pistol CH ever used in the military since the matchlock up to this current day hanging on his office wall. It must have been 30 or 40 pistols. I think he willed that collection to the city of Frauenfeld for display.

A few years ago I was visiting Opapa and he gave me a Hammerli 208 which I hand carried back to the US. It sat in customs for a month or so until the local gunshop picked it up and signed it over to me. From what I've figured out from Swiss law the guns are my property and therefore are not being "exported" per se, so no issues there, If I have to I will go over there to pick them up if international shipping companies cause a problem. I think you are correct in using the local gunshop to handle the shipping, so they are carefully packaged and know what shipping company to use and how much to insure them for.

Wish me luck and when I get the pistols I will post more information about them.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Congrats to rimfire! Unless my eyes deceive me, the serial number on the third pistol from the left in this photo is the single digit 4...

Pete, can you tell what model that is?

 

[Pete E.]

Hi John,

I think that is a +/M acceptance stamp (if the gun is a 1906 W+F Bern) or a +/V acceptance stamp (if the gun is a 1906 DWM Swiss that someone put the later Bern grips on). Cannot be sure unless top-of-toggle photos are posted...