Nabs
Your question--Are these 1906 Lugers simply referred to as "P.06 Luger" ? Are they traditionally chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum ? I have not heard of this variant of Luger so I am guessing it is rare as well ? unquote.
Along with a few other luger collectors in Canada I shudder when I hear of an all matching luger that has to be rebarreled to conform to our restricted class gun laws.
To set the record straight their never was a Po6 luger designation--the CFC has it all wrong and so does a few authors whom have poorly researched the lugers history.
Their is a 1900 model, 1906 model--not designate, and the 1908 model. The Imperial German navy adopted the luger as the official sidearm with its boardstock and carrying straps/holster in 1904, hence the designation of all Imperial German Naval lugers as the Po4 designate, the 1916 and 1917 chamber dated naval lugers are still of the Po4 designate although they are of the 1914 pattern variation.This also applies to the 1906 and 1908 model of the military and commercial naval luger as well.
The 1900 model debuted after the Borchardt luger with the commercial and the Swiss prototypes chambered in 7.65 mm(30 luger), In 1903 the first fat barrel 9mm was released but are extremely hard to find and today would fall into the restricted class of firearms.
Prior to 1908 George luger wished to have his luger adopted by the German military as an official sidearm--the 1900 USA test trials tried the Luger amongst others as an official sidearm but the 7.65 mm cartridge lacked the oomph neccessary as an military cartridge so the Americans sided on the 45 colt 1911.
George Luger bieng an enterprising young man opened up the neck of the 7.65 mm cartridge creating the 9mm cartridge thus giving way to the German military adoption of the luger classed as the Po8 as the official sidearm in 1908. These undated first issue P08's are referred in collector terms as 1st and 2nd issue lugers with 1910 bieng the first chamber date to show up from DWM.
Collectors and the CFC call this the Po8 designation, the Artillery luger a variation of the Po8 was first manufactured in 1914 by both Erfurt and DWM with Erfurt stopping artillery production end of 1914--No true 1915,1916,1917,1918 Erfurt artillery lugers exist, DWM was the only manufacturer of the artillery luger after 1914 untill the Armistice of 1918.
The Swiss Bern manufactured lugers are very well built but will never be a German Luger, they are in a specific variant of themselves.
Another member referred you to a Finnish luger--good choice if you can find one with the proper tika barrel that has not been mucked with, excellent refurbishment but to many fellows played with these lugers and screwed them all up, true Finnish lugers will have a hole drilled in the bottom of the breechblock and have the T inside of triangle barrel acceptance with the SA stamp on the slide.These are restricted class with the Tika barrel.
Purchasing a newly rebarreled luger that has a few mismatched pieces is in my opinion a worthwhile investment for the restricted class shooter, you will never be allowed to own a phrohibited luger or purchase one so this is the next best step, much cheaper than a shot out artillery as you end up with a newly manufactured barrel in 9mm which is cheaper to shoot than the 7.65 mm cartridge.
Not knocking the artillery luger by any means but matching pieces should stay matching, some reblued artillerys go cheap but the cheap ones usually have some issues.
Should you decide to purchase a restricted class luger congrats, always nice to talk lugers with a new collector and if I can be of some further help you may email me at
jamesfetterly@hotmail.com
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