Mauser Post-War American Eagle 6″ 9mm Luger Semi-Automatic Pistol & Box C&R

SOLD FOR: $2600

LSB#: 230408MF005

Make: Mauser, imported by Interarms
Model: American Eagle Luger
Serial#: 11.012214
Year of Manufacture: 1970-1978, ATF C&R
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by a Detachable Magazine with a Grip Safety
Barrel Length: 6”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a dovetailed blade. The rear sight is a fixed U-notch on the back-toggle.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered wood. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. The checkering is well defined. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Strawed
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 97% of its metal finish. There are a few minor marks, most visible in the matte-finished areas at the top-rear of the frame on each side. The sideplate has a plum hue. The action shows very minor operational wear. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, the pistol is in Fine-Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: This pistol comes in a Mauser box with serial-matching label, manual, serial-matching test-target a total of two 8-round magazines, Luger tool, and a cleaning rod.
Our Assessment: The Parabellum-Pistole 1908, commonly referred to as the Luger, was designed by Georg Johann Luger. Luger was an unlikely gun designer, born in 1849 he was the son of a surgeon, Bartholomaeus von Luger, and while attending university he served as a One-Year Volunteer with the 78th Infantry Regiment (Infanterieregiment 78 ein) of the Austro-Hungarian Army. While in the military Luger proved himself a skilled marksman and he began to develop an interest in the small arms technology. Following four years of service Luger worked a number of jobs in Vienna. Finally, in the 1870s Luger met Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher who recruited him as a sales representative for Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik AG (DWM). One of the company’s weapons that Luger marketed was the Borchardt C93 (named after its designer Hugo Borchardt) which was criticized for being too heavy and poorly balanced. Luger decided to rework the design and eventually secured a contract for his new pistol with the Swiss Army which dubbed it the model 1900 which was chambered for 7.65mm Parabellum cartridges. After some minor reworking Luger introduced the Pistole 1904, chambered for 9mm cartridges, which was adopted by the Imperial German Navy, the pistol was henceforth referred to as the Luger. A slightly altered version of the pistol with a smaller barrel was adopted for service by the Prussian Army in 1908, hence the designation P08. The P08 would become one of the most iconic weapons of the 20th century.

Following the end of WWI Luger was bankrupted, he had invested in War Bonds which had become worthless following Imperial Germany’s defeat and worse yet he was forced out of his job by his employer DWM which sought to appropriate his patents. The ensuing legal dispute between Luger and DWM would be decided in his favor in 1922, but he was financially ruined by that time and passed away the following year at the age of 74. His pistol would continue to serve the German military during WWII (although the P38 was the Wehrmacht’s standard issue sidearm) and saw service in a number military and police forces after the war.

This particular specimen was made in the 1970s as part of a series of post-war production imported by Interarms. Chambered for 9mm Luger with the Swiss-style grip safety and an American Eagle crest on the chamber ring, the pistol has a 6″ barrel. The gun appears to have spent most of its life in the included box, remaining both aesthetically pleasing and mechanically sound. Good luck on your bid!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud