When my father passed away many years ago he left me many firearms that belonged to him and his father. So I’ve got this Luger here and I’m having a hell of a time figuring out anything about it, like how old it is. Since the combination of knowledge on this board is staggering I thought someone could help me out. So here’s some information about my Luger.
In my description of the pistol assume I’m holding it in my right hand and pointing it down range.
On the left side it has the following stamped “Manufactured in the U.S.A. by Stoeger Arms Corporation S. Hackensack, New Jersey Patents Pending.” To the left of the what I take to be the serial number is stamped “430##”
On the top just above the rear sight there is an image of two birds of prey within a circle stamped into the pistol. I think the birds of prey are suppose to be eagles but I can’t be sure.
On the right side of the pistol there’s the word “Luger” stamped along with some frilly stuff all around it. Close to the barrel there is “cal. 22 L.R.” stamped.
Another interesting thing is that I think the safety can be switched from the left side (for right handers) to the right side (for left handers.) On both sides there is the “F” and the “S” stamped into the pistol and it looks like with some work you could switch it.
Well if anyone has and ideas on how old this pistol is please let me know. I suspect that it isn’t all that old and I’m just curious.
Marc
(Wasn’t sure if that was a complete serial number, but I blocked out the last two digits for security reasons. Thanks, MikeG - Jill)
Are you sure it says Stoeger and not Ruger? The birds of prey is a Ruger symbol/trademark.
You also mentioned that it was a Luger. That typical Luger that we recognize is a different type of auto mechanism. Not straight back but more of a kick up and back. Its hard to explain.
If it is a Ruger, it may be old but not real old. Ruger has been putting out 22 long rifle target pistols for some time. And for good reason. They are good guns.
And the Ruger .22 LR Mark II Target Pistal would also make a very good club. Sheeessss this thing must way 3 pounds. You would never need bullets with this gun
It is a Stoeger not a Ruger I’m looking at the word stamped into it as we speak. “Stoeger Arms Corporation” is not easy to confuse with Ruger. The birds of prey don’t look like the Ruger symbol. It is older then me but I’m only 25 so it isn’t like the thing is ancient. If I had to take a guess I think it was made in the 50’s or 60’s.
And yeah I’m sure it also says Luger. I do know that there were many variations of Lugers produced since the early 1900’s so they don’t all necessarily look alike. It does have the “kick up and back” action though.
The Ruger idea was a long shot (pun intended, I’ll do better next time). I think the .22 LR is a fairly new round, 50 years or so but I may be wrong.
I have a buddy that has a 7mm Luger that has a wooden carrying case to be worn on a belt. Take the gun out of this wooden ‘holster’ and attach it to the back of the gun and you have some sort of mini assault pistol with the box holster for a stock. Stupid idea but it must have impressed somebody.
Stranger things have happened, you may have a real keeper there.
My condolences to you about your father. Your only 25? I’m 40 and my dad may not have much longer, it’s never easy.
In the 50’s or 60’s Stoger made a .22 LR copy of the Luger. IIRC, it used the Toggle action that the German pistol of the same name made famous. Go to your local libray and ask if the have access to the “Shooters Bible” from say 1962 0r so. I think you’d find it in there.
Another information source would be the “Blue Book of Used Guns”. I think that’s the name anyway.
As mentioned earlier, Ruger makes a similar looking pistol. On the Ruger, the action works by pulling back on “ears” protruding on both sides of the rear of the receiver, just below the rear sight. On the Stoger model there are two knurled “knobs” more or less above the trigger. These are pulled up and back to work the bolt. There is a hinge at the knurled area. That’s why it’s called a Toggle Bolt.
I don’t see where it gives a specific date for the invention of the .22LR cartridge, but it’s been around at least 100 years. I suspect the .22 rimfire has been around for longer than that since, although I haven’t seen them for sale, there is a shorter version of the .22 rimfire than the Long Rifle. IIRC, the first metallic cartridges were rimfire (and someone will surely correct me if I’m wrong).
My knowledge of firearms is not the greatest on this board, but what you just described sounds a lot more like a Mauser 1897, right down to the caliber – not a Luger.
Amazing this still is cause for confusion. In 1949 Bill Ruger designed a .22 pistol that had the same general shape and even the European style magazine release as the German P-08 Luger pistol, though with a straight blowback action instad of the Luger’s toggle. The sharply angled grip and circular trigger guard is distintive of the P-08 Luger, Ruger Mk I/II and Japanese Nambu but otherwise uncommon. It’s not completely obvious in the photos but the quickest way to tell them apart is that the reciever (the main body of the pistol) is cylindrical on the Ruger but blocky and rectangular on the Luger.
Variations of the Ruger Mk I and Mk II pistol are probably the most popular .22 pistols in this country. Ruger Mk II pistol to compare to the Luger in Gunslinger’s link.
From the photos in that link it pretty much looks the same as my Luger although I couldn’t read what was stamped into the pistol in the loweset photograph. It is to bad the Stoeger Arms doesn’t appear to have a website. I suspect that I’m having difficutly finding information about my Luger because it isn’t one of the collectable ones. That’s ok, I just wanted to find out a little something about it.
Thanks for all your assistance folks, I appreciate it.
