Value guides · military surplus rifles
What is my Luger P08 worth?
The most recognizable pistol ever made and one of the most reassembled. On a Luger, matching numbers are not a detail — they are most of the value.
Made 1900–1945.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Read the date stamped on the chamber, which gives the year.
- Find the maker mark on the toggle, which identifies who built it.
- Check the small numbers on the removable parts: side plate, take-down lever, magazine and more. On an all-matching gun they agree with the last digits of the serial.
- Look for unit markings and acceptance stamps on the frame and grip strap.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| Imperial production 1900–1918 | Earlier military and commercial guns, dated and marked by several makers. |
| Between the wars 1920s–1930s | Commercial and contract production, including guns for other countries. |
| Wartime production 1936–1942 | Made by several firms using maker codes rather than names. |
| Artillery and Navy models various | Long-barrelled variants with adjustable sights. A separate and strong market. |
What actually drives the price
- Whether every numbered part matches, including the magazine.
- Maker, date and any unit markings.
- Original finish and whether the straw-colored small parts survive.
- Holster, tools and a matching spare magazine, which are worth real money together.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"All the numbers are different but it is still a Luger"
It is, and a mismatched gun is worth a fraction of a matching one. These were disassembled, mixed and reassembled constantly over a century, so mismatched pistols are the norm. That makes the matching ones genuinely scarce and worth having verified properly.
There is a number on the magazine. Does that count?
It counts for a great deal. A matching magazine is one of the first things to go missing over a century, and an otherwise matching Luger with its original magazine is worth appreciably more than the same gun without it. If there are two magazines, bring both.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one military surplus rifles from another.
Other military surplus rifles models
M1 Garand · M1 Carbine · Mauser K98k · Mosin-Nagant · M1903 Springfield