The Luger Parabellum is a pistol developed by weapons engineer Georg Ioann Luger. Georg was Austrian, but worked in Germany with German engineers at the Ludwig Leve arms factory. The final development of the pistol finished in 1900.
For the Luger Parabellum pistol, the Borchardt pistol already used at that time, developed by the German engineer Hugo Borchardt, who, together with George, worked at the same plant at the same time, was taken as the basis for the design.
During the development, George focused on convenience. He believed that the more convenient the grip would be in his hand, the more accurate the shot would be. Thus, George created the “Luger Parabellum”, which had a comfortable grip, completely clasped by the palm of the hand, and a very easy release, which eliminated unnecessary effort and shaking during the shutter release.
And although the production of the pistol is not cheap, it is still produced at the factories, because it is one of the most convenient and high-precision models of weapons, as our modern military noted.
In those days (the period 1900–1904), the “Luger Parabellum” was already patented by John Luger as his own invention, but in Europe the gun was considered the invention of the engineer Borchardt.
In Germany, from 1902 to 1904, tests were conducted on a competitive basis for several self-loading pistols. A large purchase from the Kaiser army was at stake, and many weapons factories that participated in the competition wanted to win.
The Luger Parabellum pistol won, but in the process, at the request of the Kaiser Army, it was slightly modified. His dulce was inflated to a larger caliber, as a result of which the geometry of the dulce was changed.
But the Kaiser army was in no hurry to mass purchase, giving the first right to the German naval headquarters, which in 1904 made the first purchase and supplied its own fleet. The Kaiser army was armed only in 1908.
Gun shop
The pistol magazine is designed for 8 rounds, single-shot. In the drum version of the pistol - 32 rounds. The magazine snaps to the left of the handle, where the trigger guard is.
Handle tilt - 120 degrees. Unlike modern models, it is considered a large angle. But this is what allows you to take the gun with a comfortable grip, which, in turn, guarantees the most accurate sight.
Gun finish
All manufactured Luger pistols were made of high quality materials, and the fit to the moving parts was very precise. Some pistols engraved to decorate and give aesthetic beauty.
Before World War II, the Luger handle was made of walnut wood, and during the war it was made of cheap plastic, since there was not enough wood for all pistols. Yes, and it was considered an expensive pleasure, so the German army saved on design refinements.
When ordering from other countries, the plant put the emblem of the country of the customer. If the gun was ordered by name, then engraved by the name of the customer.
The gun itself was made of alloy steel, which had high strength and anti-corrosion properties.
Some parts were quenched in fire, and some underwent simplified heat treatment.
Before the Second World War, so that the pistols were not corroded, they were oxidized.
Advantages of Parabelum:
- perfect design;
- reliability;
- comfortable grip;
- full firing control;
- low recoil when shooting, which makes weapons highly accurate;
- accuracy of shooting as a direct sight, and offhand;
- superspeed of target destruction during firing.
Disadvantages of "Parabellum":
- The design is made in such a way that it is impossible to shoot with gloves, so in winter, to make a shot, one had to take off one glove. This made the “Parabellum” inconvenient in certain weather conditions, and there was a risk of not having time to get it and shoot at the enemy during the attack, if gloves were on hand.
- If dirt gets into the mechanism, there is a delay during firing or a complete failure. It is also not very convenient in war conditions - to constantly monitor the cleanliness of the gun.
- The gun works mainly only with high-quality cartridges. If the cartridges are delivered with a marriage, then the “Parabellum” may not shoot, which makes it again uncomfortable in war conditions, when the cartridges are made on a large stream, and the probability of marriage is much higher than in ordinary peacetime.
- "Parabellum" can damage cartridges with a double charge of gunpowder.
- In order not to get injured on the face, you need to shoot no lower than a certain angle. Sometimes, in an ambush, it’s not always possible to place your hand at an angle of 90 degrees or higher. If the hand is slightly lowered down, or the gun is hidden in the pocket of the jacket, you can easily get a sleeve in the face (in the eye) and kill yourself.
Production
The production of one Parabellum takes an average of 13 man-hours. That is, this is a rather time-consuming process, so it cannot be cheap.
To make a gun weighing up to 900 grams, the manufacturer spent six kilograms of metal.
To assemble one Parabellum, 443 machine operations and 135 manual operations are necessary.
In 1930-1940, the cost of one gun cost the manufacturer 12 Reichsmarks.
Combat characteristics of the P-08
A bullet from a distance of 49-51 meters easily breaks through a pine log of 150 millimeters, and from a distance of 10 meters - a steel helmet.
The 1900 Luger used a cartridge with a 7.65 mm Parabellum bottle-shaped sleeve.
In 1902, a 9 mm cartridge was used.
Models
All produced models bore a simple name, formed from the first letter of the plant and the year of the invention of weapons.
M.1900 is an early Luger model developed in 1900, mainly used by the Swiss army.
M.1902 came out a little later, in 1902, as a modified version of the previous one, under a nine-millimeter cartridge.
M.1904 is a revision of the 1902nd Luger, which was released in 1904. It was he who was put into mass production, and in 1904 81,300 units were produced and bought for the German navy.
M.1906 in 1906 underwent major changes in the mechanism, after which it began to be called "Parabellum of a new model." This was the first "Parabellum", which came in two versions, under both rounds.
M.1908 in 1908 also underwent changes from its previous counterpart and lost an automatic fuse. The second name of this weapon is “Gun 08”, and the third is “P-08.” This model was produced under the orders of many armies and for the first ten years totaled more than 663 thousand units.
Artillery models: "Parabellum" was produced not only in the form of small and hand pistols, but also in the form of artillery models. In fact, this is the “P-08 Luger", only with an elongated handle and barrel, respectively, and with a large weight, which allowed the weapon to shoot at longer distances.
For all time, only two artillery models were released: Lange P-08 (LP 08) and LP 08 with a disk and a butt. That is, two identical models, only the second came with a disk and a butt.
Until the end of the First World War, DWM was engaged in the production of Lugers, and in 1910 Erfurt joined the DWM, since the former did not have time to process orders.
Over 8 years of production, the latter produced more than half a million P-08 units.
After World War I, Germany was banned from releasing military weapons. The mass production of the Lugers has stopped, except for small parties for the needs of the police. But in 1930, production from Germany was transferred to Switzerland, so the Lugers began to produce in large quantities again, and from this year the Lugers began to be exported in large quantities to the United States.
After Adolf Hitler came to power, who did not give a damn about all the bans and began the rearmament of the German army, the Mauser company resumed the mass production of Lugers in Germany.
The basis was taken P-08, over which the modifications were checked, and Hitler presented several options for the "Parabellum".
In addition to the Mausers, two more Zimson and Krieghof orders received an order for Parabellum.
Noise gun
"Luger Parabellum" noise - this is an exact copy of this gun, only noise, with the type of cartridges used - 9 mm. Unlike the present, he is not able to shoot to kill. It is produced mainly in Germany and a little in Japan. To give the product the appearance of antiquity, it is specially artificially aged directly at the factory. Mostly "Luger Parabellum" rattle acquire private weapons collectors or amateurs.
A case, a passport and a brush are attached to the gun. Cartridges are purchased separately.
Third model
The Luger Parabellum pistol was slightly modified in 1898. So, a new weapon appeared 7.65 mm caliber 122 mm barrel. Thanks to the movement of the return spring, the gun significantly lost weight and dimensions, which made use and wearing even more convenient. Almost the entire military of that time liked the third modified pistol, and the governments of many countries began mass purchases to supply their own armies. Production was put on the conveyor.
Pneumatics
The Luger Parabellum pneumatic is a pneumatic version of the 1900 combat pistol (replica). They are produced by several companies. Some companies are trying to completely copy the appearance of the real "Luger", but the inside and the feeling of a replica are not at all the same as in the present. Others rely on an exact copy of the technical specifications, but outwardly the “Luger Parabellum” pneumatic is somewhat different.
From examples: a pneumatic P08 Umarex pistol, which is capable of shooting 120 balls per 1 CO 2 cylinder. The cost of the pistol varies from 3,000 to 4,000 thousand Russian rubles.
The pistol "Parabellum Luger" P 08 had the following characteristics:
- The total length of all weapons is 218 mm.
- Barrel length - 100 mm.
- The mass of the product (without cartridges) is 890 grams.
- The drum is designed for 8 rounds.
- The speed of the bullet is 320 meters per second.
- Caliber - 9 mm.
- Cartridge type - 9 on 9 "Parabellum".
About pneumatics from Gletcher
Pneumatics "Luger Parabellum" from the company Glether made a splash in the arms market in 2013, releasing an exact replica. They managed to recreate an exact copy of the famous pistol both externally and internally, and in terms of technical qualities. True, the price, unlike the replicas of other manufacturers, was at least 2 times more expensive, but this did not frighten weapon lovers, and they did not skimp on the purchase.
Despite the exact copy, over time, many buyers noted that the replica used still contains unpleasant moments that hint at the Chinese assembly. So, elements of leather noticeably changed color after a while, swelled and emitted the smell of cheap rubber and dyes.
"Luger Parabellum" pneumatic Gletcher does not want to let go of the hand. It fits so comfortably in the palm of your hand that you get used to it very quickly - this is what pneumatics users say.
Pneumatic "Luger Parabellum" with a blooming back is an innovative development with a crank cocking mechanism. You can put 22 bullets in the store, and a CO2 cylinder is inserted into the pneumatic handle . The air gun "Parabellum Luger" can be found in domestic online stores or on bulletin boards (to buy with hands).
Signal gun
The signal gun "Parabellum Luger" (Luger P-08 9 mm) is produced under a blank cartridge. Gas comes out through the hole behind the chamber.
Traumatic pistol
The traumatic pistol "Luger Parabellum" was released in 1940. All the famous engineers Hiram and Luger took part in the creation.
The Luger Parabellum Traumatic was a self-loading short-barreled pistol.