New info on my Luger and now I'm ticked off!

[Jackalope]

I showed it to my mother and asked her if she remembered it and she said " Yes thats the Luger my father gave to your dad"
....... What? You mean dad DIDN'T find it metal detecting? She laughed and said no your grandfather "FOUND IT when he was serving in France during WWII." What then dad lied? She laughed again and said YES that my grand dad gave it to him because he said he could fix it up, he took it home took it apart and couldn't so he THREW IT IN A CARD BOARD BOX in our basement where it stayed for years. And our basement flooded several times from what she told me and he never even bothered with it again.

So thanks to my dear old dad what started out as a beautiful numbers matching Luger that only needed a take down spring to work properly he RUINED the gun!

So a couple things it was never involved in a random murder or shooting in Baltimore city, my father RUINED IT, and my grandfather whom I dearly loved brought it back as a war trophy. I feel like punching something while crying at the same time.

But even tho my dad lied to me about its origin and he basicly destroyed it his mission was to make it shoot again for my grandfather. So I completed what he started and ruined so many years ago for my grandfather. At least granddad never lied to me and I'm thrilled to learn I have HIS Luger. I just wish to God I could have gotten ahold of it rather then my dad all those years ago because right now I'd have a beautiful Luger.

Thanks dad be glad you're dead or I'd kick your ass.

 

[Indiana Jones]

I showed it to my mother and asked her if she remembered it and she said " Yes thats the Luger my father gave to your dad"
....... What? You mean dad DIDN'T find it metal detecting? She laughed and said no your grandfather "FOUND IT when he was serving in France during WWII." What then dad lied? She laughed again and said YES that my grand dad gave it to him because he said he could fix it up, he took it home took it apart and couldn't so he THREW IT IN A CARD BOARD BOX in our basement where it stayed for years. And our basement flooded several times from what she told me and he never even bothered with it again.

So thanks to my dear old dad what started out as a beautiful numbers matching Luger that only needed a take down spring to work properly he RUINED the gun!

So a couple things it was never involved in a random murder or shooting in Baltimore city, my father RUINED IT, and my grandfather whom I dearly loved brought it back as a war trophy. I feel like punching something while crying at the same time.

But even tho my dad lied to me about its origin and he basicly destroyed it his mission was to make it shoot again for my grandfather. So I completed what he started and ruined so many years ago for my grandfather. At least granddad never lied to me and I'm thrilled to learn I have HIS Luger. I just wish to God I could have gotten ahold of it rather then my dad all those years ago because right now I'd have a beautiful Luger.

Thanks dad.

i feel your pain. but remember, its still in the family. and its once again, returned to its former glory thanks to YOU. youve done your grandfather a great service, and he would be proud of all the work you put into it. thats all that matters.

 

[rseymorejr]

Don't be so hard on him.He was probably embarrassed to admit what he had done to that piece of history.
I bet he would be proud of what you were able to do with it.

 

[honda53s]

Did you really just threaten your dead father?

 

[Jackalope]

Did you really just threaten your dead father?

For what he did and failed to do, YUP!

And thanks guys I'm more thrilled to own it now that I know it was my grand fathers however I'm devastated to learn what my dad did to it.

 

[BlackBart]

 

[Sirex]

Don't know how long ago you are talking, but keep in mind America was different back then. Old surplus guns were not as valued as they are today, and many old surplus pistols, Mausers, 03s, Mosins and others were bubba'd or basement gunsmithed. All Dads lie at one time or another. If as a youngster you knew all the truths to life your head would explode.

 

[Dan44]

A few years ago there was a thread on a Luger forum where a guy left his large P08 collection go bad in his basement. He passed and his estate tossed all the holsters etc in the trash. Some of which was very rare.

 

[teratos]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Magnumite]

This is a particularly troubled Romulin.

 

[BlackBart]

Don't know how long ago you are talking, but keep in mind America was different back then. Old surplus guns were not as valued as they are today, and many old surplus pistols, Mausers, 03s, Mosins and others were bubba'd or basement gunsmithed. All Dads lie at one time or another. If as a youngster you knew all the truths to life your head would explode.

Truer words never spoken, mans gotta do what a mans gotta do, call it self preservation.

 

[NathanJ]

Just remember as hard as it is that your Grandfather found it during an important time in our history. My Grandfather brought one back too that someone in the family decided they needed it more than him. At least you still have it. And it was your Grandfather's.

 

[Threeband]

Sirex is right. Back in the day, those junk Lugers were a dime a dozen, like our $69 junk Mosins.

Meanwhile, a big part of a young man's growing up is coming to terms with his father's imperfections and shortcomings. Welcome to harsh reality, O Callow Youth.

 

[Jackalope]

Yeah I guess you're right guys. Dad and I had our problems but grand dad and I were real close I guess thats why I was so upset when mom told me the truth. Just venting is all but thank you all none the less.

 

[BradMacc82]

Shyt happens..., that's all I can say.

There's little white lies in every family, you just stumbled across one.

But you have turned the turd into a shooter, so while you may be miffed at your departed father right now, in the decades to come you'll be able to say that YOU brought it back from the brink, even if it was your father that put it there in the first place.

 

[Mooseman]

You should be thankful your dad did not throw the gun away.

 

[Old Salty Dog]

Don't be so hard on him.He was probably embarrassed to admit what he had done to that piece of history.
I bet he would be proud of what you were able to do with it.

This!

Be proud of what you've accomplished and forgive your Dad. Romans 3:23 comes to mind: "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

I am sure he would love to see how you've fixed it up.

 

[BlackBart]

You should be thankful your dad did not throw the gun away.

Yup, I remember when my grandmother died and the kids liquidated the old folks small small estate. In the safe was an old (1920's probably) auto pistol of some sort. I think I remember my father saying it was a .32 and my grandfather saying he shot it once, rabid Airedale! Anyway it went into the local dump unloaded and magazine pulled, they lived in the hills of NE Pa. and the dump was a designated mountainside! Down it went.

 

[Tankfixr]

Got to agree with a few posts here on how differently war "trophies" were looked at years ago.

When we were young, my cousin found a German Dagger in a neighborhood junk yard. I wasn't even 10 or so, my cousin is younger. I distinctly remember it was double edged, swastica on the hand guard, and a German eagle's claw encircling the world for a pommel. I've never seen another since.

He took it home, his father, an Army veteran of the Pacific Theatre, prompltly re-trashed it while saying something to the fact of "There will be none of that filthy Nazi shit in this house."

If I could only turn back the clock.

Thing is here, I can't...neither will you...but you still got your Grand Dad's Luger.

 

[h2u]

Forgive and forget. The Luger is an heirloom now. It's "worth" far more to your family history than the most rare of Lugers you could purchase at auction.

I have a similar experience. My grandfather brought back a 100% matching K98 from the war. Time passes and my father inherits it. He's a pistol guy and had a bad childhood with his dad, so he tosses the rifle in his humid, damp garage....for like 30 YEARS!! I found it as a 12-13yr old and it was a mess. Stock was black and green with mold and the metal was badly rusted and pitting.
Dad let me have it to fix. Having no experience with properly cleaning a collectible (didn't know at that age firearms were collectible), I used what I was familiar with...Sandpaper and Naval Jelly... I also stained and waxed the stock. Little did I know I was killing the collectibility of that K98, but I brought it back from a horrible death. Plus, no matter what I did TO it-I could never erase the family history.
I own a few firearms-some are expensive. But that "Bubba'ed" K98 would be about the last thing I ever got rid of...right before the little Glenfield .22 rifle my father gave me as my first firearm.

It's all about the sentimental value - but you've already figured that out

Time will cure you of this anger and the Luger will still be a part of the family-hopefully for many generations after you've passed on