Erma Luger KGP68A .32acp/7.65 Browning

Big Shrek · July 20, 2014, 10:26 PM

Accidently bought an Erma Luger in .32acp/7.65 browning...
thought it was a .22lr version when I laid it away...

One the upside, paid .22lr price for a centerfire pistol because the pawnshop salesguy didn't catch it either...lol

Anyway, function tests are ok, going to take it to the range when it stops raining on my off days...

Meanwhile, I'm searching for a good Cargo Pocket Holster for it...
its known as a Baby Luger, due to its small size...3.5" barrel
tiny frame...5-rd mag...figure it'll be a good snake/rat/possum pistol.

JT-AR-MG42 · July 20, 2014, 10:54 PM

Are you wanting out of it to round up a .22?

lol my eye. More like you lucky dog!

.380s are around, but shooting .32s, both pistols and revolvers, are among my favorites.
And that very uncommon pistol has been on my watch list for some time.

Good that it gives me something to look for, I guess.

Congrats, JT

carguychris · July 21, 2014, 08:10 AM

NO PICTURES?!? C'mon.

Auto5 · July 21, 2014, 06:59 PM

Years ago I had a .380 model. I was able to replace the plastic thumbrest grips with nice flat checkered wood (no idea how I found those in the pre-internet days). It resided behind the bar in a tavern I was part owner of in the early 80's. Years later, I had it at the range, when it unexpectedly launched several parts downrange. I put it back together and traded it for an AMT Backup .380.

NWCP · July 25, 2014, 04:08 AM

I have the baby Luger in .380 and .22LR. I really haven't shot them much after buying them. I took them to the range and fired to ensure they were good to go , cleaned them and then put them in my gun safe. I just like the looks of them. Erma made a good pistol. In fact Erma made a good sub machine gun at one time. They produced the German MP40 during the war. I wouldn't mind owning one of them either. I just don't have the $15,000-$19000 to drop on one.

Big Shrek · July 26, 2014, 01:51 PM

I was buying ammo in St. Marks and the guy said if I ever wanted to sell, come see him...
I'll just enjoy the heck out of it, as its a Luger that can be shot without feeling bad

Besides, I gotta have something to shoot while the boys are shooting their twin Lugers

cheezhed · July 27, 2014, 12:06 AM

I was wondering what did you pay for the pistol? I have one in .380 and have considered selling it in the past and just would like a ball park figure of its value.

lamarw · July 27, 2014, 10:38 AM

I had one in .380 but let it go at an auction for a very cheap price. The ejector was broken. Left it with a gunsmith for close to two years and he could never find a replacement part. It was a one shot pony while you dug the casing out of the chamber for the next round.

It was a cool looking one shot gun and felt good in my hand. Some of the parts can be difficult to find.

Big Shrek · July 29, 2014, 03:13 PM

Bought at $250, current value is $450-500 according to the auction sites

There is a guy on the Luger forums that makes the ejectors in his spare time...
he has quite the Erma collection!!

lamarw · July 29, 2014, 09:01 PM

Now you tell me. Why didn't you tell me about the guy who makes extractors prior to me selling my pistol? LOL Why didn't I ask? That's the better question.

Big Shrek · July 31, 2014, 12:19 AM

From the look of it, not too hard to make even if one isn't a regular metal-worker...
just gotta be determined

Although, I'm guilty of taking a class at the local Jr. College just to have access
to a milling machine for a few weeks...and it is amazing what you can learn from a single class!!

No pics because I can't find the flippin cord so I can transfer 'em to my computer...
it's around here somewhere...argh!

hemiram · August 1, 2014, 06:57 AM

I had a .22 one that was a mess, and I didn't trust it enough, as often it was a one shot pistol that jammed all the time. My luck with the other Erma guns was no better, the .380 PPK clone I tried was another train wreck. I finally ended my search for a smallish back up gun when I bought a Beretta .950 .25. I've had it almost 35 years and it has never had a single issue.

Big Shrek · September 11, 2014, 06:14 PM

Finally found my SD card reader....LOL

Finish is a bit worn on the Erma...I'll probably Parkerize it next year...
ain't like it'll hurt it...its a shooter class gun...

The Stoeger Luger (.22lr) has a much better finish, few minor scuffs here & there,
but it also is a shooter, meant to go BANG!

The first range visit I did something I hardly ever do...tested them without cleaning or field stripping...
just shot 'em as they came from the pawn shop...found out they were full of oil!!
Either the previous owner or the shop had BATHED them in oil...
wiped some off prior to shooting, but evidently there are nooks & crannies that hold a LOT!
I was literally shaking oil out of the mags after every mag dump...
This no doubt led to the occasional stovepipe ejections that occurred.

Gave them both a quick cleaning and drying with Q-tips & dry patches afterwards...
looking forward to the next range run!!
I do want to totally strip the Erma and inspect/polish some of the mating surfaces,
as it had far too many stovepipe FTE ejection issues...some were caused by loose grip...
the pistol noticeably needs to be held firm...anything less gives an automatic stovepipe.

Next range visit...Erma Luger VS S&W CS45 in the accuracy category!!
Just for Squish & Giggles!

Pilot · September 12, 2014, 05:26 PM

While they do operate differently than a P-08, I always liked the Erma, and Stoeger Lugers. The toggle action always fascinated me. Good find!

James K · September 12, 2014, 08:20 PM

Those Erma "Lugers" are neat little guns but they are not awfully reliable or durable and today spare parts are scarce. I advise disassembly with caution as they can be a bit tricky to reassemble.

It goes without saying that they are not Lugers and have minimal collector interest. They don't operate like the full size Luger and have no parts in common. Erma (originally Erfurter Maschinenfabrik) never made the P.08 Luger.

Jim

Bill DeShivs · September 12, 2014, 09:33 PM

Is the frame on the baby Luger steel? It looks like zinc.

James K · September 13, 2014, 03:30 PM

It is some kind of alloy, probably zinc based.

Jim

kilimanjaro · September 13, 2014, 03:46 PM

So, Big Shrek, that ammo you bought at St. Marks, do they sell to Protestants?

Do we need to convert for .22LR?

Big Shrek · September 13, 2014, 10:22 PM

LOL, no conversion needed

They sell to everyone!

Part of the frame is steel, the grip itself is an alloy, probably Zamak, IIRC.

So far its been an interesting little conversation piece,
anytime you go to the range everyone wants a look

I've heard that the KGP68A used one mag for both calibers...
7.65B/.32acp & 9mmKurz/.380acp, hoping its true,
as I just found an inexpensive source for the .380 mags...

Of course, that leads to question whether the .380 barrel assembly
would be a drop in switch, which gives one even more options for play

Ah, just found out that the only two items you need to switch out are the
breech block and the barrel/receiver...wow.
Of course, at $200 for the two items, is almost as much as I paid for the pistol...lol

July 20, 2014, 10:26 PM	#1
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	Erma Luger KGP68A .32acp/7.65 Browning Accidently bought an Erma Luger in .32acp/7.65 browning... thought it was a .22lr version when I laid it away... One the upside, paid .22lr price for a centerfire pistol because the pawnshop salesguy didn't catch it either...lol Anyway, function tests are ok, going to take it to the range when it stops raining on my off days... Meanwhile, I'm searching for a good Cargo Pocket Holster for it... its known as a Baby Luger, due to its small size...3.5" barrel tiny frame...5-rd mag...figure it'll be a good snake/rat/possum pistol. __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

July 21, 2014, 08:10 AM	#3
carguychris Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 7,523	NO PICTURES?!? C'mon. __________________ "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules... MARK IT ZERO!!" - Walter Sobchak

July 21, 2014, 06:59 PM	#4
Auto5 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 662	Years ago I had a .380 model. I was able to replace the plastic thumbrest grips with nice flat checkered wood (no idea how I found those in the pre-internet days). It resided behind the bar in a tavern I was part owner of in the early 80's. Years later, I had it at the range, when it unexpectedly launched several parts downrange. I put it back together and traded it for an AMT Backup .380. __________________ At the young age of five, a bear told me that I was the only person who could prevent forest fires. Why I was chosen, I'll never know.

July 26, 2014, 01:51 PM	#6
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	I was buying ammo in St. Marks and the guy said if I ever wanted to sell, come see him... I'll just enjoy the heck out of it, as its a Luger that can be shot without feeling bad Besides, I gotta have something to shoot while the boys are shooting their twin Lugers __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

July 29, 2014, 03:13 PM	#9
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	Bought at $250, current value is $450-500 according to the auction sites There is a guy on the Luger forums that makes the ejectors in his spare time... he has quite the Erma collection!! __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

July 20, 2014, 10:54 PM	#2
JT-AR-MG42 Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2008 Posts: 555	Are you wanting out of it to round up a .22? lol my eye. More like you lucky dog! .380s are around, but shooting .32s, both pistols and revolvers, are among my favorites. And that very uncommon pistol has been on my watch list for some time. Good that it gives me something to look for, I guess. Congrats, JT

July 25, 2014, 04:08 AM	#5
NWCP Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2006 Posts: 1,903	I have the baby Luger in .380 and .22LR. I really haven't shot them much after buying them. I took them to the range and fired to ensure they were good to go , cleaned them and then put them in my gun safe. I just like the looks of them. Erma made a good pistol. In fact Erma made a good sub machine gun at one time. They produced the German MP40 during the war. I wouldn't mind owning one of them either. I just don't have the $15,000-$19000 to drop on one.

July 27, 2014, 12:06 AM	#7
cheezhed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 302	I was wondering what did you pay for the pistol? I have one in .380 and have considered selling it in the past and just would like a ball park figure of its value.

July 27, 2014, 10:38 AM	#8
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I had one in .380 but let it go at an auction for a very cheap price. The ejector was broken. Left it with a gunsmith for close to two years and he could never find a replacement part. It was a one shot pony while you dug the casing out of the chamber for the next round. It was a cool looking one shot gun and felt good in my hand. Some of the parts can be difficult to find.

July 29, 2014, 09:01 PM	#10
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	Now you tell me. Why didn't you tell me about the guy who makes extractors prior to me selling my pistol? LOL Why didn't I ask? That's the better question.

July 31, 2014, 12:19 AM	#11
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	From the look of it, not too hard to make even if one isn't a regular metal-worker... just gotta be determined Although, I'm guilty of taking a class at the local Jr. College just to have access to a milling machine for a few weeks...and it is amazing what you can learn from a single class!! No pics because I can't find the flippin cord so I can transfer 'em to my computer... it's around here somewhere...argh! __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

August 1, 2014, 06:57 AM	#12
hemiram Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Location: Toledo, ohio Posts: 762	I had a .22 one that was a mess, and I didn't trust it enough, as often it was a one shot pistol that jammed all the time. My luck with the other Erma guns was no better, the .380 PPK clone I tried was another train wreck. I finally ended my search for a smallish back up gun when I bought a Beretta .950 .25. I've had it almost 35 years and it has never had a single issue.

September 11, 2014, 06:14 PM	#13
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	Finally found my SD card reader....LOL Finish is a bit worn on the Erma...I'll probably Parkerize it next year... ain't like it'll hurt it...its a shooter class gun... The Stoeger Luger (.22lr) has a much better finish, few minor scuffs here & there, but it also is a shooter, meant to go BANG! The first range visit I did something I hardly ever do...tested them without cleaning or field stripping... just shot 'em as they came from the pawn shop...found out they were full of oil!! Either the previous owner or the shop had BATHED them in oil... wiped some off prior to shooting, but evidently there are nooks & crannies that hold a LOT! I was literally shaking oil out of the mags after every mag dump... This no doubt led to the occasional stovepipe ejections that occurred. Gave them both a quick cleaning and drying with Q-tips & dry patches afterwards... looking forward to the next range run!! I do want to totally strip the Erma and inspect/polish some of the mating surfaces, as it had far too many stovepipe FTE ejection issues...some were caused by loose grip... the pistol noticeably needs to be held firm...anything less gives an automatic stovepipe. Next range visit...Erma Luger VS S&W CS45 in the accuracy category!! Just for Squish & Giggles! __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

September 12, 2014, 05:26 PM	#14
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	While they do operate differently than a P-08, I always liked the Erma, and Stoeger Lugers. The toggle action always fascinated me. Good find! __________________ Pilot

September 12, 2014, 08:20 PM	#15
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Those Erma "Lugers" are neat little guns but they are not awfully reliable or durable and today spare parts are scarce. I advise disassembly with caution as they can be a bit tricky to reassemble. It goes without saying that they are not Lugers and have minimal collector interest. They don't operate like the full size Luger and have no parts in common. Erma (originally Erfurter Maschinenfabrik) never made the P.08 Luger. Jim

September 12, 2014, 09:33 PM	#16
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	Is the frame on the baby Luger steel? It looks like zinc. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 13, 2014, 03:30 PM	#17
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	It is some kind of alloy, probably zinc based. Jim

September 13, 2014, 03:46 PM	#18
kilimanjaro Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Posts: 3,963	So, Big Shrek, that ammo you bought at St. Marks, do they sell to Protestants? Do we need to convert for .22LR?

September 13, 2014, 10:22 PM	#19
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	LOL, no conversion needed They sell to everyone! Part of the frame is steel, the grip itself is an alloy, probably Zamak, IIRC. So far its been an interesting little conversation piece, anytime you go to the range everyone wants a look I've heard that the KGP68A used one mag for both calibers... 7.65B/.32acp & 9mmKurz/.380acp, hoping its true, as I just found an inexpensive source for the .380 mags... Of course, that leads to question whether the .380 barrel assembly would be a drop in switch, which gives one even more options for play Ah, just found out that the only two items you need to switch out are the breech block and the barrel/receiver...wow. Of course, at $200 for the two items, is almost as much as I paid for the pistol...lol __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool. Last edited by Big Shrek; September 13, 2014 at 10:27 PM.