Back in October I once again got an 03FFL. Aside from a lack of funds, I really don't have anything in the must have bucket list column. Living dangerously, Iv been known to browse the GB C&R listings on occasion (sorta like having unprotected sex). Well, who can resist the dream world of a Luger holding at $500? I clicked on it. Now every one knows that Luger will close at something that wont be anywhere near the 5 bones it had 5 days out from the gavel. But I clicked on it anyway. Here is the specimen in question.
This particular Luger is a 1906 model that was produced as a 5000 gun contract for the Brazilian Gov. This one is more than likely made in 1908 or early 1909. Its all original & matching numbers with a mint bore. This condition is rather about as good as it gets since these guns saw hard service. Now all that is more or less bla bla bla to me since I never wanted anything too nice to shoot and I figured Id run into a rough mix master someday to play with but here is the kicker. Back in Feb of 88 when I was graduating from the state Corrections academy, I watched them call us up front for our badge presentation one by one. All the guys were getting these brand new 14-1500 numbered bright gold badges, then they called me up there and they hand me this badge in a new case but it didn't look like all the others, mine had the bright gold rubbed off all the high spots and the rest was more like a dull silver gold and the number on it was 1259. Looking at it, I thought now that's a coincidence... if you add the first two numbers together, you get my birth day and the 59 is my birth year! That Badge served me well over the 25+ years I had it. In all that time, my knees and elbows never had to try n dent a concrete floor! Being a might bit superstitious, now you know..... the rest of the story. Closing at $1150 + 25 to ship C&R direct, I think I got a hell of a deal.