| Luger P08 | |
| |
| Designer | Georg J. Luger |
| Designed | 1898 |
| Used by | German soldiers, Tiger tank commander |
| Calibre | 9x19 Parabellum |
- "They are outside the tank! Pick them off!"
- ―German soldiers regarding Fury's crew in the crossroads battle
The Pistole Parabellum 1908 or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), known commonly as simply the Luger P08, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol.
It is seen in Fury as the main sidearm of all German troops, and is also used by the commander of the Tiger I during the Tiger fight scene.
Description[]
The design was patented by Georg J. Luger in 1898 and produced by German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900 with other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser and Vickers; it was an evolution of the 1893 Hugo Borchardt–designed C-93. The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. In German Army service, WWI is where the first issues with the Luger were experienced. The folding breech arm that only ejected shells from the top was prone to jamming unless it was kept constantly lubricated and also allowed for dirt and mud to get inside the mechanism, leading to more malfunctions. The Luger is also known for being difficult to disassemble and clean, due to its complicated design. By the time WWII rolled around, the Nazis deemed the Luger too complicated, expensive and unreliable, so it was succeeded and largely replaced by the simpler and more reliable Walther P38 in 9x19mm Parabellum. However, higher ranking officers were usually issued Lugers, while lower ranking officers were almost always issued the P38. In Germany, the P38 is still carried even today, even though it is being replaced by more sophisticated designs.
The Luger is well known from its use by Germans during World War I and World War II, along with the interwar Weimar Republic and the postwar East German Volkspolizei. Although the P.08 was introduced in 7.65mm Parabellum, it is notable for being the pistol for which the 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as the 9 mm Luger) cartridge was developed. Because of its association with Nazi Germany, the pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades. The Luger is also a popular collector's item, and some pistols in good shape fetch prices in the thousands of dollars. Some replicas are produced today, but only in .22LR because toggle locks are known to not be able to handle modern .30 Luger and 9x19mm ammunition efficiently. The ergonomic grip angle of the Luger is considered one of the best pistol grips ever devised, and also inspired the Ruger Mk.1 pistol series and its variants.