Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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These virtues enabled the Luger to become one of the top three gunfighting pistols of all time based on the number of kills made. The other two are the M1873 Colt Single Action Army revolver and the sainted M1911-A1. The latter is the gun I carry but the fact remains that the Luger points better and is more accurate. It’s the pistol I use for varmints and trick and fancy shooting.

The Luger was one of the most popular military pistols in the world in the first part of the 20th century. Many nations adopted it and used it in far-flung corners of the world, but its greatest combat use was by the German Army. The German soldier was not a pistoleer and did not know about instinct shooting without sights. In the rough and tumble brawl of trench raiding and close-quarters fighting, the P08’s handling qualities gave him all the lessons he needed. It was quickly found that if you looked at the target and pointed the Luger at it, you usually hit exactly where you were looking. In the close confines of a trench, the Luger was a far more deadly weapon than the bolt action rifle and bayonet of his adversaries. The Luger continued to rack up its score through WWII, where German officers who intended to actually shoot someone with their pistol went for the Luger and those who wanted a pistol as a badge of rank opted for .32s. A good example was the SS officer who, as legend has it, was presented one of the first Walther P38s but continued to carry his Luger because he could hit better with it.