The Luger was a rather dependable firearm...
Frank Duncan, NRA Life. Owned firearms for over 50 years.
My favorite shooting Luger
That sort of depends on what you consider good. It was manufactured for almost half a century and used by over 18 countries so it had several good points. Having owned several for almost half a century, I can say that there are several very good points and several not so good.
The Luger is one of the most natural pointing guns ever made. It simply fits the hand and is very accurate. Even the mass produced ones are extremely well made. It fires the 9 mm cartridge which was developed for it in 1902 and has become the world standard for pistol cartridges. Universally available, and reasonably priced. It is very easy to field strip (when you know how).
Now for the down sides. It is sensitive to both dirt and rust, so it has to be carried in a fully covered holster. This would seem to be a bad thing for a field weapon, but the Germans and the others didn't seem to have as much of a problem as it would seem to be.
It has a single stack magazine, but this was the standard for the time it was designed.
It is a complex design with all machined parts not all of which are always interchangeable and it was expensive to manufacture.
It requires good ammunition. It will handle hot ammo a lot better than target loads which may not function the action. The action is a complex balancing of forces and springs which balance to make the toggle action work right so good power is essential for proper operation.
On the plus side, again, it has to be one of the most beautiful designs ever fielded. Everyone knows what they are on sight and wants one. They are also a pleasure to shoot.
Edit-problems with shooting a Luger
Since it is extraordinarily unlikely that my wife will ever read my comment, I'll try to explain a Luger to you having owned and shot many for over 40 years. They are a lot like a woman. If you understand how they work and what makes them happy, they will run like a Swiss watch. If you DON'T treat them they way they want to be treated, well…life can get very difficult.
First of all, a Luger won't shoot well if it is "limp wristed." You must hold it very firmly. If you don't grip it firmly, the gun will move enough that your wrist will absorb some of the energy it needs to cycle and cause it to jam.
It needs full power ammunition! Target loads or a lot of the commercial ammo is loaded down so as to not strain a gun. A Luger was designed to take full power cartridges and will jam if fed weaker rounds.
Another problem can come from a mixed number Luger. All parts are marked either with a full serial number or the last two digits. These guns were all hand fitted at the factory during assembly. The parts are generally interchangeable, but sometimes they must be fitted to the individual pistol. If some of the parts are mismatched, there may be trouble, and most of the trouble in a Luger is jamming.
A well adjusted Luger is like a happy woman when all is well. Beautiful to look at and a pleasure to hold and wonderful to shoot. Considering that it was used by many countries for many years and you will realize that it has many virtues, although like any woman, you must also be aware of its few vices. Keep it clean and oiled and it will provide you with a lifetime of pleasure.