LUGER PISTOL

also called Parabellum Pistol, semiautomatic German hand weapon first manufactured in 1900 for both military and commercial use. It was made in 7.65- and 9-millimetre calibres and had a toggle-joint breech mechanism. On recoil after firing, the mechanism opened to receive a new cartridge from an eight-round, removable box magazine in its grip. Many different models of the Luger were developed after its invention by George Luger, an Austrian, in 1898. The Luger was the standard pistol of the German armed forces from 1908 to 1938. Other countries that have used the weapon in their armed forces at one time or another include Brazil, Bulgaria, Finland, Iran, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.