WOL
Trip
| WOL
Trip |
Trip to Ralph Shattuck’s World of Lugers
by the Luger Forum members, March 3rd, 2001
Forum Attendees:
Hugh Clark, Marvin Cook, Ted Green, Gerry Tomek and his son Gerry Jr., John and Jen
Dunkle, Frank Manders and his son Mike.
Also attending was Murray Willis and Wife (he called her a “Sheila”) from Australia,
his friend Jack McCabe, and Bill Forsythe.
Mike Manders, Frank Manders, Ted Green, Hugh Clark, Bill Forsythe, Gerry Tomek, John
Dunkle
Marvin Cook, Murray Willis, Ralph Shattuck, Gerry Tomek Jr.,
Jack McCabe
Friday-March 2nd
Several of the Luger Forum regulars got a gracious invitation from Ralph and Nancy
Shattuck to visit Ralph’s World of Lugers! An adventure, none of us was willing to
let slip by us! Marvin Cook from SC flew into Albuquerque, NM to drive to Phoenix
with me for the meeting. Marvin’s plane arrived Thursday night and after a nice Mexican
food dinner we went home and we talked guns and World War II weapons for quite some
time. We got a late start the next day, and left Albuquerque around 10:30, and began
the drive to Phoenix through Flagstaff. I even forgot my great camera and felt stupid
as heck! I was going to have to look at Ralph’s K dates very closely. Marvin was
really bored by the scenery on the way to Flagstaff but we played German Marching
Music and told jokes the whole trip! It sure was fun! We arrived in Phoenix around
7pm and had quite a time finding the motel. We checked into our rooms and went to
eat some Chinese food. The food was great and we went back and studied some Luger
books and talked about the day to come.
Saturday-March 3rd
We were scheduled to meet for breakfast at 8,am not far from Ralph’s place. I told
Marvin I thought nobody would show for this part as I didn’t get much response back
when I invited people to join us for a pre-party breakfast. We arrived right on time
and saw to our amazement, our Luger friends and much to my surprise, there sat my
friend Ralph Shattuck! Ralph was certainly in a great mood and we all shook hands
and introduced ourselves. It was noticable how great Ralph looked, and in much better
health than he was in when we saw him last fall after a heart attack! He seemed to
be much invigorated! Wow!! Great news! Ralph had some nametags for us and we all
got tagged. Ralph left early and the rest of us ate and talked Lugers for a while.
Hugh Clark, Gerry Tomek and his son were there with Marvin and I.
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Well the impetus to see “the playroom” was overwhelming, and we
all went into Ralph’s Luger room! Ralph had several other people there and we all
meet and proceeded to check everything out! I STUPIDLY left my nice digital camera
at home! I felt low as a snake! Ralph came to the rescue and took quite a few pictures
for us to share!! Cool! He even got one of GT, the infamous picture dodger! Hugh
Clark passed out iron-ons of the Luger Forum Patch and ironically enough, so did
Frank Manders (later in the party)!! Great minds think alike! LOL
Just as I stepped into the room, I spied a nice Party Leader Holster for a PPK! (Maybe
I can put a cloaking curse on it and maybe nobody but me will see it) After biting
my nails for what SEEMED like an ETERNITY, I managed to whisper in Ralph’s ear “Is
that PPK holster for sale?”. “It sure is!!” Ralph said in a commanding voice (I flinched
hoping like heck NOBODY else heard him, I WANTED that holster bad). He told me how
much and I realized quality rare items cost an appropriate amount and I put it on
layaway and much to my relief he put it away for safe keeping! WHEW!! That was close!!
As time progressed Frank Manders and his son showed up and we all met them! Frank
had left a real challenge for me at Ralph’s last year, a heavily pitted Luger that
we dubbed “The Ugly Duckling”, which I transformed (with GT and Hugh’s help) into
the “SWAN”, a beautiful DWM Rust Blued Luger.
Then I noticed my ol’ buddy Hugh Clark had brought his first two BABY Lugers that
he had made! Number #1 was a working gun and Number #2 was almost there. I handed
him a 1920 Commercial to transform in to Number #3. I was lucky enough to make the
list last year. I knew these will be a much wanted item once the word got out how
fabulous they are. Ralph pulled a John Martz Baby Luger and it was super too! We
also, courtesy of Ralph, got to examine Georg Luger’s own Baby Luger that is owned
by Ralph! WOW, what a piece of history in the hand!
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GT
Meeting at GT's for dinner that night was a great treat! He and
his family also rolled out the red carpet and made everybody feel at home! Marvin,
me, Hugh Clark, Frank and son and of course Ralph were there with GT and his family!
GT and Marvin talked P.38s and I got to see 30 or so minty P.38s, the nicest collection
I have ever seen! WOW!! I was stunned to see them all and had a ball looking at them!
GT's son brought out a Mauser 98k Bayonet that was PLUM color, just like my 1938
S/42. It was beautiful and sharp as hell. It was a very desirable item. One of the
highlights of the viewing, was a Luger that John Martz had made for GT, a one of
a kind target Luger in .30 Luger. This beauty was really nicely finished! How did
he do that? LOL It had a slab sided bull barrel and was so stunning, I pick it up
many times and sighted down the barrel at imaginary bulleyes. It had the Martz patented
toggle lock drop safety. WOW, this was cool! You pulled the mag out and hit the safety
lever back and forth once and the toggle dropped. You could replace mags with ONE
HAND! It was an engineering marvel. John only made one of these target Lugers, and
GT has it! Stunning! The food was FABULOUS, as was the beer, which Frank brought
for all of us, Thanks Frank!!! I made myself leave finally, though it was tough!
I was having a ball, but the airplane to take Marvin back to SC was leaving early
in the morning, and it was almost midnight!
As I left the airport and started the long drive out of the Phoenix area and began
the slow climb into the mountains of Flagstaff, I realized I had meet some really
special and smart people, that were all very great to be around! We all vowed to
do it again in a year! I got the feeling everybody will be back there, as well as
a few more, once the word gets out that Ralph’s (and GT's) is quite a place to view
some damn fine Lugers (and P38s)! What a great place and a great life! I sure felt
lucky to be around and be a small part of it!
Ted Green
