Review: Erma LA-22 [Luger]

Erma although no longer in existence, produced multiple unique arms in its history. Their roots can be traced back to Nazi Germany, when they were primarily producing MP-40 submachine guns along side Erfurt and .22 conversion kits for military weapons used for training purposes.

In the 1960-1970’s Erma realized the potential of new production Luger’s in the market. Therefore designed and produced the LA-22, a Luger clone that shoots the .22LR round. They released several other models before they went under in 1997.

Although Erma is gone, the legacy of the LA-22 still lives on, many models can still be found on the used gun market usually ranging from 100-400$ depending on the condition.

Currently there are two .22LR Lugers that a shooter could pick up today, one being made by Erma, the other by Stoeger. Stoeger’s are American made, and are considered less wanted than the Erma. They also feature a design that is less like that of a Luger than the Erma.

I picked up my Erma LA-22 for 200$ used at a local Cabela’s. It featured the original West Germany box, and magazine. It still had a lot of the original blueing intact, and featured almost no scratches at all. I took it home and immediately took it apart revealing dried up oil in most places probably due to the previous owner never cleaning it.

The proof marks on the pistol indicate that it was made in Munich sometime during 1966. It also featured a mark for definitive nitro proof on the gun.

Overall, the pistol makes for an excellent plinker if you can find the right ammo to feed. Not any brick of .22LR will work with this unique gun. However when working, its lots of fun, and definitely as close to a real “P-08 Luger” without breaking your savings.