It has been described as “a dead ringer for the classic German military sidearm,” with the “heft and feel of the real thing.” Perhaps not a “real” Luger, the Erma .22 caliber lines of Luger clones are both affordable, and a legitimate part of German military history. Even though they are no longer being produced, there are still many in circulation to be had for under $300. The Erma .22 Luger should not be confused with the more recent U.S. made Stoeger .22’s as many consider the Erma .22’s superior.

The two most notable Luger clones in .22 long-rifle caliber are those offered by Erma, a German manufacturer, and Stoeger, a U.S. company. Although the Erma .22 Lugers are no longer being produced, some of their models are considered by most authorities to be more reliable than the contemporary stainless Stoeger .22 Luger pistol. And by many accounts, the Erma, such as the model EP-22, feel better in quality as well as physically looking more true to the style of the real thing.

Erma Company History

Although German, the name Erma doesn’t come from the “erma” in G-erma-ny, it is an acronym for a company named Erfurter Maschinen-U Werkzeugfabrik. The firm later shorted the name to Erma (ERMA). They were well known for making the Nazi era MP40 machine gun in their original Erfurt Germany plant. They produced many other military ordinances before, and during WW2 in the Erfurt plant, from .22 cal conversion kits to rifles, pistols, and machineguns.

Until the company went bankrupt in 1997, they produced a vast array of firearms, many of which were .22 imitations of popular firearms, and not exclusively German designs. For example, Erma produced a .22 copy of the U.S. M1 Carbine called the Model E. They copied several other iconic guns from around the world. Importers, such as Excam of Florida, made these firearms available on the U.S. market, including Luger and P-38 .22 caliber clones. Sadly, both Erma and Excam fell victim to a growing global anti-firearms political climate.

NAZI Military Contracts

Prior to and during WW2, Erma fulfilled many contracts for the German military. Besides manufacturing other firearms, they produced .22 caliber conversion kits. Some examples they produced for the military on request were their Kar98k (Karabiner 98k) rifle and Luger Parabellum pistol conversion kits. These were primarily used for training purposes.

Because the need for various training conversion kits was in sufficient demand, notably the .22 kit for the Luger, Erma decided to produce a clone of the entire Luger pistol for the small, inexpensive rim fire cartridge. In 1936 a complete .22 caliber blowback automatic Luger was introduced by the company. This original .22 Luger model is now referred to as the “Old Model” by collectors and exists only in a limited quantity.

Interest in the .22 caliber clone of the Luger did not perish with the NAZI defeat. Erma lost their original factory, which was suddenly in communist hands on the wrong side of Germany. Post war recovery for Erma began with construction of a new factory in Munich-Dachau, West Germany. Erma began producing many firearms for export on the commercial market.

The New .22 Luger Clones

By the 1960’s Erma recognized that global interest in the aging Luger design still flourished, which is rather amazing considering that the German military retired the Luger design for WW2, favoring the less complicated P-38. So in 1964 Erma introduced the well-known new model .22 Luger pistol. The new pistol design incorporated the mechanical traits of their previous Luger conversion kits, and the visual traits of the Luger P.08 (Parabellum Model 08). Although they looked like the P.08 on the outside, they were mechanically unique inside. For example, the new Erma .22 utilized a lighter recoil spring to facilitate the less powerful .22 caliber cartridge as well as a new Erma patented toggle design. Because of the mechanical differences some refer to the Erma .22 Lugers as imitations, rather than clones.

There were many different model names for these .22 Lugers, however, they were all nearly identical mechanically. There are, however, some notable differences in quality. For example, the Erma Model LA .22 Luger is constructed of mostly light alloy and has a relatively short lifespan before wearing out. Other models, such as the Erma Model EP .22 Luger, are better built and not as susceptible to usage related failure. Most of the various models are built to withstand most casual shooters. Differences between them mostly come down to the finish, sights, and other aesthetic qualities. Ultimately, Erma produced a vast quantity of .22 Lugers from 1964 to 1969.

Why Buy an Erma

Sure, the Erma .22 Luger is still considered a cheap target pistol, or even a “poor man’s plinker,” but there are several good reasons to pick one up if you can.

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First, they are no longer being manufactured. The current .22 Luger on the market today is made by A.F. Stoeger. The Stoeger .22 Luger is less attractive, not as accurate to the P.08 Luger, and considered unreliable. As the story goes, Stoeger quickly introduced its .22 Luger in the 1970’s only to secure their U.S. trademark on the Luger name, although they had been a Luger importer since the 1920’s.

Secondly, there are still many vintage Erma .22 Lugers on the market in relatively good condition. There are also many out there that have literally had the guts shot out of them. Wise collectors will be obtaining the well-preserved examples while they are still cheaply available. Maybe it is also wise to acquire at least two, one for shooting, and another to put away. After all, it is possible to get a great value, finding two in good condition for under $500. Keep in mind that even common German military 9mm Lugers are selling for $2000 or more.

Finally, there really is no harm in purchasing such an inexpensive firearm. The pricing is already nearly rock bottom, so even if the Erma .22 Luger never materializes as having any collector value, it should never be worth less than what you paid, given that you take reasonable care of it. And moreover, they really are quite enjoyable to shoot on occasion.