The P.08 Luger is hands down one of the most well-recognized and distinctive firearms in the world. It’s distinctive profile, timeless legacy as one of the first truly successful semiautomatics, and intriguing reputation as the weapon of choice for both Imperial and Nazi German officers in the 20th Century make it one of the very greatest firearms of all time.

Despite its superstar status, it’s common knowledge that the Luger, with its exposed sear surfaces and toggle locked action, did note fare well in the muddy trenches of Europe. But how well-earned is this reputation, after all? To help answer this, InRange TV took one of host Karl Karsada’s one Luger pistols and dunked it in their patented wheelbarrow o’ mud. See how it fared by watching the video below:

This test of the Luger represents the first such of any toggle-action firearm I am aware of, and it helps answer the question my readers asked me when TFB shot a toggle-retarded blowback action Pedersen rifle: “How would this rifle have worked in mud?” It’s probably pushing it to compare the Luger directly with the Pedersen, as not only are they two different guns, but the Pedersen is a retarded blowback design while the Luger is recoil-operated, but maybe this mud test shows that the Pedersen wasn’t hopeless after all. The only way to find out, of course, would be for some brave soul to come forward with a Pedersen rifle to test!