A rare Luger pistol allegedly once owned by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler has become the focus of a legal dispute in Argentina, years after the firearm reportedly disappeared while in police custody.
The pistol, which its owner estimates could be worth around $42 million, was allegedly stolen during a 2016 police search of a home in Buenos Aires province. Its current whereabouts remain unknown.
The firearm is identified as a Luger Parabellum .45-caliber model, No. 5, a particularly rare weapon because experts say only five examples of the model were reportedly produced in 1907.
The pistol was designed by renowned German firearms designer Georg Luger, adding to its historical and collector value.
Even without its alleged connection to Hitler, experts consider the firearm exceptionally rare because it is believed to be one of only five prototypes of its kind.
The pistol has also attracted attention through popular culture, including its mention in the 1987 film Wall Street.
Owner claims Hitler connection
The pistol’s owner, Juan Pablo Ruppel, says he inherited the weapon from his great-uncle, Hans Ruppel, who served with the SS Division Leibstandarte, Hitler’s personal bodyguard during World War II.
Ruppel says his great-uncle told him that the pistol had once belonged to Hitler. He also claims the weapon was brought to Argentina in 1948, with assistance from then-president Juan Domingo Perón.
The alleged Hitler connection remains disputed, however, and has not been conclusively established.
Pistol disappeared after 2016 police raid
In 2016, police raided Ruppel’s home in a rural area of Buenos Aires province. The search was reportedly connected to allegations involving relatively minor household items, including plates, glasses and cutlery.
Ruppel was never charged over those allegations.
According to his lawsuit, however, the rare Luger disappeared after the police operation. He alleges that one or more officers took the firearm and never returned it.
The two officers who led the raid are now facing criminal charges, including aggravated theft and failure to perform their duties. Their trial is expected to take place in March next year.
Argentine govt ordered to pay compensation
Ruppel subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security, seeking compensation for the missing firearm.
A civil court recently ruled that the government was responsible and ordered it to pay $15,000 plus interest at this stage. The final compensation amount, however, has yet to be determined.
The court is expected to rely on an independent expert assessment to establish the pistol’s current market value.
Ruppel’s lawsuit estimates that the firearm could be worth approximately $42 million.
Records add to pistol’s mystery
The alleged connection to Hitler is one of the key factors behind the pistol’s extraordinary claimed value.
According to an Argentine firearms registration record from 1979, the weapon was linked to an address in Buenos Aires. The same area has also been associated with Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death,” who lived in Argentina after World War II.
An Interpol notice reportedly describes the firearm as carrying the inscription “Adolf Hitler.” Despite these records and claims, the assertion that the pistol actually belonged to Hitler remains part of the disputed history surrounding the weapon.
Owner says he wants gun, not money
Despite the enormous amount potentially attached to the firearm, Ruppel says his priority is recovering the original pistol rather than receiving financial compensation.
He said that if he were offered a choice between $50 million and the return of his gun, he would choose the gun.
Ruppel has spent years waiting for the firearm to be located and is now seeking compensation from the Argentine government while continuing to pursue the case.
Where is the alleged Hitler pistol?
The legal dispute remains unresolved, and the final value of the missing Luger could depend on the independent expert’s assessment.
For now, the alleged Hitler connection, the weapon’s extreme rarity and its disappearance during a police operation have turned the firearm into the center of a multimillion-dollar legal battle.
