Adolf Hitler's £31 million Luger pistol, known as the "most valuable pistol on Earth" and the "Holy Grail of firearms," was allegedly stolen during a police raid in Buenos Aires in 2016. The weapon, a Luger Parabellum .45 calibre No. 5, is now at the centre of a court battle involving a repairman and the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security.
The Disappearance
Juan Pablo Ruppel, 48, a repairman from Buenos Aires, inherited the historic "ghost of the Third Reich" from his German great-uncle, Hans Ruppel, a former Hitler bodyguard. During the raid on his home in 2016, officers accused him of stealing minor items such as plates, glasses, and cutlery, but he was never charged. However, Ruppel's lawsuit alleges that a corrupt officer took the legendary Luger during the raid.
Ruppel told the New York Post the gun was a "one of a kind piece, and there is no question that it is the most valuable semiautomatic handgun in the world." The weapon is one of only five 1907 prototypes crafted by renowned designer Georg Luger. It was referenced by Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film "Wall Street" as "the rarest pistol in the world."
The Hitler Connection
The weapon's historical significance is tied to its inscription "Adolf Hitler," as described in an Interpol notice. Its 1979 firearms owner licence in Argentina's national registry lists a Buenos Aires address where notorious Nazi "Angel of Death" Josef Mengele resided for over two years before fleeing the capital. Juan Pablo says Hans told him the gun belonged to Hitler and was brought to Argentina in 1948 with the help of then-president Juan Domingo Peron.
British investigative journalist Laurence de Mello, leading the family's independent investigation, said: "To understand the stakes here, you have to understand that this isn't just a beautiful firearm. It is a ghost of the Third Reich, the most valuable pistol on Earth."
Legal Action and Trial
Ruppel is seeking compensation from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security for the gun, which was never returned. A civil court has held the agency accountable for $15,000 plus interest, pending an independent expert's evaluation of its current value, which Ruppel's lawsuit estimates at around $42 million. The two officers who conducted the raid are set to face trial on criminal charges of aggravated theft and breach of public officer duties in March next year.
Ruppel, a father of four, said his great-uncle Hans, who had no children, gifted him the Luger No. 5 as a birthday present. He remains determined to recover the weapon: "I've been saying the same thing for 10 years. If someone offered me either $50 million or getting the gun back, I would choose the gun every time. If given the choice, I would always opt for the gun. But since it still hasn't surfaced and I can't keep waiting, I want the government to cough up."
