"Gotcha Gun"??

[MFC]

I beleive adding/changing a mismatched part to a period correct, factory numbered part with it's original finish is OK and not frowned upon by most collectors. It's when parts are refinished and renumbered to match to boost a gun, that collectors disdain and are always on the lookout for.

[sheepherder]

I am not a collector, but I believe the line is drawn at reproduction parts. If a Luger has all Luger parts (not repros), even if mismatched, then i consider it "original". It has all original parts; maybe not the ones it left the factory with, but few if any military weapons do.

So when I see a seller advertising their Luger as "all original", I'm not concerned if it has a mismatched toggle axle. I know they mean "all Luger" parts; not soft Chinese castings.

IMHO, too much emphasis is put on matching numbers. To me, that is a Red Flag that somebody has been playing mix & match...