Is this repairable w/o affecting bigger area?
 

I got a gun in very good shape and I decided to keep it. Everything is OK except one of the previous owner was a big inventor. His invention is pictured below.

Is it possible to repair this slot without affecting gun blue on barrel? The gun blue is original, I don't want to damage it.

Who could help?

WOW! I dunno. Looks like he's replaced the whole sight base and everything. Ask or wait for Lugerdoc, on this forum.

Madagascar? That's in Idaho, Right? :D

FN

No. The sight base is original. He cut a slot at the rear end of the front sight and inserted a white plastic chip inside. Then he filed the "slice" behind the slot a little bit down so the white could show up. in the rear sight notch.

Creative. I have to agree it's easier to aim now. But not appreciated.

It's a shame. This darn thing is all matching and is period correct down to the springs and the stock is correct down to those tiny screws.

alvin -

Your "creative inventor" could have accomplished the same thing by simply putting a dot of white appliance touch up paint on the front sight. This works just as well. And it is a temporary solution that does no harm to the original sight and is easy to remove too. Instead he ruined the front sight.

I agree, please see what Lugerdoc has to say.

Tom -- Has any thought? Thanks.

Bolo, isn't it???

Maybe a drop of silver solder?...after cleaning it out good...then carefully file to shape...

Yes, Bolo. I like Bolo because regular C96 grip is too big for me. Regular Bolo with 4" barrel is almost same lenght as Luger 1900. I got various kinds of Bolos, only missing a prewar Bolo with short stock. Of course, I don't feel I will be lucky to find a LRH Bolo.

Maybe obvious for professional? I don't know. I am a talker, not a doer.

Maybe you should ask Thor...He is an expert at depositing metal where it has been removed... ;)

The main problem is that any repair that deposits new metal will affect the original blueing. Even if you could press or epoxy a filler piece in place, you would still have to file contour it to blend which would remove blueing from the base part. I thought we collect history here, this is part of this piece's history. As you said, it makes for a nicer sight picture. As far as the white paint comment, why not coat it with some Caseys matte black touch-up. Only you will know, unless you hang out with guys from this forum. Best Regards! Joe

Joe -- Thanks a lot for the opinion. I thought it again. I think you're right, I will leave it alone. Initially, I was upset about this. Not anymore.

alvin -

I knew I had one like that...PO had filed notch and filled with silver solder...pic attached...Not a bad way to do it...

This receiver was on my "Red 5" C96 which you may recall from m1896mauser.com... :D

Second pic is why it's no longer on anything... :p

Looks like it was a fashion to modify Mauser's front sight in the old era. Probably because it's an integral part of the barrel and it's fixed, and that inspired some work activity in this gun's "tool stage". The gun has been in "collector stage" for long time. When I initially received it, its internal protective grease had dried out.

I just browsed GMA. Interesting enough, they just sold another Bolo rig yesterday, and it also has a non-standard front sight -

http://www.gregmartinauctions.com/Au...px?LotID=14700

A dovetailed sight...Possibly a Marbles sight??? It has a brass ball like a Marbles...

The book "Mauser Archive" recorded that the factory shipped some guns with "bead front sight". Could the sight (on GMA gun) be it? It's hard to tell.

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Now, the interesting part.

s/n 453506 (mine, not the GMA one).... "Where did this gun come from?"...... no way to tell from the gun itself, it carries no special marking. But the matching stock has a tiny stamp on it, the position and the size of the stamp is same as C/J or C/M stamp on German wartime military stocks, but I cannot tell what it is.... it's not crown. And, the stock is a true Bolo stock and the grip opening fits Bolo perfectly and is too small to fit a full grip gun.

I guess it's a German stamp (because of its unique position), not a ding or something. Camera battery charging, will post a close-up pix of this puzzled stamp.

Here we go. Any thought?

Sorry, but my eyes see much differently than those who have commented. :order:

IMHO I see that either the front sight base has been welded to add metal and then shaped with a file into what we see in the first photos --OR-- the entire front sight base has been removed and replaced with this (exhibiting much restraint here not to call this front sight a MONSTROCITY) :eek: and silver soldered on.

I am very sorry, but it is the WORST front sight job I have ever seen on a Luger. No matter how functional it is, it sure is UGLY. :crying:

The only way to fix this to make it look "normal" is to re-barrel, or remove the front sight base and ring from another Luger barrel, perhaps one that is shot out, and then have it fitted to the end of this barrel that has been turned down to accept it.

In any event, none of those changes can happen without affecting the existing blueing. :(

?? Is this an original barrel? or one that was made from scratch by the "inventor" ??

John,

I believe the front sight is on a Bolo Mauser C96.

Even if it is a C96 barrel... it is STILL UGLY!

Can't argue with that!

Depends on comparing with what.... if sitting next to a Parabellum 1900, it cannot compete elegance. If sitting next to a Japanese T94, ....., I really should put a T94 next to it so this one looks prettier. Never put a 1900 next to it :roflmao:

====

I reviewed my pix. Now I see why collectors thinking the sight base being welded on. Picture #2 shows a "soft edge" at the bottom of the sight. No, it's not a problem. The problem is I applied R-Wax on the gun after I had decided to keep this rig, and a little bit wax accumlated on that edge. The sight is an integral part of the barrel and that's the Mauser way.

I am shocked...Grown men telling a mother that her baby is ugly!!! :eek:

Have you no shame??? :mad:

Guys, please post on that stamp on stock....

Pretty or ugly, why it matters for historical firearms. Not important.

The important things are: (1) Is that a ding or stamp on the stock? (2) This one I'm sure, because I have seen more than one of these from independent sources -- early postwar stock has no loop on hinge. But I don't know when did the loop reappear?

I think that mark is a DING. There is NO symmetry to it . All German proofs I've seen are symmetrical ( think Eagles, Crowns, Vultures etc...). The Other mark, lower and to the right looks like an extension of the same blow. When I was in High School I worked in an auto wrecking yard. The owner had a large wide chisel with various random slanted grooves ground across the edge. He would have us stamp the mating surfaces of engines or transmission with it so he could prove that a warranty return was actually the unit HE sold the customer. Guess he had been burned in the past. Joe

Sorry Postino!

The sight may be functional, but it is UGLY UGLY UGLY... a face even a mother couldn't love! Sometimes the truth not only sets you free---it hurts! :roflmao: :D

Beauty...eyes...beholder...yada yada...

Personally, I think an M1896 sight is a thing of beauty... ;)

Sights... Is there a beauty issue?? I cannot see much delta between Para and Broom.