Hello everyone.
 

UPDATED WITH NEW PICS IN POST #15.


First and foremost THANK YOU THOR and JOHN for helping me register!

Secondly hello everyone glad to be here and take in the wealth of information from you experts. My father passed away years ago and left me an old German Luger he found while metal detecting in a drained fresh water reservoir. God only know how long she was down there on how she came to be there in the first place. Being he was a Baltimore City police officer he tried to clean it up but he made the mistake of not keeping the gun submerged till he could get around to it so rust set it and pitted it pretty badly, his solution was to sand, file, and grind the rust out making things even worse. So this is what I started out with about a month ago when I decided it was time she came back from the grave.

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I sent TONS of pics to Thor who gave me a sad news that the barrel and upper were probly too far gone to save and then be able to safely fire so I went out and found a new/old barrel and upper from a 1913 Luger that looks much better then does for $200 shipped to my front door so its on the way. I've so far replaced the grips, grip screws, main spring, firing pin spring and trigger spring. I also spent the better part of 2 days welding new metal into the lower to fill the pitting rather then my dads way of grinding it out. Then I filed, sanded, buffed and polished her till she almost looks chromed or nickel plated! I'm almost done with the lower but I need to get finer files to get rid of the rest of my tooling marks.

Yesterday for the 1st time in I know for a fact at least 35 years I fired her. At 50 yards she had a grouping the size of a softball so I know my barrel may be tired but its by no means worthless. Once I get done with the lower I plan to lightly sand blast it to frost the metal prior to my other first, hot bluing. Once I get done with the metal work I'll post more pics of the lower. Now please keep in mind this gun was BAD off and this is my first ever attempt at rebuilding a gun of any kind.

Welcome, I look forward to seeing your pistols metamorphosis

One door opens another. I have no memories of even haveing a father. Cherish every moment! Eric Ps Drop by anytime!

Very cool! Good luck!

Ok so I sand blasted the lower and it looks like its brand new just out of the mold but should I polish it before I blue it or just blue it as is?

Please post pictures of every step of your Luger's resurrection!

Welcome to the forum Terry.

If it were me, I would do some filing and then some polishing, but I don't care for a "parkerized finish" on Lugers. Just a personal opinion.

Yeah it didn't turn out the way I was hoping for after I blued it it looks dark grey, not a fan. Polcieluger is helping me out in another thread as to what I need to do or if I should just send it to him to finish but without the bluing.

Due to the condition of your Luger as it is currently, you have to decide what you really want for an end result. There are folks out there that are masters at metal work and draw filing, and though it can not be brought back to like new without a lot of welding etc., it can be markedly improved, and return an old tired "warhorse" back to a good life....and one that one could take pride in. My .02

Thats kinda what I'm leaning toward Rhuff. My new parts should be in by the end of the week and once I see how she fires I'll go from there. So long as the wife doesn't object too badly that is. ;)

You are in an envious position with that Luger. From your post there is about $200.00 invested and it already shoots better tham what I could do at 50 yds. Thor could probably make that pistol look like new and it still would not cost much more than a store bought shooter. My $.02 worth.

Greg B.

My new 1913 barrel and upper just got here so I'm gonna test it out as soon as I finish cleaning the lower better. I don't want to mess with the upper till I find out EXACTLY what I need to do to it. It looks fantastic and I don't want to screw it up.

Please keep us informed, and pictures are just a plus for us!!

Here's the latest pics let me know what you all think. Should I continue to try to do this myself or should I ship her off to an expert such as Thor?

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I don't beleive anyone will touch your work! They all have there practices and procedure. Your stepping in doesn't help!

I was told a grand to restore it and it would never be safe to fire. So far it not only fires but has a grouping the size of a softball at 50 yards. I couldn't afford to spend $1000 to restore it into a mantel piece so I decided to do what I could and then I'd probly send it off to be finished by a pro hopefully saving some money. All I did so far was to clean up the lower and buy a new upper and barrel and grips and springs and magazine so I don't see where I stepped in and did anything wrong. I understand the pieces turned out by guys like Thor are works of art the likes I could never hope to approach or eclipse and I'm not trying to. All I'm trying to do is finish up something that my father started but could never finish before he passed away.

If I have offended anyone in anyway I sincerely apologize as it was never my intention. I joined this forum in the hopes of either getting help for me to do it myself start to finish or to at get her in proper working order prior to sending it off to be finished by a pro as I just can't afford for them to do it all. If I'm wrong and have upset the forum I hope my apology will be accepted, if not mods please delete my account and I won't bother any of you again.

You a lucky man. my Father left us when I was 5 and all I have was a coffee mug, I think I understand your kinship to your Dad. He would like you to keep it as you found it, I'm sure! Its not your turn to polish His past. Someday you may have a legacy to pass on. I wouldn't want the to feel like you do now. Use this guidance. You have your whole life ahead in which to collect some beautiful. Pick a beaty you both could be proud of. I learned if you continue to look back you will trip fowards. He deserve your respect and alot better luger. Nice going.You deserve BETTER! He would insist I'm sure!!

Thanks Cirelaw. He wanted to redo it himself as well but could never find the parts for it, thankfully we now have the internet and I have been able to get her into firing shape again. Now I'd just love to finish her off to look as good as she shoots, at 50 yards she has a grouping the size of a softball. In my other thread some have mentioned rust bluing and I think I'm probly stuck doing it myself due to the reasons you mentioned above. Thats ok I guess just unfortunate as I did not know what I was doing would make the pros shy away from finishing it if I chose that course.

And just to think I was foolish enough to actually think I was doing a good job and wanted to share it with all of you. I feel like such a moron.

Terry
Not sure what the problem is. Nothing wrong with you getting this in shooting shape. Finish what your father didn't. It is a shooter so no harm done on whatever you do. Have fun and enjoy. Sometimes people on here get some weird ideas but most are sincere. Bill

I agree with bill, it,s a shooter enjoy it. you did a pretty good job nothing to be ashamed of. I assure you i have seen alot worse.

Thanks guys I was afraid I screwed up. I knew this thing was bad off and am just thrilled I have it to where it is right now. It shoots REAL GOOD, didn't jam after 100 rounds, and has a great grouping. I just need to have its finish match its performance.

Shoots good and no jams in 100 round s you got yourself a good one, enjoy it

Thanks Padredan. I've been told Luger's are prone to jamming but so far I haven't had any problems with it sine polishing everything up real good.

+1

Though sandblasting it would not have been my particular choice, I agree with Bill and Dan that it's your heritage. By all means, enjoy this pistol and working with it. Although I understand the aesthetics of preserving it as it was when your dad last touched it, I see honor and merit in finishing it up according to his aforementioned intentions. He'd be proud, I'll bet, of your taking up the standard, staying on the road despite some serious learning curves, and having and using something that he apparently always recognized the inner beauty in--beauty that you will have successfully revealed.

Be sure to consider every move on the path you take. For example, freshening up a pair of old original grips removes the character that took many years and different situations to establish during the life of the pistol, and there's no going back, on some of this stuff. Keep the old grips in a safe place, as part of the pistol's provenance, whether it's strictly collectible or not. I feel they're still part of it, and definitely a conversation piece. Dress it up in those nice replacements for enjoying and shooting, but hang onto the oldies, as they represent, in part, the pistol's roots and history.

I'm not sure if what Eric says about the pros is true. You'd have to ask each individual pro would say about your project. I've always found them to be genuinely and generously informative and supportive in similar situations. Whether they would turn down projects within their specialties, I'd bet, would depend on the particular project. A further wager would be that you'd really have to be an (*) for any of the masters on this forum to wash their hands of you or your project. So far, my friend, you do not sound like one!

David Parker

Thank you David for your kind words and encouragement. I still have all the old original parts I've replaced I have thrown nothing away and will never throw any parts of it away. I have all the original springs in a small zip lock bag with Ballistol oil sprayed all over them. The original barrel and upper after I removed all the crud from it I GENTLY polished it in an attempt to try to re-use it (sadly Thor told me it was too far gone to try to restore which is why I went out and got a new barrel and upper). The original barrel and "G" upper are also in their own zip lock bag again well coated with Ballistol oil. The original grips and grip screws are in yet another zip lock bag and then all 3 small bags are kept in one large zip lock back, placed in a small wooden box similer to a cigar box and put up on the very top shelf in my garage about 9 feet off the ground.

What I could save I have, what was beyond saving I replaced and kept the original parts. I may be a "newb" when it comes to the world of Lugers but I'm sure trying to do my best with what was a paper weight.

I agree with Wylon 100%. First of all, it is hard(for me at least) to love a Luger in the shape that yours was when you received it. It was terrible!! I understand the problem with funds for a "mantle piece", plus I am a shooter, not a collector. that is how I enjoy my Lugers. I, myself, enjoy working on firearms, but I know my limits. As far as metal working, you should do what you feel capable of doing, and then if you want help/assistance with additional metal work and/or refinishing, then send it to whoever you want. Your father wanted to "spiffy" up this old Luger, and I think that he would be very proud of your efforts!! You do what YOU feel is correct for you and your Luger, not what some person thinks that you have never met, and most likely never will do so. My .02.

I think you did fine. The pistol was about to become a relic and now it is a shooter. You did everythig by your own and I really admire that. Congratulations and enjoy your pistol. I'm sure it will attract a lot of attention at the range.

Greetings,

Douglas

Thank you Douglas.

Yeah It already has attracted people to it at the range, I had one guy beg me to just hold it as he had never seen a Luger in person before. I dropped the magazine out made sure it was clear and handed it to him. As he examined it I loaded 8 rounds into the magazine and handed it to him you should have seen his face light up he asked if I was serious and that he could fire it I told him yes and he loaded it and took his time with every shot. When he was done and set it down he had the biggest grin on his face and thanked me for fulfilling a boyhood dream of his to actually shoot a real German Luger.

And I guess you had a nice time doing this too...
There 's no money that can pay such gratifying moments. You put a smile in MY face just by reading this.
You're a nice guy and you are happy with your pistol. That's all that matters at the end of the day. :thumbup: