My 1929 'sneak' police............
 

arrived today and I have an issue with it. I have to resize the photos and add them but I wanted first to give everyone my description. Please, all feel free to chime in:

All numbers match, including bottom wood based mag. Finish is original arsenal blue. It has the usual holster wear, muzzle, sideplate and edges. Wear on both front and back straps. Comparing this with my others I see no difference except..........not yet. Grips are very good, mag has small chip on it's left side, why are these chips always on the left side? Ser# 6151t. Crown N proof on left side and WaA66 below drop wing eagle on the right side. No more proofs. Ser #51 is on the back end of the toggle, on the trigger, locking bolt and sideplate.
Now!!! 51 is not in the usual location on the front of the sideplate and locking bolt, they are located underneath. On the left side toggle, there is a weak stamped nazi eagle. Photos on the way and I will wait to see how many others see the real issue with it.

Thanks

http://i45.tinypic.com/wufnlc.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/debiwj.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/aetahf.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/30k7r6d.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/2uyq492.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/2ywz4g8.jpg

I've not cleaned it yet so sorry for the mess

One more thing.......the barrel has the matching ser# w/crown over N but not the same letter.

Is is missing strawing? I do not have a clue, maybe sneaks were not strawed.

Neather the locking bolt, mag release lever or the trigger is strawed. Just took it apart and can't see any remenants of them being strawed.

It had a mag safety and was removed, grip notch still there and the notch in the slide.

The barrel does not have the barrel dimensions at the rear bottom as my other lugers do.

Here are a few more shots:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2w7ohlt.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/i1jvw6.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/2e5mla9.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/dn1x8l.jpg

Still says should be a 4 inch bbl if im reading right

Beautiful I own "L. Ka. 124" Landjagerei marking from Kassel District. Serial #1940t. See History Writ in Steel, page 196~ Eric

It is, same as my others but nothing is stamped under the ser#.

Recieved my copy yesterday, I hope to get Ed's book next month.

What's the best book for military unit markings?

Does yours have straw parts? All the photos I've seen, they do.

I came across a comment about blued parts that are suppose to be strawed, it said lazyness from someone reblueing, didn't want to take the time but this luger has an arsenal finish. I hope someone here can shed the right light.

I was mistaken about the toggle eagle now that I can see it closer, it's a Crown N.

The serial numbers on the sideplate and locking bolt are ok. These were in the commercial location.The barrels did not have the dimensions. It should have strawed parts. I believe the two suffix's are the same. The one has been buffed. I believe the whole gun was reblued including the strawed parts. See what others think. Bill

Bill, the suffix on the barrel looks buffed out because it's under a very bright light for the photo, the blueing in that area is the same everywhere else. Do you think the barrel could have been replaced sometime with the difference in the ser# stamping? Just seems not as consistant.

Don's book arrived yesterday, will acquire Ed'd book next month.

I will eventually get a holster. There's one on Gunbroker now but I have other bills at the moment.

It took me 3 years to complete. This holster was originally a mess! Jerry Burney worked his magic!!

Wear Pattern on toggle.
 

Mine has simular rear wear pattern. That I believe is legit!!

What do the witness marks look like? I still say this was buffed and reblued. I have been known to be wrong so. Bill

I'm new Bill, what's witness marks?

I do have a suspicion that someone along the way didn't like straw parts and did blue them. The finish looks legit except for the trigger, locking bolt, safety latch and mag latch. I do feel those parts were blued. But that's just a a guess. I came here to get the thoughts for all of you that have been around luger alot longer than me. If these parts were blued and should be strawed, which I believe do, I need to correct the problem if this is recommended by the experts.

When the luger is field stripped it is a line that runs across the barrel and the receiver. It is a short stamped line to show correct position of barrel in receiver. Many times with a new barrel added this is uneven or even missing on the barrel. Yes they were originally strawed. The strawing is a heat process but you need to know how. Bill

Thanks, there is no line, only ser# below crown N. I've been reading about how to straw on some threads here and there, I'm debating whether to give it a go myself or give the parts over to someone else. Seems if I make a muck of it I can start over and try again as long as I go easy on the ser#.

The witness mark is on the under side of the barrel/receiver forward of the lug. Can only be seen when the frame and barrel/receiver are separated. Would show a picture but camera is down right now. Bill

witness
 

heres one glad I could help

It's there, on the lug and not the barrel. My mistake. Tiny line mark.

Yip!! That's it, same on my others.

If there is no extension of the witness mark to the barrel my guess is barrel has been replaced. From your pictures of the barrel serial number the 5 looks possibly overstruck? I'm afraid this luger has had quite a bit of messing with? Should make an excellent shooter if it was priced accordingly. Bill

I mis-typed earlier, the line mark I could see at the base of the barrel, that was before I dissasemble it. The only thing I can see wrong is the four parts that are are normally strawed are blued. Why they were blued I haven't a clue because the rest of the pistol is arsenal original as compared to the wear and patina of my other lugers, this one is almost identical.



http://i48.tinypic.com/34o321v.jpg

I think parts of it were reblued. The lettering on the underside of the barrel is pretty faint looking to me.

Many folks will talk about a gun like this as being refurbished or arsenal redone. This is always possible, but the strawed parts would be strawed and there would be markings showing it was refurbed. A later barrel would be marked by the arsenal or maker marking (such as an eagle 6) - the suffix WOULD be the same for the barrel and the frame. But that suffix looks too low to me?

It is possible that a previous owner had a luger or two that were post 1937 and thought that they should be blued and thus had them blued, and /or that they were steel colored and thus they tried to fix them.

What we are seeing is a commercial luger that went into police service. The unit marking book for WW1 army, I have up for sale written by Jeff Noll. For Police unit markings, either Don's book or ours....


Ed

Now is when I wish a few of you fellows lived next door. Hard to get the right photos are the right angle to show what it is in actuality.

Don's book arrived day before yesterday and I plan to get your police book end of the month. Your WWI unit marking book is now on my shopping list.

Thanks for your observation.......... I want to get the parts that were blued back to straw. I have read and re-read the thread here about the procedure. I would like to try strawing but I'm going to leave it to someone who has done it before and does do it as a sideline. Does any member here do this type of work?

Thor does restores but I dont know where hes at on workload shoot em a pm

Thanks!!!!!

Which one?

Thor is his handle spelled just like that you might try his aol account if you cant find this one

Thor's Luger Clinic http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/
Ted Green (Thor Yaller Boots)
725 Western Hills Dr SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124
505-891-3883 Email thor340@aol.com

Thanks again......................

Ted has always been my hero!! Eric!

top of the rivet holding the sear safety should be "in the white" when installed originally, not blued. Toggle axle pins, grip screws, sear bar spring, should be fire blued. Bottom of the frame rails, in the witness mark picture, should be in the white also.

Wow...Much info just on this post for a neu Lugermann. Thanks!

That straw may have just darkened with age. I have seen this hapen before. A good outside in the shade pic would help. John

Wish that was true but the parts are blued except the extractor. Ted is going to correct the flaw once I get those parts to him. For it's price, it's worth it. Barrel is almost mint, bright and shiny with some groove wear.