Opinions and value estimate 1937 S/42
 

I have this 1937 S/42 rig. The pistol is all matching except the magazines. Bore is bright and sharp. Holster is a 1940 Karl Bockner WaA727 with loading tool and spare magazine.

Opinions, value?

Thanks

https://imgur.com/a/usdEeUs

1600-1800 for all I think. Its not pristine, but its not abused.
I don't like the tool - but it might be the lighting or the angle.

Please correct me if I missed something. I didn't see a suffix letter, so I would think this is a very early 1937 Mauser. If so, it should be rust blued and straw. My understanding is Mauser did not switch to hot salt blue and no straw parts until later into the year and serial number run.

Forum FAQ's a good start for reference questions


https://forum.lugerforum.com/showpos...75&postcount=2

Better pictures would help a lot.
I also expected to see strawed small parts and there are no expected wear marks.

Mauser did not continue the old system of beginning each year with blocks of 10,000 starting with 1 ~ 10,000 no suffix. Regardless of where they were in production, they continued into the new year without breaking sequence. Thus, for example, if 1939 ended with Luger serial number 1234a, the first Luger of 1940 would be serial number 1235a. That means that a no suffix serial number could have been made at any time throughout the year and not necessarily in January.

I don't have my Jan Still chart in front of me but the approximate date the subject Luger was made can be determined from it. It is, by all appearance, a second variation; i.e., all blued.

Thanks @Doubs
Hallock and Kant has a chart for 1937 S/42s (p146) that shows a CV-3 (3rd Collector Variation ?) with an SE-63 and small SE-63 acceptance stamp, in a NS range. And, they show a large number of pistols that included the NS range with all blued small parts and the Mauser Hump.

Jan Still (Third Reich Lugers, p. 39) describes the "Subvariaion 1" with strawed parts (4500p-1500t) and the "Subvariation 2" (1500t-400b) having blued small parts.

It looks like Mauser started 1937 with the "p" suffix and ended with "b".

I had assumed that each year started with no serial number - thanks for pointing that out.

To answer the OP's question, with the follow up comments considered, and from the pictures provided, I'd bet on the pistol bringing $2300.00 to $2500.00. If the OP wants to sell it, and he qualifies, I'd suggest offering it here first. Then I'd give it to Simpson Ltd if needed. He gets some phenomenal prices. I speak from experience having sold guns recently through him, and not just Lugers.

Jack