Alright, another question
 

In the unsorted photo section of this site, the are 4 or 5 pictures of a Luger with some gold plated parts, ie. the trigger, take-down lever, safety, do-hickey side plate on the slide, ect. What's the deal? Is this something that some owners do to trick out their guns or ?? This leads to the question, does anybody ever nickle plate a Luger or did the Germans or Swiss ever issure any nickle stuff?


Ray

Re: Nickle plated Lugers
 

At the end of WW2 there were a couple of plating firms that were setup in or near the NY harbor where VETS could have their war soveneirs nickle plated. Quite a few Lugers were plated during this time.

Re: nickel plated loogers
 

To see two examples go to two messages posted by "Hugh" on 04/19/01.

Here's the reason I've been asking these questions....
 

Sorry I don't know how to load the picture into my response like John S. did(maybe someone could tell me how). This will have to do for now.


http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/dc8rayspimpgun.JPG


The Luger is a S/42 with 1937 stamped on the front of the reciever. The nickle plating is in good shape(I've got a couple of 2nd gen SAA's that I wish had as good nickle). The scan does not do justice to the nickle(sorry, don't have a digital camera, so I scanned it). The barrel does not appear to have any pits in it. The serial numbers match, at least the ones I can see on the outside, as I don't know yet how to field strip a Luger. The grips are ??. I have one matching magazine, which the knobby thing at the end appears to be metal and plated also (isn't that suppose to be wood, hell, maybe it doesn't really match after all). I took the grips off it last night and there appears to be very little corroison inside the grip frame.


My Dad, who passed away a few years ago, left me this gun. He told me he bought it at a gun show in Shreveport. I have always wondered about the gun and who the hell would nickle a Luger. I guess a New Orleans pimp would or someone was waiting on my Father to by it: He always liked shiny guns.


Any comments about it. You won't hurt my feelings about what you say. I've shot if once in the past couple of years, putting about 40 rounds through it and every thing seemed to work ok.


As a newbie, I apprieciate your comments. Maybe should I think about restoring the thing or just leave it as it is and enjpoy shooting it??????


Ray "the new kid on the block" C.

Re: Here's the reason I've been asking these questions....
 

Ray,

I have a good friend that lives in Shreveport, and about twenty years ago he had read enough stories about Lugers to know that he wanted to start collecting them. As so many do, he bought his first Luger before he bought his first reference book on Lugers. It was bought at one of the ArkLaTex gunshows, and my friend couldnt believe his good fortune to find an "Officers" Luger at the very first gun show he attended after deciding to collect Lugers. He too bought a nickel plated Luger with the usual story about it being an officers model. When he found out that the Luger had been plated as some time after it's manufacture he was so disheartened that he almost quit collecting on his first Luger. He didn't though, and went on to own several rare pieces. Also, he was the one that made me aware of the .45 cal. Luger at the Norton Gallery.

Re: Nickle plated Lugers
 

Back about '64 or so I had a catalog from I believe EMF(?)

It had photos of dozens of Lugers P-38s and broomhandles-many were chrome or nickle plated and many had stag grips-this was in the $25 Luger days. Also used to see lots of plexiglass grips. Too young and too poor to buy any then.

Re: Here's the reason I've been asking these questions....
 

Maybe your friend is my long lost half brother, Roulf(LOL). So I guess your saying that maybe I have a shooter and not a collectors model.


I've got a couple of other collectables too. A Radom(not nickle plated, go figue) and a .32 cal Browning with numerous Nazi stamps on it. Also another Luger, which I'll discuss at a later date.


Does anybody know if a Luger like this (all nickled up) has ever been restored? Or is it worth the trouble?


Ray

Re: Here's the reason I've been asking these questions....
 

dc8ray,


To restore the Luger back to it's original condition can be done, but it would be very expensive; much more than the pistol would be worth. Also, the process to remove the plating can effect the base metal if not done perfectly. IF there is no family history to the pistol, try to sell it and then buy another similar that is in the condition you want. Although, the plated pistol has no real "collectable" value, they do make excellent shooters and the original history is still with the pistol if we only knew what it was.


Marvin

Ray, to post a photo in your reply
 

just paste the same URL that you typed into your reply:


http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/dc8rayspimpgun.JPG


into the "Optional Image URL:" space at the bottom of the reply form, just above where the password goes... before you submit your reply. The pre-installed "http:// should be deleted before pasting your URL...


The photo can be anywhere that is accessible on the Internet. Although it is convenient to upload and post it here, there is an 80K limitation on the file size of the photo, and some really good photos are much larger than that.


The grips appear to be Ivory! Why not practice posting another photo - I would re-scan your pistol and post it, but this time place a white cloth on top of it to provide better light reflection during the scan... I think the nickle would show up better.


As to the grips, if they are Ivory, you might be able to sell those separately (perhaps on eBay or auctionArms.com) for a goodly sum, and then sell the pistol with a set of replacement grips for a few hundred dollars more. I think you would get more than if you just sell them together because someone may want either the weapon or the grips without wanting to invest in the other... What does the medallion represent? It is not too clear in the scan?


-regards,


John






http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/dc8rayspimpgun.JPG

Re: John, here is picture of the medallion on the grip
 

Franzite medallion; Franzite was the maker of the imitation ivory grips on your Luger. They made a large selection of plastic grips for almost every handgun back in the 50's & 60's.

thanks for the input Hugh! Ray, scratch half of what I said before...
 

Since they grips are imitation Ivory, they are of little value to a collector, but who knows. Try an eBay auction to see what they will bring... or just sell them on the pistol.


Even nickle plated, that Luger will be a fine shooter, you could just keep it!


-John

Re: Thanks
 

Thanks for everyone's input. John your right, it'll be a shooter/keeper. I love the old guns, it makes you live history.


I think I'm going to like this forum.


Ray