1918 Erfurt finish Q
 

I had the chance to look at a 1918 Erfurt with the 1920 Weimar property mark. The gun is all matching, including grips, apart from the magazine.

I'd appreciate any info on a couple of points. The firing pin is matching and unfluted, I'd have thought it would have been replaced or modified if it was in service post war ?

Secondly, the Erfurt toggle stamping seems light. The barrel doesn't have a witness mark, (the frame does), and the barrel serial number doesn't have much of a halo, if any, it does look like Erfurt stamps on it.

The overall finish appears consistent and looks to me to be rust blue, (to my untutored eyes). Internals in the white. It shows clear signs of being fired, (toggle marks on the rear of the frame and on the "ears", (no idea of the right term). Not import marked.

Given the above I wonder if it's been refinished at some point. Were pistols re-worked between the wars ?

Any info for the owner much appreciated.

Is that a crack in the coupling sleeve to the left of Erfurt?

I looked at that using a 32x and, (without removing the breechblock from the toggle), it looked like a scratch that's caught the light in the pic.

No plans to shoot it.

The firing pin is matching and unfluted, I'd have thought it would have been replaced or modified if it was in service post war ? Mauser re furbed many with a fluted pin. Is the toggle pin numbered? It shouldn't be..
the barrel serial number match? Same font?

That "crack" is an indent caused by the middle toggle link on full recoil. It's not uncommon.
Norm

Toggle pin is not numbered. Barrel serial matches and is in the same font.

Good to know. The bore is clean and un-pitted, but shallower rifling, so possibly shot quite lot.

Here's a similar mark on a Mauser 41/42 after the Brits fired a proof round through it:

Same as often occurs on Erma toggle pistols when ammo that's too hot is used--"hyper-velocity" instead of "high velocity" will break the front toggle link within the contents of a single mag. Just a mark is lucky, although the cast ZAMAK Erma parts are more brittle and survive less. It's one way in which +P or +P+ will literally beat the Luger action to death.