Another new Owner
 

Just picked this one up from my favorite Armory. I was wondering what you guys can tell me about it. I am sadly uninformed and curious.

A late 1937 Mauser Luger, matching from what I can tell, probably excepting the magazine. Very nice condition. Interesting fading (halos) of the bluing around the chamber date, something not normally seen on salt blued guns. No doubt 9mm, German military, etc. What else did you hope to learn?
dju

Kinda what I expected to hear. I guess I really wanted to know if it looks reworked or original. Mag serial matches too.

Thanks
Dan

Welcome to the forum, Dan.

Your pistol look righteous to me in these pics. But now you'll need a shooter in order to preserve this one!

How 'bout some pics of that mag?

Here ya go.

Thinking I'll replace parts with new and shoot it. Striker, extractor, springs, etc.

Suggest books and reading to help learn. Read the FAQ, read the stickies, do a search for 1937 Mauser.

Buy some books, but read some suggestions here on good and not so good books.

Ed

I don't see any signs of rework and the mag. is a match. Nice gun!
Rather than swapping parts out to shoot it, why not just buy a shooter? (It's only money...)
dju

Sn 6865s would be at the beginning of Mauser switching from rust blue to salt blue. I have seen many salt blued Lugers in this time frame with the glossy/matte areas near the chamber date. Mauser hadn't perfected the salt blue process yet. From the picture provided the magazine looks good to me.
Here is another example of a early salt blued 1937.

Thanks to all for the info. I'm really excited to own this guy, and all the info is greatly appreciated.

You have a collectible Mauser Luger that appears to be in original finish and probably all matching.

Break a numbered part and you drop a fair percentage (40% or more) of value as well as the history.

Parts in Lugers are hand fitted, they don't just drop in.

The smartest thing to do is get a $900 shooter to shoot, and keep this one safe. Of course, it's your's to do with as you want. I once cynically told people that always shoot guns - even collectible ones - that shooting and breaking them just increases the value of the all matching ones that are left, but I don't say that any more.

Download our FAQ PDF document for some good reference material.

1937 was a year of transition at Mauser, which makes a bit more demand for the variations of Lugers from this year. It started out all rust blued and strawed, and ended up all salt blued. You have one that was made in the transition period when newer and older parts were used on the same gun. Matching pistols with matching magazines are fairly rare and valued more highly.