Luger condition grading
 

What grading scale do you guys use to evaluate the condition of a Luger?


I have a book that grades Lugers much more strictly than the NRA grades.

Poor = 75% to 80%
Fair = 80% to 85%
Good = 85% to 90%
Very Good = 90% to 95%
Excellent = 95% to 100%

Grading a luger is very subjective and depends on whether you are the seller or the buyer. The former usually grades higher than the latter. Factors that are taken into account include, the percent of the blue remaining, the quality (thinness) of the blue, the percent of the strawing (prior to 1937), the height of the diamonds on the grips, etc. Before one accepts the percent, one must (IMO) see good quality photographs, or even better, inspect the piece in person. All that said, a big can of worms may be opened up.

Brightness also factors into the grading. A 95% dull original finish gun usually will not be perceived as in as good of condition as a 90% gun with a bright original finish. A gun that has been well maintained and oiled will keep a dark bright finish. A gun that is left dry and dusty will eventually take on a dull gray appearance.

Wworker,

What is the book?

--Dwight

Wise words indeed. :)





The book is "The Luger Handbook" by Aaron Davis.

The grading system is on page xiii


And I know that this may not be the most comprehensive book on Lugers, but it's a start.


On being subjective for the grading, that is also true as it does make a difference whether the observer sees the Luger in person or by way of photos.

On grading, here's an example of where I feel the seller is being overly optimistic.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=37762958

Wworker,

Davis's book is generally held in very low esteem, due to his copious errors and misinformation in the text.

You will find that Luger collectors usually describe guns directly in the percentage vocabulary, rather than the NRA (or other) qualitative grades.

--Dwight

Dwight,

I just finished the Aaron Davis book and would love to know what the general or specific errors are - I'm looking for my first Luger and don't want to follow the wrong lead. Are the determination criteria (markings, etc.) wrong?

Thanks!

I haven't looked at Davis for quite a while, and cannot find my copy right now. The most egregious error I recall, was describing late Mausers as having strawed parts when, in fact, they do not. The rest of the text simply cannot be trusted. Best thing to do is to use the identification matrix at the beginning to determine what variation you might be looking at, then look it up in Kenyon's "Lugers At Random", or one of Still's volumes if it is a military or Weimar Luger.

--Dwight