Dressed Up Vopo
 

I got some grips for my new Luger the other day. It's a 42 date byf with some parts forced-matched. I'm not very fond of the black plastic grips it came with, so I picked up a set of repro Black Widow grips, & yesterday at the local gun show I also came across a set of mis-matched wood grips. So playing around today, I swapped out the grips to let this Luger look its Sunday best:

Before
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...shooter_21.jpg

After Plastic Repro Grips
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...g/Lugerbyf.jpg
Wood Grips
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q.../Lugerbyf4.jpg

Just thought I'd share! I'm not even sure it's a VoPo, but the grips look like it. It came with a MecGar mag but I put in an aluminum based mag.

Is there any markings to look for that the East Germans put on when refurbishing Lugers? Also, the barrel has no markings at all. The finish wear is consistent with the rest of the gun...could it have been replaced by the East Germans this way or is it probably a modern barrel? It has no import marks, so I'm thinking the import marks went the way of the original barrel if it was replaced here in the states...

Really makes it look good!!

Are you going to straw the small parts or leave them blue?

Vern

Thanks!

I have like zero ability to gunsmith. I'll be leaving the finish "as is", unless strawing is an easy process. Then I wouldn't mind getting into a little labor-of-love project! ;)

Re: Dressed Up Vopo
 

While I am not an expert, the barrel usually has some mark if it has been replaced. Barrel marks include: rough muzzle crown and a crown/N proof or they are marked with a C/N and sometime the date of change, usually a 3-4 digit indicating month and year, i.e. 654 for June of 1954.

The grips are not typical of the VOPO, they usually have a checkerd pattern with a circle as shown here...
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5371/dscn1051xo2.jpg

The grips you show look more like Russian replacements. Are there any elongated "X" markings that look like crossed rifles on it anywhere?

No, no Russian "X" marks anywhere. I'm familiar with them, from collecting Mosins, Nagants, RC K98's, etc. but non on this pistol.

Thanks for claritying the origins of the grips. I remember back a little bit when VoPo's Lugers were being imported, and when RC Lugers were too. It's been a while & my memory faded as to which was which.

Thanks for the heads up. Nice VoPo you got there!

I don't think it has ever been established on where the origin is for the vertically "checkered" grips, but it is believed to be eastern bloc post war... It could even be a sub standard issue for VOPO...

Perhaps someone else can come up with a reference for these grips with a little more authority and my aging memory...

I do have a set of these grips, but don't use them... they are not as comfortable in my hand as the VOPO Bullseye or Black widow reproductions.

The finish doesn't look "VoPo" to me. I'm used to seeing VoPos refinished with a very dull black finish that almost looks like a "black" parkarized finish. The refinish job seems universal, I've seen it done to pistols that were very obviously almost pristine before being refiished. I've one like that in my collection.