1908 Commercial Model?
 

This is the first Luger I ever bought. Its 7.65mm caliber with a 4.75 inch barrel. Serial number is 460XX with Germany beneath the serial. Barrel bore is bright and shiny with no pitting and the internals are excellent. There are no numbers externally like a military model. Also the safety is not marked. Finish is as you see it and I don't think that it has been reblued. Straw color is maybe 50-60%.

The grips look original but are kind of cruddy with dirt. Should I try to clean them or leave as they are? I tend to want to leave them untouched.

The magazine came with the pistol and not matching. 4 digit serial with a script "L" beneath. Would this be the correct magazine. Sorry, not able to make closeup photo of this.

Thank you for your thoughts and comments.

Charlie

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779014.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779037.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779074.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779088.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779100.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799.../357779112.jpg

very nice... I want one, or maybe 2??? lots of stuff and opinions here about grip cleaning, just do a search. you'll have to decide

Charlie,
You have a M1906 American Eagle. These were made for the American market. Everything looks correct except the mag, which should have a plain bottom or one that is stamped GERMANY. Your mag is probably a WWI military. The external #'s (last two digits of the S#) will be stamped in the commercial (hidden) style, on the bottom edge of the takedown lever and sideplate. To see the other #'s you will have to feild strip the gun. If you are uncomfortable posting the full serial # here, you should at least email the info to Dwight Gruber for his commercial database.
http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=14277

I sent Mr. Gruber an email with the info for his database.

Charlie

Charlie, ref grips. I have mixed feelings. if they are REALLY cruddy, i clean them up, usually you can still tell they were old.

Other times, I just let them be.

Cleaning is not like restrawing (a practice some folks do, I don't like it personally), and it far removed from say cold bluing or restoring a gun.

off topic, but I have a personal dilema that I have faced and then passed several times (sold the guns); I have had really nice lugers, and in say one spot, it has a bluing loss, I mean, no pitting, but this quarter size blotch. Leave it alone seems right to me, but restoring that one area seems "almost" acceptable....


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