New/Old Commercial Model - Info Requested
 

Sorry!!! Having problems!!! :grr:

OK! This is a commercial Luger I bought 3 months ago, but was unable to pick up until today...

Did you have a Pirate moment ?

Hello, about all that I can offer is that the serial # on the barrel appears to have halos (a GOOD thing). In the same photo the witness marks appear to be in alignment. Need a better shot of the witness marks. The mag is a MecGar (made in Italy cost ~ $30) , I have one in ALL my Lugers. Gotta say, those grips sure look nice. I'd upgrade from my Alphabet Commercial to this one if I could. .30 cal is a drag on the market as ammo can be priced at $1.00 a round (Fiocchi is ~1/2 that) unless you are a reloader. Old-timers say the .30 is more accurate and has more penetration than 9mm. I've had 9mm bullets stick in 1/2" plywood shot out of a 16" barrel at normal pistol ranges. Nice looking pistol, I'd give you $800-900 for it after an inspection. Best Regards!! JOE :typing:

Apparently the Abyss of Lost Replies. I was posting the above to something else that seems to have vanished. Good Luck Whoever you are!! Joe :bigbye:

Looks pretty clean inside...No rust...Goodly amount of bluing left, except where you would expect a holster to wear...

Barrel is a darker black than the rest of the pistol...and the rear slant of the front sight isn't lined up in a straight line like my other Luger barrels...

Numbers all match [82], except no number on breechblock or firing pin...Aftermarket mag w/steel extruded body & plastic 2-pin base...

No corrosion under grips...and aftermarket grips fit very snug, and are thinner than the Indian grips so prevalent nowadays...

Well maintained, as far as I can tell...

Import stamp on left gripframe rail...Crown/N on left chamber side...lazy Crown/N on breechblock...

Sorry for all the confusion!!! I had all my comments in post #1, and I could only upload 2-3 pics per post, so I tried to go back in and switch pics around and add the comments with the pics...

...It didn't work... :o

Anyway...Any comments, info, flames etc please post!!!

Oh, it's 30 cal/7.65 Luger...

The trigger, ejector, mag release, safety, and takedown lever still show strawing...Sideplate is worst worn, but has correct number on bottom...All edges are nice & sharp, doesn't appear to have been refinished...

Don't give up, Joe!!! I seem to be experiencing technical difficulties... :banghead:

That is a very nice Commercial. The little wear just adds character and the aftermarket grips look very good. Good deal; bet it was hard to wait for so long before you picked it up.

Didn't have a choice...The dealers' State Sales Permit expired and he had to re-apply all over again...Couldn't buy or sell handguns until it was re-issued. I had bought it on AuctionArms.com and had it shipped to him...Just when the permit expired... :grr:

It, and about 20+ other pistols, sat for three months...

Rifles, shotguns, and ammo were unaffected...New York State has a separate sales permit just for pistols/handguns...

Here's a shot of the witness marks. Also of the front sight, you can see where the "step" is.

The mag is a dull finish; not the shiny finish of the new Mec-gars...Checkering on button is finer than new Mec's...and the checkered part is bigger dia...maybe an old Mec-Gar???

Is it 82 on the sear cover, or 92?

It could be either...The strike was not square...

OK, I took some closeups...Your eye is better than mine...That does look like a "9", doesn't it??? :p

The number inside means nothing to me...I'm not even sure which way is up... :confused:

My instance also has a number inside the sear cover, single digit "5", which has nothing to do with s/n, and sits at a different location.

=====

Old catalog lists "Reconditioned Lugers". It's interesting to read what Stoeger offered in 1939:

Because of the thousands of re-built and refinished Luger Pistols which have flooded the market and many of which have been spuriously offered as new merchandise at prices actually less than factory new cost, we have decided to offer herewith a line of reconditioned Lugers. We offer these for those who are desirous of obtaining the benefits of Luger Pistol, but are not in a position to pay the present very high price which present factory costs, import duties, excise and other taxes make necessary.

All Luger Pistols offered by us are thoroughly inspected by experts and tested, thus giving the purchaser assurance of a satisfactory weapon.

The 7.65 mm Pistols are furnished only with 98 mm (3 5/8 inch barrel) and 9 mm only with 100 mm barrel (3 3/4 inch barrel) .

The following pistols are available in either caliber 7.65 mm or 9 mm as indicated.

Luger pistols, Grade 1, refinished, reblued, new grips, new barrels, same as new. Cal. 7.65 mm, Price, $37.50. Cal. 9 mm, Price $45.00

Luger pistols, Grade 2, slightly used, but in first-class mechanical condition, barrels very good. Price, 7.65 mm only $30.00

Luger pistols, Grade 3, in good servicable condition. Price, Cal 7.65 mm or 9 mm $27.50

====

$37.50 of that time is equivalent of today's $750, using sterling silver price as a reference. I bet the price is similar, even after 70 years ??

The number inside the side plate on DWM's is the first part of the serial number.

And since it *is* the first two of my ser #, that would seem to indicate that it is "original" and not force match...

However, after reading several threads here, the witness marks on barrel/grip frame are quite obviously two different strikes, and the font of the "n" is different, both indicating a re-barrel...

alvin - Did you buy one of those repro Stoeger 1939 catalogs??? I was thinking about that myself...

Doesn't look like it's been rebarreled to me.