S/42 Questions
 

Picked up an S/42 Luger today. Not sure why..... It has been nickled. All matching parts, the S/N is XX92 and all the parts I can see are marked 92. The chamber is dated 1938. On the right side of the receiver near the chamber is an eagle over an 63. The grips have a 2 digit number on the insides that is either a 75 or a 92 not really sure which it is.

The magazine is marked P.08 on the lower left side to the rear. Also above the gripping recesses is an eagle over 37 below a fxo on the front edge of the lower left side. Up towards the feed lip on the left side is another eagle over a 37. Mag is blued.

The gun is all matching. There is a 92 on all the parts I see, which is the end of the serial number of the gun on the front of the frame below the barrel. Is there a website with pictures to compare it to?

All of the NAZI era guns I have owned are marked with a Eagle over a Swastika. This one is an Eagle over the 63, why? Is this a a commercial gun? The Blue Books mentions commercial pieces dated 1938. Guess this is a whole new world for me to explore.

The grips are almost a black color. They appear to be original. What color are they supposed to be?

The nickle I can live with. After all the price was reasonable. Wouldn't mind having it blued as that is more the proper look. However, it would still be a restored piece. Cost? Website for the restorer? Other that a abomination shooter what have I got? Paid $400 for it. Screwed up or not? Wanted a shooter....

Others here know more than I but $400 for a shooter is pretty darn good. I wish I could find a matching project gun for that much. Brownells sells a fine nickel stripper; its better to strip the nickel than have some Dud buff it off (as if it hasn't been buffed enough already). As for the grips, they tend to turn a blackish color with dirt, grime, use and age. Good luck and enjoy your shooter.

Charlie

Did find out the fxo and 37 are for C.G.Hanel.

http://www.proofhouse.com/cm/ger_ord_codes.htm

Which nickle stripper? They sell two different ones.

I have used the room temp stripper on both a Colt 1911 and a S&W with great success. Just be sure that it is warm enough.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...KEL%20STRIPPER

Charlie

Or strip it down to parts and take it to your local chrome plater shop. They can electrically strip it for next to nothing. Then you can blue it. Hope it wasn't all buffed up prior to plating.
Sounds like a good deal and a great fixer-uper.
DJU

I restore old British cars and as an experiment for de-chroming, I bought a chromed cyq P38. I stripped it at home using an acid bath and battery charger. Although it worked, it was a lot of work for mediocre results. I wouldn't do it again. If it's actually nickel-plated and not chromed, it will be easier to strip. You'll lose a lot of the crispness to any markings or lose them altogether. I'd try bead blasting it first. I wouldn't take it to a chrome plater. The parts will need a watchful eye as the process only takes a few minutes.

+1 for Apis. If its chrome I'd send it to an expert to remove. If its nickel I'd remove it myself. If its been buffed so badly that it looks like a smooth bar of soap I might bead blast but you might remove even more detail. Might be better to leave that bar of soap plated and just shoot it. Removing plating is a hard decision. My take is like a doctor's should be: "Do no harm to the patient". But thats just me.

Charlie

Shot it!
 

TooK the Nickled S/42 to the range this morning. Tried several types of hardball and one brand of JHP. The hardball was 3 inches high by 3 inches to the left of a center mass hold. Placed a spotter right and low of the bull and most rounds went into the 9/10 rings. Group size was approx 1 inch at 15 yards. What was the bullet weight these were supposed to shoot?
The trigger pull was atrocious. Probaby in the neighborhood 10 or more pounds. Is this a fixable thing?