Conservator's gloves, et cetera
 

Sure am glad there's a "no flame" section of this forum for newbies like myself who have a few dumb questions! So if you have the time, and you'd be so kind as to indulge me:

Is it considered "over the top" to handle collector-grade Lugers (or any collectable firearm) with white cotton conservator's gloves? Do most of you folks do this?

Is it permissable to cycle the action, remove and replace the magazine, and generally "handle" a collector Luger?

Why is Renaissance Wax suggested for firearms that will never be fired? Couldn't a firearm preserved with RW be put back into service by simply cleaning the bore and lubricating?

Are there any high-quality reprints of the original Luger owner's manuals out there? I'm assuming originals are cost prohibitive as well as scarce.

I hope I am not being rude by asking so many questions in a single post, and appreciate in advance your thoughts and time!

Regards,

Jim

Jim, in almost all occassions flaming is frowned upon here :)

See answers below


Is it considered "over the top" to handle collector-grade Lugers (or any collectable firearm) with white cotton conservator's gloves? Do most of you folks do this? I do not do this, but I have been around collectors who do. I do know that its a personal preference, and if you touch a gun and not wipe it down, you could be screwing up...

Is it permissable to cycle the action, remove and replace the magazine, and generally "handle" a collector Luger? i do, but the more you "mess" with it, the more likely you will screw with it, you'll do something (I've dropped one and broke off part of a grip; created the million dollar chip in a different way than usual)

Why is Renaissance Wax suggested for firearms that will never be fired? Couldn't a firearm preserved with RW be put back into service by simply cleaning the bore and lubricating? I am sorry, this sounds backwards, you wouldn't use wax on guns that were being shot, the heat would melt the wax on the barrel; plus it is really lite coat...

Are there any high-quality reprints of the original Luger owner's manuals out there? I'm assuming originals are cost prohibitive as well as scarce. I bought an original from Charlie Kenyon for $125 a year or so ago; and there are old reprints available all the time on ebay.

I hope I am not being rude by asking so many questions in a single post, and appreciate in advance your thoughts and time!

Not in the least, welcome Jim :)

Thank you, sir, this is good to know. Perhaps you can tell by reading between the lines that I've recently acquired my first Luger, quite by happenstance, and I'm a bit gun-shy about its handling. So it remains in the safe until I do my homework on its care and feeding. I will, of course, post pictures in the next week or so.

Again, my thanks.

Is it considered "over the top" to handle collector-grade Lugers (or any collectable firearm) with white cotton conservator's gloves? Do most of you folks do this?

There are a number of collectors that require the use of gloves (cotton or nylon) to handle collector guns, and that is a very good precautionary practice. This practice grows out of a modicum of concern regarding the effect of sweaty hands on original bluing. Believe it or not, there are some individuals whose hands are so “sweaty” either with salts or acid that their handling of unprotected guns will result in damage to the bluing in a relatively very short period of time. To my way of thinking, any collector and/or dealer that permits handling of their guns (and they should, if the gun is for sale and there is the prospect of a serious buyer) has the responsibility to “wipe down” their guns after display or handling.

Is it permissable to cycle the action, remove and replace the magazine, and generally "handle" a collector Luger?

If you know what you are doing, and that is a big IF, then there should be no objection to the actions you mentioned. But, I have personally observed an individual pick up a $5000+ Luger and repeatedly work the action and snap the trigger before someone could stop him. Idiots should not be allowed to pick up a collector gun but unfortunately your average idiot looks a lot like me. It is hard to tell beforehand.

Why is Renaissance Wax suggested for firearms that will never be fired? Couldn't a firearm preserved with RW be put back into service by simply cleaning the bore and lubricating?

Actually, a gun treated with RW would not require any cleaning before putting it back into service. RW is a microcrystalline wax that is totally inert and provides superlative protection against atmospheric corrosion. It seals the surface against oxidation and is one of the most benign and beneficial treatments that can be applied to a properly cleaned collector firearm. It is used by major museum collections (Smithsonian included) and I use it myself.

Are there any high-quality reprints of the original Luger owner's manuals out there? I'm assuming originals are cost prohibitive as well as scarce.

Originals are scarce and expensive, but repros abound and can very frequently be found, as Ed indicates, on eBay.

I hope I am not being rude by asking so many questions in a single post, and appreciate in advance your thoughts and time!

Rude? Absolutely not.

Jim, I use soft white cotton gloves with Remington oil sprayed on them .....

Idiots shouldn't be allowed near any gun... ;)

I've toyed with the idea of carrying surgical gloves with me to a gun show, and a jewelers loupe, but I think anything that requires that much attention is going to be beyond my means anyway... :(

As an aside, Ron has one of the more common faces (from his avatar, anyway); I think we all know someone who has his looks and feel comfortable around them...None of the ones I know are idiots... :D

Ron, et al, I can't thank you enough for your sage advice. What an outstanding forum!

Your comments remind me of Gander Mountain, where customers are given free reign to handle the rifles regardless of the cleanliness of their hands. I cringe when I see a firearm, regardless of value, put back on the shelf after handling without a wipe-down. I've even seen an employee fill a shopping cart with rifles and shotguns without protecting the pieces from each other.

You stated that "If you know what you are doing, and that is a big IF, then there should be no objection to the actions you mentioned," with regard to cycling the action. Would you be kind enough to describe how the action should be cycled? If the action is cycled, how can spring tension be relaxed for subsequent storage without dry firing? (I am trying to avoid becoming one of the idiots you mentioned.)

Yes, I've been looking on Ebay, and I'm assuming the manual you speak of is the English translation by John Baum of the original WW2 German Manual for the 9mm Luger Pistol dated 1935. (Pistole 08 H.Dv. 255 L.Dv. 405 Berlin 1936 Berlag, Offene, Worte, Berlin D35.) Would this manual be appropriate for my 1941 Mauser? I'm not concerned with gleaning technical advice from the manual as much as I am some modicum of historical accuracy.

Again, my appreciation to you gentlemen for your time and advice.

Now THAT is a great idea! I've been spraying Remoil on an old cotton diaper I've had for years; but after having a grandchild recently I learned, much to my dismay, that disposable diapers are now the order of the day. So my source of diapers has dried up, you might say.

Jim, used for years with great results, both on my collection and in my gun shop......best to you

Jim,
You do not have to dry fire a Luger to release tension on the firing pin spring. Instead of letting the toggle close by itself, ease it closed manually while holding the trigger (although it is obvious, this may only be done with an unloaded gun!). Alternatively, you can open a closed action by easing it back a half-inch or so and then lower while holding the trigger. This keeps the sear from engaging the firing pin.

You must be constantly vigilant against individuals whose only contact with firearms has been via the movie or TV screen. A friend of mine recently was showing a highly collectible NIB S&W revolver to a potential buyer. Within the blink of an eye the pistol was siezed from the box and snapped half a dozen times! Another time I asked the clerk in a gun shop to show me three very nice Walther PPKs. He then strung all three on his index finger, heavily clanging them together, and dropped them on the counter in front of me. Stupidity lurks in unexpected places. Incidentally, no one touches my guns without an understanding of how they may be handled. Another practice of mine is to have those who touch my guns remove all rings from their fingers first.

I bought 70 pairs of cutton glooves from Beijing, which cost me $10. Now I handle collector, non-collector, basiclly everything with gloves on :)

Not really. I thought that way in the past too (because relatively older timer Nemo had said so). But later on I found my nake eyes are not very good, probably because I am becoming older and older every year..... 3x-7x loupe is very useful to check any blue on pits, ridges around stamp, rust in the stamp, halo, scratches, muzzle hint of relining, etc. But the precondition is good light source. Gun show seldomly offers good light, actually none of those shows that I went had good light.......... and the air quality inside was poor .....

A jewelers loupe is a very handy thing to keep available in your shirt pocket when you are considering buying something.

My best one was made in India, is 10X, has a plastic body, and only cost me $1.50 at a rock and gem show.

My biggest disappointment in a jewelers loupe is one that is also 10X and made in Switzerland. It cost $30.00 plus shipping and I assumed that since the Swiss make great watches, they must also make great jewelers loupes. But this one is no where near the image quality of the inexpensive one made in India.

Here are my unsolicited suggestions for what to look for in a jewelers loupe:

1. I think 10X is ideal.

2. Look for one that has a glass rather than a plastic lens.

3. Look for one that has a metal body (even though my favorite has a plastic body) because it will be more durable.

4. Look for one in which the image is clear and in focus all the way to the outside of the field of view. You'd be surprised how many of these, even the expensive ones, get a blurry image around the outside of the field of view.

5. It is handier if it comes with its own little cloth carring bag too.

Mauser720 - Ron

Just saw a few pictures on the internet. One guy proudly introduced his way of cleaning guns. Now I understand many guns that I saw on gunbroker.com :)

[pix copied from internet. Copyright belongs to original owner]