1916 erfurt
 

I have an authentic 1916 brought back by my unlce from WWII.
It is beautiful and shoots well. I am concerned that it may be ruined due to my uncle having it chromed some time back.
All serial numbers match, I have two sets of handles.
Is it ruint from a value stand point?

Yep, pretty much.....probably worth about 1/3 of what it would be if it hadn't been mutilated like that....I'll never understand what motivated people to do that to Lugers....if you had a vintage Jaguar XK150, would you paint flames down the side of it? arrrgggghh

Back in the 1940's chroming was a way to "stop the gun from rusting". In the deep south and other humid areas, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

gewarren,

Treasure the gun for what it is, a piece of your Uncle's history and and a family heirloom. Monetary value is really of no consequence if you are never going to sell it.

George,

First, welcome to the forum.

While Luger collectors are mainly interested in guns that are as close as possible to the way they left the factory, your Luger will always have the value of being tangible evidence of your uncle's service to our country. That value, even including the history of his refinishing the gun, will never change for you.

If you've checked it mechanically, and cleaned it, and found it sound, it is still valuable as a "shooter" Luger. Every time you bring it to the range, you'll find those that admire the Luger, and are curious about it and your family story that goes with it.

Ed Tinker on this forum collects "bring back stories". If you know the history of your uncle's acquisition of the Luger, and particularly if you can find the "bring back papers" that he may have been issued by his unit commander, these things have historical value. If you know these things, please post details here for Ed and others.

Marc