(re)bluing question
 

As a new fish in the Luger pond my eye is not yet attuned to the finer points of blueing, and there is a gun for sale locally which may prove instructive. It is a garden variety 1908 commercial, and I am wondering if it has, indeed, been re-blued. The strawed parts have, for certain, which mitigates against the rest of the finish being original (its in the 85--90% range). The proof marks seem sharp and clear (haven't gone at them yet with a magnifying glass), so the gun hasn't been buffed to death--there isn't any obvious buffing at all.


The head-scratcher is that the barrel and toggle are beginning to turn a uniform, deep plum. Is this a characteristic of original finish age, or of a failure during re-blue? The barrel seems to be original, serial numbers match (although I haven't located a number on the breechblock and there is not one on the extractor, although it is stamped 'geladen'), and the underside of the barrel and receiver where they meet are stamped with a shallow line indidating they haven't moved, similar to a stamping on my Model 1900.


So, what does anybody think, re-blue or original? Just for the record asking price is $415, probably firm.


--Dwight

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Dwight,Plum color is usually a result of a bad salt bluing job which occured on some Mauser Lugers. The one you are speaking of would have been rust blued originally. You might see some brown oxide under the rust blue which would look a little more brown in the sunlight. I think this Luger you are talking about has been salt blued with the original rust bluing removed, but would have to see it in person to be sure. Here is my 1938 S/42 that has a plum finish all over. It is next to my 1939 42 that has a proper salt blue. Did this gun look like this? ~Thor~




http://www.lugerforum.com/owner_gall...plumluger2.jpg

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Is the coupling link blue? That "S" curved bar that connects the rear toggle link to the mainspring assembly is supposed to be "in the white". Most of the time it isn't disassembled, and is blued when the rest of the pistol is reblued.

Also, the safety bar, that part that appears and disappears as one operates the safety is supposed to be in the white.


The low price would point to something like reblueing having occured, unless it's a private party sale.


IMO,

Craig

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Dwight,


That is a reasonable price for a shooter even if it has been reblued. If you don't buy it, email me as I would like to buy it.

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Only the barrel and rear toggle link (and rear toggle pin, now that I think about it).


And the plum was -much- darker--if you saw it by itself, without being adjacent to parts which were truly black, you probably wouldn't think it was plum at all.


--Dwight

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Connecting link is definitely blued. A good tip about that, thenks eversomuch for this extremely valuable piece of information.


I don't recall about the safety bar, I'll check--another valuable nugget of info.


The price doesn't really have much relationship to the gun's condition, the seller doesn't know Lugers, and is very frank about not knowing if it is reblued or not, and not really knowing how to tell. A good educational time is being had by all.


--Dwight

Re: (re)bluing question
 

Hugh, I emailed you but it bounced, please email me directly.


--Dwight