New 1900 to the collection
 

okay, saw this on a small town auction today, the auction did not start until evening, so was able to drive to it after work with my son.

They had a few deals and some expensive items that always make you shake your head.

They had two semi-auto's, a 1934 mauser in rougher shape that went for too much and this 1900 American Eagle!

I started bidding and got it for about half of what I expected it to go for! It appears to be matching, and yes, the grip safety spring is either broken or in weird, but I am happy.

Neat! It has the Swiss reinforced extractor and I'll bet the grip safety is just installed wrong. If the spring is broken, Tom Heller has replacements.

Thanks Ron, and I have an 'extra' spring in my box, that I got from Tom a year or two ago :)


AHHHHH, grip safety is mismatched, but the spring was just popped off! So, it works fine now :)

Nice score there Ed!
dju

Ed,
very nice and honest pistol. I like this delicate early design. The lining of the numbers on the sideplate and the locking bolt confuse me a bit.
Any explanations ?
Armin.

one is facing up, the other down, I was not bothered by it... Even if mismatched, I would have been pleased.


Ed

Nice catch, Ed!

FN

Eed, A real beauty at that price! Ron, Honestly I had never before seen a Swiss reinforced extractor before..learn something every day!

Would the serial numbers being oriented alike on the sideplate and takedown be a hard rule or are there other examples where they were oriented differently?

You lucky dog! Nice one!!!

unknown by me, I thought it odd when I was taking the pictures last night?

1900
 

Very nice find Ed. Glad you got

Ed:

Just curious. In the trader post you mention that it came with a Nazi mag. Did the mag fit and seem to function with it? (I guess I could get my lazy self up and go try one myself).

Clark

hmmm, interesting, you are correct, early guns don't like the "newer" mags, well this one fit right in?

Guess I will go try same mag in a couple of other lugers.... yup, fit just fine in the 1900, 2 DWM's and a Portuguese byf

It was a great catch. Honest wear and great patina - both things I always like to see on a 100 years old handguns.
Congratulations,
Douglas

Asking about the SN on the take down lever being fipped from the trigger SN. There is a forum (Early Lugers (1900-1906)) that there is a title of a forum American eagle 10077 I do believe that is also reversed like this one. They were questioning it on that artcle as well.

Nice gun Ed... Congrats!