Rare luger question
 

Hi all, just reading through the sticky threads an came across this thread "Difficult Military Mauser Lugers to Find" In it itr lists hard to find lugers and one being a "1937 S42 DE/63. Could this be one I have found for sale on a website?

Cheers

Just read the serial number which is 6281 so probably not!

Ben,
If I'm not mistaken, I believe the early production 1937 had strawed small parts, don't recall right now at what number they changed. This example is all blued small parts and were produced in much greater quantity.

Mark

Cheers Mark, I am new to lugers and dont understand what strawed is. Can you enlighten me please?

Cheers

Ben, the 1937 S/42 you picture doesn't appear to have strawed small parts, so it isn't one of the difficult to find.

Just googled strawed luger, from the pictures of one I presume the strawed parts are of a lighter colour? So for example the trigger, locking lever, safety catch etc?

Cheers

Yes, small parts strawed. You find those on Mauser Lugers from mid 37 back to 1934. You can also find them on some Banner Lugers all the way to 1942.

Many thanks for that, something else new I have come across tonight :) Did they straw parts on WW2 bits only or WW1? The reason I ask when I asked for the spare parts for my Arty luger the guy said I would need a strawed trigger (at the time I did not understand) but that is a 1917 one?

Ben,

The particular small parts were straw finished from the very beginning by all manufacturers, from the prototype until dip bluing was used by Mauser, phased in in 1937--Apparently the last general production/military examples from early 1937 are rarer because they were the last of this finish. Contract (banner) Lugers after that could be straw finished, I suppose on spec from whatever entity ordered them. And of course, the Parabellum pistols made by Mauser in the 70s had strawed parts.

Again many thanks for the info, I have learn't so much here already :)

Another question ref this luger has it been re furbished? The blue seems black to me like military Suncorite and not the Blue what you see on most lugers?

Again many thanks :)

Ben

Hi Ben, the best way to tell would be to see if there is bluing in the pits found on the right side of this Luger's barrel. If they are blued, it's been redone.

The magazine serial number was also defaced.

The wear pattern on the toggle looks like it's a salt blued Luger. What was the suffix letter on the serial number (front of frame)?

Ben,
I suspect that the black appearance of the gun is due more to the way it was photographed rather than a refinish.

Again gents many thanks, this one is not a bad price so I will have a go at buying this one me thinks :)

Cheers

Ben

I will email and ask him

Cheers :thumbup:

Ben

From looking at the chart, I believe the scarce part of the 1937 is the straw "with" the frame hump.

Bob