1900 Swiss at Carol Watson Auctions
 

So I'm looking at several 1900 Swiss Lugers being offered at the upcoming Carol Watson Auctions in March. Before I bid too much, and to try and understand what I am seeing, I have a few questions I hope you Swiss experts can answer (I know, you're not "experts" - but compared to me you are!):

1. Why do so the solder marks on the right side of the frame look wrong on so many of these? Do you think it is just the picture quality or do these look reblued/touched up?

2. I understand that many of the Swiss Lugers were reblued by the arsenal. Would that make the solder joints disappear somewhat like this?

3. With Swiss Lugers, does an arsenal reblue lower the value of a 1900 Swiss? I ask because I use Blue Book as a guide, but do I need to deduct for arsenal reblue with Swiss like I would for any other reblue/restore job?

1. https://cwocauctions.proxibid.com/as...1423369761803#
2. https://cwocauctions.proxibid.com/as...1423367807401#
3. https://cwocauctions.proxibid.com/as...me%7C#topoflot
4. https://cwocauctions.proxibid.com/as...1423369537427#

Here are the pictures I am talking about -
#4 looks the best to me, but even that one still doesn't look quite right to me - I don't see a halo around the joint.

Am I just being paraniod?

Thanks
- Geo

I think lighting and the oblique angle the guns are photographed at are major contributors to any doubt. Most look ok to me after magnification.

Geo. If you're referring to the visable line where the lower toggle lock is dovetailed (not sodered) into the frame, it looks normal to me. TH

The toggle lock dovetail into the frame is sufficiently tight that insertion of the toggle lock causes enough compression that the bluing at the edge of the dovetail can display halo. Rebluing will certainly obliterate any halo there, but the presence and amount of halo varies with the individual gun. It may take a close-up, hands-on inspection to determine the difference.

Caution with this selection of Carol Watson Auction Luger offerings is certainly warranted.

--Dwight

The toggle lock is both dovetailed and soldered. A compression fit alone of a dovetail (actually a "T" slot) is not sufficient to stand up to extended use.