Hey I had a couple questions
 

The white lettering/ numbering on the top of a Luger , was that done at the factory , or done on referbishing. Or on commercial and not military? Sorry for my ignorance , but my search didn't pull up any info. Also why do the 42 mausers cost so much less than other variants , s/42, 41/42 , etc. iam not complaining just curious , maybe just more were produced?

I suppose there are other possibilities, but the most common method is with a "lacquer stick", a white waxy crayon-type marker that you rub on, then wipe off the excess, leaving the white in the channels of the stamped or engraved numbers/letters/markings. One notable exception is the "Giesert" marking under the safety, that came from the factory filled with white paint. None of the other markings were originally "whited" in.
I still have part of one lacquer stick that I bought form Ralph Shattuck about a gazillion years ago.
dju

Your observation on Mauser lugers does not hold true for what I see.
Condition dictates pricing more than the date or toggle code, JMHO.

John,

Welcome to the Forum.

The ONLY lettering or number filled in at the factory is the Gesichert under the safety lever. Anything else was done by a previous owner of the pistol.

On value. Don is correct saying that condition trumps everything else within a class/variation of P.08. The second factor is scarcity defined by either usage, i.e.a Navy marked gun, or number of pieces made, or a specific proof mark.

Some examples:

K-dates are generally speaking the most expensive S/42 marked P.08. Only 11,000 made and it was the first year of production.

There are several variations of G-dates, all S/42 but with various scarcities.

1937 dated, S/42s depend on early or late variation.

The 41/42 you mentioned is higher priced because it is a transition between the year 41 marked with 42 and byf toggle marks. Only few thousand made with 41/42. Most had 41 byf.

And, Navy marked guns!!! Another price point entirely due to scarcity.

Bottom line: Really difficult to generalize with respect to Luger collecting as all generalizations are wrong, including this one.

Hope this helps.

John

This is covered under the FAQ - not saying you shouldn't ask questions, but there is a lot of information there, see FAQ under the New Collectors area :)

Ed

Ya I found it thanks

I use Gesso acrilic paint. Original use is to paint office door windows. Wipes off easy with a little moister and stays on even when cleaning gun with gun oil.