Original luger blueing
 

Were lugers salt blued or rust blued?
Thanks,
Major Tom

Tom,

Generally speaking; both!! Rust Blued from 1900 until early-mid 1937 and salt blued thereafter. All Krieghoffs were salt blued.

Some late produced P.08s are also seen with a Parkerized finish, notably the M943 Portuguese issue. But the parkerizing was done locally by the Portuguese Army for service in Africa.

But like everything else, there were possible exceptions.

John

The exact answer to your question is "Yes"...

Rust Bluing was used by DWM and Erfurt. Early Swiss W+F Lugers are rust blued. Mauser did go through a transition that occurred over 1937. During that year, things start out as before, and a gradual shift takes place with some rust blued, some salt blued and even some mixed.

Interestingly, Mauser continued to rust blue some commercial Lugers after 1937. I have a 1938 commercial Mauser that is rust blued with strawed parts.

does this go for mauser made dutch lugers,1937 thru 1940?
thank you
james haven

I think the parkerized Portuguese were refinished here for use in Africa. But have no proof of it.

Mario,

You are absolutely correct. Many of the M943 pistols, as they were designated, were Parkerized by the Portuguese Army for service in Angola and Mozambique.

They left Mauser as standard issue P.08s which were salt blued.

Should have remembered this, but frankly every M943 that I have ever seen was Parkerized so fell into the trap.

Thanks for pointing this out. I have corrected my post.

John