1940 restoration
 

Hello everyone. Got my first Luger about a week ago and got a bunch of help from everyone here on the boards. I have a well well worn 1940 S/42 with non-matching numbers. Took it out this weekend and it shoots, so that's a plus. The bore is clean, and that's about where the good news ends. As you can see from the pics, I have some work ahead of me.

It depends on what you want? It could just be blued or Cerakote (sp)

Step 1: detail strip. So far I have everything completely taken part except one roll pin on the top of the toggle and the dogleg pin behind the trigger plate. Any info or tricks on that one would be appreciated. The small parts are all in decent shape, just need polished up and cleaned. The frame has some rust that will need scrubbed and the barrel is going to be consuming quite a bit of my life in the upcoming days.

I would prefer to blue it, but if the pitting is just too deep I will end up filling the pits and cerekotong jt. My concern is to what extent can parts be cerakoted. Internally parts can be cold blued but if it's visible I want it to match. Pins and whatnot could pose a problem.

Given the fine pitting, I'd just blue the whole thing and let it go.
Once evenly colored, it won't look so bad.

I don't believe Cerakote is a good idea for a luger, would look really strange- may as well paint it.
JMHO.

Cerakoting a Luger just kind of feels wrong doesn't it? Haha

Matt bluing may help minimize the pitting. Bead blast it then blue it. Give a matt black finish. But don't throw a lot of money at it.
dju

Some folks would glass bead that Luger to help camouflage the pitting, and then blue it. That will work and produce a matte blue finish. It is likely the easiest way to prep the metal for refinishing.

If it were mine, I would spend the time with Emory paper/wet-dry paper/etc. to try and get as much pitting out, or swallowed, as possible. I would not try for a polished finish as it will show any remaining pits quickly. Perhaps a 220 grit paper finish or there about could do a nice job for you. Sort of a trial and error. I would blue it, and not "coat it". You can produce a very acceptable shooter Luger from what you have there.

Having the Luger function reliably is a huge plus, in my way of thinking. The rest is window dressing......and the fun part(at least to me). Good luck!!

EDIT:
David posted while I was typing. I am a slow typist!!

Maybe parkerizing it would do the trick.

For pins that are a bit tight, I have used a drill press. Starter punches probably work better than the press on really tight pins. The small pin in the toggle knob has a dimple on top due to the manufacturing process - it is not a roll pin. It presses out from the bottom.

The small toggle knob pin and the s-link pin are the most difficult pins in the Luger pistol to remove, at least for me.

The frame lock pin sheered in half while trying to remove. I'll try and remove that small vertical toggle pin tomorrow, just need a smaller punch for that one. Does that go from the bottom up or from the top down? Whats the trick to the dogleg (s-link) pin, sliding something thin and flexible behind it or just not being afraid of giving it some extra force?

Frame lock pin? If you mean the take down lever spring, it is "L" shaped and projects down into the frame in addition to fitting in the groove. I use a 1/16" pin punch to get it moving from the bottom.

The small pin in the toggle is best removed by driving from bottom to top, if you just want to dis-assemble, you don't have to drive it all the way out, just flush with the inside bottom of the cut for the pin- so the pin can slide out.

S Link- Support on a hard wood, brass, or steel surface with a hole to receive the pin. Use a short nose "starting" punch of the correct size. You may need a 2lb. hammer, once it moves, switch to a long nose punch and drive it out and into the receiving hole in the support.

Hope this helps.

I would give it a gentle polish, by hand, with abrasives on blocks, to keep the edges sharp. Then, I would rust blue it. Time consuming, but the best luger finish going.

Don't forget to get one of Jim Solomon's main spring tools. It will significantly reduce the requisite amount of cussing and spitting required to reinstall the spring in the frame. His tool not only works well, but it looks great too.

After stripping it I just assumed the Germans hated knuckles and the flesh around fingernails.