my first luger a byf 41 black widow.
 

I just bought a black widow and i was wondering about the value. I dont now much about lugers but I have some pic and I'll e-mail them if you need me to. It has about 90% blueing and the serial number is a68 all parts are numbermatching exept the barrel which is not original, it has two eagles with the number 135 under them, i dont have the original clips, just two with fxo and 37 on them, the grips are wery nice. and an police holster, not wery nice has been modified. So if someone can tell me a little about this gun and its walue.
ill be grateful.

sverre.
norway.

Hi Sverre,

Welcome to the LugerForum..!

I will let others help you on your black widow question - I just wanted to say "Hi" to you on your first post..!

thanks john d. :)

i wold like to add that it has no rust and pitting, and the wear is only holster wear.

Welcome Sverre...

I also have a byf 41 Luger, but mine has been refinished. You can see a photograph of my Black Widow in the old Owner's Corner link on the left. Just look for the folder with my name on it. Do I understand correctly that your serial number is "68 a" ? That is a very low serial number...

The condition of the finish is very subjective and that is why photographs are so important in determining the value. From your description, I would guess that your Luger is worth at least $800 to $1200 depending on condition... so please post photographs if you can and we will try to determine the value as closely as possible. The photographs must be in clear focus and be of both sides and the top of your Luger.

We would like to see photographs of your Luger. There is a tutorial on uploading and posting photographs in the Site Help & Feedback forum that should provide you with instruction on how to post your photographs. We also have a Member Gallery where large format photographs can be posted.

If you require assistance in posting your photographs after reading the tutorial, you may email them to me at Lugerforum@yahoo.com and I will post them for you.

You are not our only member from Norway...but the others seldom post to the forum... perhaps you will be the active one :)

Once again, welcome.

Welcome Sverre, this is a fun place and glad to have you here.

My name is not John so it'll be easy to remember!

:D

Ed

thanks ed. ill think ill be active in the forum since i have totally fallen in love with these pistols, and cant wait till i get anotherone.

here are the pics you asked for sabato.

http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/sverre2.JPG
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/sverre3.JPG
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/sverre12a.jpg

ps.the membergallery is not working, cant create folder.
Sverre.

and yes the serial number is 68a.

sverre.

Sverre,

Thanks for showing us the photos... a VERY nice byf41.

Could you post a photo of the front of the frame showing the full serial number and the markings on the bottom of the barrel?

About the member gallery...If you are using any software (like AdSubtract) that eliminates pop-up ads, then the Member Gallery will not function as it uses pop-up windows. Try closing all browsers and disabling the blocking software and restarting your web browser session and it should work.

here is a picture of the front, there are no marking on the barrel as i think this is a repo and not the original barrel.

( Your photo enlarged and cropped and your post was edited to allow the photo to appear by admin-JS)

http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/sverre68a.jpg

Sverre.

Thanks for the fine photographs.

thank you for the info, so is it worth the 750$ i gave for it? i am currently searching for the original barrel, wonder why he changed it? i hope it wasnt broken.

Sverre.

must we refer to these as "black widows"? this was a marketing scheme by Ralph Shattuck to somehow paint a picture of these as being elusive. When in fact many years ago no-one wanted these because they looked cheap next to the hand made/fitted walnut grips!

I think since this has been used for many years, that it will be hard to get away from it. As an example, I was on another forum (C&R guns or somethig like that) and the moderator kept refering to Lugers from the Weimar period as 1920 Commericials, and Jan Still in Weimar Lugers is trying to focus the name to Alphabet DWM. These era guns are refurbished but also many are new manufacture, yet many, many collectors beleive they are all refurbished war relics and that is not so.

So, my point is, we just refrain from calling them that, or come up with another name. I try to refer to Artillery Lugers as Lange Lugers, because artillery is only part of who they were issued too and the military never called them Artillery Lugers, that is another name "given" to them...

Ed

You guys are right on. Another thing, if you ask a German about a "Luger" in all probability he won't know what you are talking about.