White Monograms
 

I see Lugers where the Maker's Monogram and other markings are highlighted in white. What is the significance?

Regards,
Joe

No significance, just highlighted for better clearer reading/better photos.

Joe Y, The safety area, gesichert, was originally painted white by the manufacturer. This was the only area on the pistol that was done this way by the Germans.

As Policeluger points out, any other you see are done by collectors who want to see the inscription better without looking closely. Jerry Burney

It's done by rubbing a chalky white substance or something like White Out into the stamping. Some pro refinishers use gold leaf on all markings, which looks fancy, but practically all collectors highlight the markings for quick visibility. I'm not a collector, so none of my guns have anything highlighted - I don't care if anybody sees the markings or not. I am thinking of refinishing a shooter Luger, and will use white paint in 'GESICHERT' as per original.

Hi,

On the Dutch contract lugers, which had the text 'Geladen' on both sides of the extractor, this text also had to be filled in with white, along with the 'rust' text and the accompanying arrow in the safety recess.

G. van Vlimmeren, I stand corrected. You are right and I had forgotten this small detail. Thanks for the reminder! Jerry Burney

Gerben,

Really, the extractors filled on Dutch guns? Thats news to me, and I'm vey glad to learn it, thanks.

Saxman,

I'd want to be cautious about rubbing anything "chalky" into Luger markings. Chalk--diatomaceous earth--is slightly abrasive, and I'd not want to take the chance of scratching the finish. I don't know for a fact that it would happen, but there are enough non-abrasive materials out there to use that I wouldn't want to take the chance.

--Dwight

Don't worry about it. Like I said, I don't do it.

Hello Joe,

Most folks use this product from Brownells :

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...ACQUER-STIK%7e

Regards,

Pete...

Dwight,

Yes. The double-sided stamping and white filling was mentioned on the contract blue-prints.

Literal text:

'Fur Mod.Holland is "geladen" rechts u. links aufzuschlagen u. die schrift weiB auszulegen s.zchng 204850'

'For the Dutch model "geladen" is to be stamped on right and left and the text filled in with white, see drawing 204850'

One other thing I noticed, btw, in the 'Dutch Luger' there are some construction drawings (with GL's signature) of the 'model 1904' luger (with the coil spring rather than the leaf), that came from the archives of the Dutch government arsenal. These drawings show the navy-style radius magazine knobs in stead of the the 'normal' pattern.
(the drawing even states 'rechts und links je 3 ringe eindrehen') (twist in 3 rings left and right)

Funny thing is that these drawings do not depict the 'Marine Modell 1904', but just the 'new pattern coil spring' lugers with 9mm barrels.

Frankly, this completely derails NvG's assumption that the rings on the knobs were meant for the German Navy to differentiate between 7.65 and 9mm.

Many collectors do not want to see a whitening of the markings on the Luger other than 'Gesichert' because it can mask a restoration or a alteration to the gun. I think that this is a valid argument. While, personally, I think that it does enhance the appearance, I don't think that I would do it to any of my collector quality Lugers. But I would not reject any Luger that I thought would be otherwise correct.
Big Norm

Norm is right on here!

I had edited my original post here, but, for some reason, my edit did not take hold. My first sentence should read "Many collectors do NOT want to see whitening...". My post now reads correctly.
Big Norm

All, thanks for the info. I was wondering if is was a makers trade during certain periods. Thanks for the clarifications.

Regards,
Joe