Weird Side Plate
 

I just picked up a 1920 in good shape, but with a side plate the seller described as a mismatch. Upon receiving the pistol, I'll admit that I've never seen anything like it. It looks as though it was set upon with a file and a Dremel, then buffed and hot-dipped blued. It has a matching number on the lower side that has been mostly buffed away, but sure looks original to me. I think it's the original side plate, but can't imagine what happened to it. The pistol has no import marks, and has over 80% original rust blue.http://image1.villagephotos.com/pubi...1228&uid=37125

You have to have a one space gap between your text and the picture you are posting. It does look like someone was experimenting on the side plate. I am not sure, but I think that it might be repairable. You'd have to send it to someone who knew how to weld really good though.

http://image1.villagephotos.com/pubi...1228&uid=37125

Doug; Thanks for the tip on posting pics. I will not have the side plate built up and reshaped, probably will pick up another one some day if I see a good one. This Luger appears to have not been fired much, but the barrel is just fair. I think it was stored without cleaning after firing corrosive ammo, and the subsequent corrosion was cleaned out years later, leaving some pitting in the grooves. It'll shoot okay, though. I'm working on the grips now - both of them had some cracks. I'll post some pics when I get done with it. The only part on it not matching is the takedown lever - it has the matching number on it, but also has another number which I think is the original.

Saxman,

I enlarged and slightly enhanced the contrast of your sideplate photo and what it appears to me is that some amateur machinist may have tried to do a surface grind of the flat on the sideplate in a drill press instead of a milling machine.

This may have been to remove some objectionable marks the gun had acquired in this area (I noticed that there is a swastika and the number 30 scratched onto the flat of the grip frame) or maybe it was done just to remove some holster rust from laying on it's left side in a damp holster for many years.

The grind marks are too rough to have been done in the proper jig and using the right tools, and as you say it may have been attempted by hand with a dremel.

I don't think welding is necessary because there appears to be enough metal remaining if you want to clean up the appearance a little. Take the sideplate to a good machinist and ask them to smooth out the entire flat surface and clean up the edges of the hump in straight lines. Once that is done it should polish to an acceptable surface... and you can have Thor rust blue the gun for you and It would look great when he gets done with it...

I agree with you that the takedown lever was stamped to match the rest of the gun. The number on the bottom of the lever is the original number.

All in all, it looks like a nice Luger... and would be the basis for a great shooter.

Here is my enhanced photo of the damaged area...
http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/wierdsideplate1.jpg

Thanks for the comments - the scratching isn't a Swastika, though, it's just some guy's stylized initials with some numbers (not enough for a SSN). These are very light and would be easy to buff out, but I'm not in that mode yet with this one - just want to get it as good as it can be as it is now, then function check and test fire. Having always wanted a Luger, it's fun to have it around and learn about it. I did a field strip, clean and oil on it last night, and I want to do a detail strip later. I like my guns in arsenal, or service condition, not collector condition. I enjoyed getting the white gunk out of the markings and giving it it's obviously first cleaning in years. Using the info on this site, I will analyze the markings on the RH side of the frame tonight - looks like three little splayed chickens(LOL).

<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
THREE LITTLE SPLAYED CHICKENS !
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />

Yeah, I started to say they were like little 'screaming chicken' decals off a Trans Am hood (LOL). But, thanks to this great site and a powerful magnifying glass, I will be able to identify these birds of prey as the acceptance marks they are. It's great to begin to experience the 'every Luger has a story' aspect, and I can't wait to discover and identify every mark on it.

My receiver proof marks are #31, so it's a reworked police or military. Serial is 40xx h. Barrel is numbered to match, but has a lower case L under the number. There's also 882 under that, up against the receiver. In looking closer at the sideplate, it's apparent that the grinding/buffing was an ill-fated attempt to rescue a severely pitted sideplate. Oh, well, maybe I'll get lucky and find one with matching numbers - out of every 100 made, one would match.