[Imperial Arms]

Doc,

Are you asking me to write a book highlighting the details that I look for when I examine a pistol? I shall begin to give some details, but if I get tired, I shall stop because it is a long list:

1) Get a new pair eyeballs! Dump those eyeballs which are attracted by 'cosmetic' appearances - we all had this problem when we entered collecting. We all like those shiny objects, but they can mislead us - its like looking at a beautiful nude woman! There are some pristine Lugers known to exist, but they are a bitch to find, and when they do show their face, they are usually very expensive;

2) When I examine a Luger, I look for tiny blackish spots of patina, not on top of the finish, but UNDERNEATH it. This patina CANNOT be replicated because it takes many years for it to appear, without confusing it with larger rust spots which can appear on the surface of the finish. If you cannot see it, take the Luger into sunlight and examine it. Areas to examine are along edges, those hard to reach areas, and especially on the grip safety. For example, no matter how well you clean a Luger, you will miss a spot, and with time, patina will begin to appear in those missed areas. One area where this can happen is under the wood grips. Imagine back to the beginning of last century - did owners carefully clean their Lugers (including the removal of the grips) using the same techniques we use today? Answer - hell no, most owners did not give a s***! They used their guns back in the period like modern pistols being used today;

3) Examine the fire blued areas. Fire blue is a thin type of finish which discolors and fades quickly when it comes into contact with moisture and acidity (even from a holster). It will change from fire blue color to purplish color, and then brownish color to dull bear metal. This change of color can especially be noticed on the right grip screw which becomes into direct contact with the surface of a shooters hands that contain sweat and moisture, or the surface of a table etc, For example, my Cartridge Counter which is in top condition, has about 50% finish on the left grip screw and hardly none on the right grip screw. Hey, that is what I like to see because it is absolutely normal even if all Cartridge Counters were reburbished by DWM. Another example - the grip screws on my M1906 Portuguese Royal Navy Luger have turned to a brownish color, and this Luger is the finest condition Luger in my collection - it can be rated as pristine;

4) Examine carefully the staw such as on the safety and takedown lever. You should notice very fine parallel machine marks which I describe as 'tiger grain'. Furthermore, the straw should be CONSISTENT in color, even around the curved areas which are thinner or thicker. When a booster messes around with these parts during a restoration, normally the machine marks are polished/cleaned off, and the straw becomes uneven because of the alternating or incorrect temperature in a furnace/oven. To prevent burning the straw, sometimes the straw comes out to light. Straw, in the same manner as fire blue, will naturally fade with contact wear - look for these normal wear areas to the bear dull metal. Moreover, check of blackish patina on the strawed parts, such as along the ejector, and the development of greyish stains - we call that impregnated dirt - again that is natural occurrence;

5) In the same manner as 'tiger grain' on strawed parts, examine carefully (with a magnifying loop) the milling marks, especially in the area of the 'ears'. In the case of early Swiss Lugers, the milling is very, very light, but it still appears. The edges of the marks should be sharp. Milling and machine marks are thicker on military Lugers, and they can be observed on the barrel as circular rings;

6) Continuing on the subject of 'dirt', I also check the crown of the muzzle for small black spots of patina were (corrosive) gun powder has landed and discolored the dull metal. Over 70 years ago, the large majority of shooters never gave attention to cleaning the crown and, therefore, corrosion begins to occur. When boosters restore Lugers, they normally clean this area and remove those natural traces.

7) The examination which I am about to explain may sound strange/unusual, but I have obtained good results from it. The quality of the finish (whether it was rust of salt blue) that was applied by German firearms manufacturers had very high adhesive properties on to steel and the methodology which was used during the process resulted in a finish that had very strong bondage, even in the tightest corners and interior edges. During the examination of a Luger (completely dismantled), use your finger or a Q-tip to rubber various hard to reach areas - you will notice that none of the original factory blue will be removed, but with a restored Luger, some blue will come off. Boosters have not yet mastered the technique of completely sealing the finish. It involves more steps than just boiling the parts in water and chemicals to stop the rusting process. Even the final polishing of the pistol at the factory was very thorough. When doing such an inspection, do not confuse blue finish with dirt or gun powder. I have used this method with great success on Mauser C96 pistols, especially in the magazine well and the inside of the grip straps. In regards to an original C96 pistol, NO finish will come off during a short hard rub.

8) After you have examined the various details you have learned, examine the overall pistol for CONSISTENCY in regards to condition bearing in mind the various points I have mentioned above. There might be an exception where the hue/contrast of the finish/polish is slightly different from the rest of the pistol, nonetheless, it should 'flow' with the rest of the pistol. As an example, the finish on a Krieghoff barrel might be slightly different than the upper receiver. Also, examine areas where the metal could have been hardened, because the original finish will take on a slightly higher contrast. For example, this can be noticed as a 'thumbprint' on the rear of the frame of a Kreighoff Luger, and also on the side of the ejection port of a M1930 Broomhandle pistol. You should receive a 'good-vibe' from the pistol by noticing these 'comfort zones'. Lastly, if a Luger is GENUINE, it should speak for itself (as well as the price). Remove all the BS and the excuses you can create in your mind, and then ask yourself "can I be satisfied with this Luger in my collection?" Of course, there are collectors who will accept less than perfect/pristine, but you must make your own standards. It is also important to use common sense and logic in relation to history and realistically apply it to pistol. You might be surprised that you will probably come up with a different answer than compared to your original believe/opinion. Lastly, I have explained to some good friends that it is NECESSARY to include and understand the European culture, heritage, traditions, reason, military requirements as well as the high manufacturing standards when talking about European firearms. If you can learn or relate to these aspects of European life, it will eliminate 80% of the BS created by stories!

I hope these sensible guidelines are helpful to you and my fellow friends, and if we follow good advise (also provided by other experts such as my friend Ron), we will be able to appreciate the good stuff and keep out the intentional forgeries from harming our hobby and investment.

Happy hunting,
Albert

PS: I got tired!