Hello Brendan,
Thank you for the additional images which allows me to notice more positive details:
1) The front appears to be fire blue with some fading/discoloration which is correct. When restorers refinish a (early) Luger pistol, they usually forget to remove the front sight and reblue it with the same finish as the barrel - this is usually a giveaway that the pistol has been refinished;
2) I notice some small speckles of patina on the left side of the barrel which is a good sign;
3) I notice some 'irregular patches' on the side left side of the frame (on the upside down image) which also indicates originality of the blue. These 'patches' are created when the micro thin polished coat on the surface of the blue begins to rub off and expose the first layer of the rust finish. This type of fading or 'patching' cannot be replicated - it occurs over many, many years, especially on pistols which have little use. One possible way that it could be created is by the very mild acidic moisture inside an holster which very slowly discolors the blue.
4) The safety lever shows tiny speckles of blackish patina in the staw - I like to see this characteristic in the straw which proves that the straw is original.
Vern, if you do not resist my comments, allow me to give you some education about sideplates which you have questioned on this Luger. In many cases, the sideplate will have a slightly different tone of blue than the rest of the pistol which is obviously noticeable on this pistol - no area of the sideplate has been touched up in my opinion. Furthermore, all the high edges are sharp and there are some dots of patina on the sideplate.
To be fair to this pistol, I give it the benefit of the doubt that it is totally genuine, which you are not willing give it. I suppose that you are going to extremes by being picky. I hope that I shall have the opportunity to one day examine this pistol in Europe during my travels. If I wrong regarding its originality, I shall bite my tongue.
Albert
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