Tracey, I have to agree with the consensus, that this Luger did get polished and reblued sometime after it was acquired during WW2. The smooth finish is just too nice to be a wartime production military pistol.
The other comments by our colleagues above appear legitimate...
To make these statements without a first hand inspection in person is not as risky as you might think. All those who have commented, including myself, have examined literally hundreds of Lugers, and perhaps thousands of Luger photographs...
Describing exactly what to look for so that a novice can quickly pick out a reblue from and original finish would probably fill a book that most of us don't have time to write. That is what makes this forum so valuable to Luger owners... the available information.
I understand that this is probably not welcome news, but I sympathize with you because my father's own war trophy (now mine) was also refinished... BY ME before I knew any better 40+ years ago.
__________________
regards, -John S
"...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL and are endowed by their Creator with certain UNALIENABLE rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."
|