Postino, thanks for admitting your inexperience. Lots of folks are in the same boat as this monstrosity wouldn't be priced so high. Obviously, the seller is also ignorant of what he has. The most obvious thing is the "repro" rear Navy sight. Look at the rear profile and you will see that the edge of the sight (rear edge) is leaning towards the front of the gun. A real Navy sight leans towards the REAR of the gun! This obvious flaw was common with the "early" fakes, but later on even this flaw was corrected. A 1914 type Navy luger should have a wide rear toggle flange (not shown in the picture) but you should always ask to see this feature. People who say that "some got through with the regular narrow flange" are most probably dead wrong. Keep in mind that the fakers usually start with a 1920 commercial with a short frame already there and then just add a 6" barrel, etc. The crown/M proofs are a science unto themselves and are important. Read well the thread alluded to above about these proofs. I would say, as a rule of thumb, consider 1916, 1917 and especially 1918 dated Navy lugers as fake until proven otherwise. If you have an opportunity to buy one, the seller should have no qualms about your taking pictures of it. If he does, walk away. Post those pics here and get some opinions before shelling out big bucks. Hope this helps a little.
|