The Police would not have ground off the date. Judging from the extensive buffing in this area, I'm guessing that the area might have developed rust and pitting, (which is usually the reason for nickeling a Luger) and was treated by buffing the entire area down. This happened sometime post war. Remember that vets did not place the same value as we do on these guns. They were tossed into glove compartments, tool boxes and bilges as car and boat guns, with little concern as to their finish.
|