[mrerick]

I expect that the depot that did the reworks (perhaps a field armory? perhaps Simson?) went by the philosophy that "parts is parts"...

The last thing they must have considered was how collectors like us would feel 90 or 100 years later.

The most important thing would have been fit and proper operation, followed likely by keeping the costs of refurbishment down.

It's possible that the rework facility had access to unnumbered parts to use in the rework. There were literally train cars full of inventoried parts moved from Berlin to Oberndorf by August Weiss when the DWM factory moved to Mauser. As parts that had not been used on finished guns, there would have been no reason to number them. After installation on a rework, with hand fitting, there would have been every reason to number them.

So, I guess this thread comes back to valuation. As Luger collectors, the traditional distinction has been made between the way a Luger left the DWM, Erfurt, Mauser, Krieghoff, Bern or possibly another factory as a new gun (vickers?), and the way we find them.

I'm told that rework and rebuild is normal on Swiss Lugers, and that this doesn't impact the financial value.

But we seem to treat the others differently, with extreme prejudice for things like import marks.

Ultimately, the financial value is what the next buyer will give for it. The historic value is, of course, something else again.

Marc