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MauserLugers · 09-12-2002, 02:09 AM

Hi Herb,
The old books are a great reference and all should read them, but you should know that you should not believe everything in them. First, they were written when information was hard to gather, when you actually had to run across the country to look at something, and then you only collected informatin from the few fellow collectors that you knew. Most was by hearsay or over the phone. Sources like Auto Mag have proven lots of information printed in the older books to be wrong. This is not putting the authors or anyone down, as it was thought at that time to be correct. Since then, thousands of imports have come into this country, and through the internet one can collect serial numbers and record information from all over the world. If you want to believe that rear connecting pins can be un-numbered on Mauser WWII Lugers, then so be it. If you want to believe that black plastic magazines and grips are correct on 1939 Lugers, then so be it. If you want to believe that the inside side plate number doesn't mean a thing, then so be it. All the books have mistakes in them whether they were printed 50 yrs ago or 5 yrs ago. Do you actually think the author looked at all the Lugers he writes about in person? It is said that the 1904 in Kenyon's book is not correct. It is said that there are no Japanese marked Lugers. Lugers are labeled wrong all the time -- for instance the 1920 and 1923 commercials. They were actually produced just the opposite of how they are labeled. Don't get me wrong, as I have all the older books and references and I enjoy them and there is a lot of information in them, but not all of it is correct. For instance, in Kenyons book he doesn't list a 1938 Eagle K police Banner. Does that mean there is not such a variation? All references are good and all have good information.

09-12-2002, 02:09 AM	#6
MauserLugers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Philipsburg, Montana 59858 Posts: 250 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 1 Post	Hi Herb, The old books are a great reference and all should read them, but you should know that you should not believe everything in them. First, they were written when information was hard to gather, when you actually had to run across the country to look at something, and then you only collected informatin from the few fellow collectors that you knew. Most was by hearsay or over the phone. Sources like Auto Mag have proven lots of information printed in the older books to be wrong. This is not putting the authors or anyone down, as it was thought at that time to be correct. Since then, thousands of imports have come into this country, and through the internet one can collect serial numbers and record information from all over the world. If you want to believe that rear connecting pins can be un-numbered on Mauser WWII Lugers, then so be it. If you want to believe that black plastic magazines and grips are correct on 1939 Lugers, then so be it. If you want to believe that the inside side plate number doesn't mean a thing, then so be it. All the books have mistakes in them whether they were printed 50 yrs ago or 5 yrs ago. Do you actually think the author looked at all the Lugers he writes about in person? It is said that the 1904 in Kenyon's book is not correct. It is said that there are no Japanese marked Lugers. Lugers are labeled wrong all the time -- for instance the 1920 and 1923 commercials. They were actually produced just the opposite of how they are labeled. Don't get me wrong, as I have all the older books and references and I enjoy them and there is a lot of information in them, but not all of it is correct. For instance, in Kenyons book he doesn't list a 1938 Eagle K police Banner. Does that mean there is not such a variation? All references are good and all have good information.