An interesting project. To your question of which gun, I've been thinking about that, and I change my mind about every other minute between an original gun and a '70s Mauser. On the one hand, there is something to be said for owning an engraved "real" Luger. On the other hand, its a bit jarring to consider carving on a 'real' part; also, if you are going to shoot the gun (I would), there might be less of a chance of breaking an engraved part with a new Mauser. I would have to say that any Luger which could be considered as a candidate for a Thor TDJ would be a good choice for engraving.
Concerning a pattern to engrave, check out various pictures which have been posted on the forum (be sure to do a search on the old forum in the last year). There are some really nice examples, and some really ugly ones--it will be interesting to see what suits you.
Don't forget to get some really cool grips for this project. They show up on various auction sites, and you can sometimes find them hidden away on Luger tables at gun shows--I found my ivory grips and a nice pair made of birdseye maple without even searching. Sometimes these grips are clunky and thick and poorly fitted, Hugh Clark can probably do something about that.
Unless you already have someone in mind, you may have to search to find an engraver who will work on a Luger. In my research on this very subject I was told that the steel of a Luger is exceptionally hard in places, the hardness varies from part to part (and sometimes between different places on the same part), and this makes them difficult and frustrating to work on; some engravers simply take a pass on the work. Make sure that you find out how the engraver will work on your gun--sometimes they will anneal parts so they are easier to work on. A particular horror story was related to me, an engraver annealed the toggle train, engraved it, and then NEVER RE-HARDENED IT before he put the gun back together.
Good engravers are busy engravers. You may find that you are facing a year's lead time. Finally, you will find that this is not cheap. I got a quote for gold inlay at $20/inch, including gold. That does not seem like much, perhaps, but there is more surface area on a Luger than meets the eye. The Luger pictured above, the "neon-glow" outline gold inlay job, seriously took my fancy. I did a quick measurement and determined that that engraving job would have cost me in the neighborhood of $1,600.
Finally, be aware that this will be a labor of love. If you go to sell your engraved Luger you will likely never even realize the cost of the engraving, let alone the value of the original gun.
If you find a negative tone to my comments, do not be put off. I was surprised and somewhat appalled at the results of my research, and I'm still quivering from the shock. You might find that you have a project in mind, find an engraver, and have the wherewithal to make it viable, more power to you; I still like the idea, and can't wait to see your results!
--Dwight
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