...Thank you WES,
For Don M, (& all new or old members with similar questions),
Please allow me to preface these remarks by explaining that what follows is my OPINION ... that I believe is shared by the majority (but certainly not all) of the Luger collecting and shooting community...
There is much controversy about the replacement of parts by Luger collectors, shooters and owners...and it's impact on market and collector value...enough so that it often causes very heated discussions... <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />
Perhaps as a new user, some explanation might be in order regarding a definition of
"all matching" parts with regards to Lugers and many other types of firearms...
It is not the "number" stamped into the metal that makes the parts "all matching"...
All matching parts are those parts that left the factory as
an original assembled unit...and they should be, in most cases (but not all), numbered correctly to match the last two digits of the serial number
at the time of manufacture because they had each been hand fitted by a gunsmith craftsman.
Obtaining parts to replace those that do not currently "match" with parts from another Luger that have the specific number you are seeking will not return your Luger to it's orginal state...since parts with the correct last two digits were theoretically manufactured as many as 26 or more times during every year that the Luger was produced... restoration of appropriately numbered parts cannot change the "matching" status of your Luger.
If replacing the mismatched parts with different parts displaying the serial number "99" will somehow make you feel better about your Luger
, then by all means, do so...
But if your intent is to raise the legitimate value of your Luger, that can't be done unless you could somehow obtain the "original" missing parts and put them back... a feat not likely to occur with a military firearm that is over 60 years old...that is just one specimen of a pistol produced in the millions. To sell such a Luger to another collector, shooter, or prospective owner as "all matching" after such a conversion without providing the new owner with the information that this had been done... would be what is commonly referred to as "boosting" <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> in the collector community, and some go so far as to call it fraud.
I trust this explanation and definition has been helpful. <img border="0" alt="[icon107]" title="" src="graemlins/icon107.gif" />
<img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" /> <soapbox mode off>