[BILL]

Hi Norm, it is one part of the hobby that is tough. There have been Luger collectors for many years and I honestly believe that some never planned on selling their 'prize' pieces so they didn't find it objectionable to make them more 'interesting'. This included anything from stamped grip straps to little handwritten notes that they 'found' in the bottoms of holsters (telling just how the vet pried this pistol from the dying Colonel's fingers). Some of this, I am sure, was done in ignorant innocence. The problem is that after the alteration is made it becomes a part of that Luger's history. Often a fabricated story is even passed on (usually involving an officer). Years later the serious collector approaches someone at a gun show who believes that what he has is the real deal (since he bought it thinking that it was genuine). In my early days I was quick to point out anything that I was sure wasn't authentic. Now there is so much 'stuff' out there that it sometimes seems like a cruel thing to tell some old guy that his marvelous treasure is not as it seems. It is almost better to just pass on it. I see it all the time on eBay and I found that emails pointing out the lack of authenticity are rarely welcome. I guess all of this is why a really honest, clean, respectable Luger is so valuable to me as an object to collect. If it wasn't this way they would just be another gun.