Great insight from everyone!
I have been doing my share of reading and making phone calls. I called a well known gunsmith in my area. I asked him if I could pick his brain about Navy Lugers.
Here are some pointers he gave me:
1) First never never clean your Luger grips with Kerosene or anything like that. These are wood grips not firewood he said (I hope it is o.k. to repeat that advice he told me)
If you want to clean them he suggest that you find a "qualified" & "reputable" gunsmith in your area and go see him about how to have it done.
2) To spot a fake, rework, etc from a photograph is not an accepted practice. The reason being that some people who produce fakes will make them look the way you want them to look authentic. Example: should have certain marks, wear patters, etc. So these people add them to the guns to make them appear more authentic and desirable to you the buyer. You should be very leery if the gun has what appears as "normal" wear patters...because most good fakes have had these marks or wear patterns.
3) Most Lugers were: either rust blue or dip blue depending on the year of the Luger. In late 1937 Mauser decided to stop rust bluing Lugers as a means to speed up production, as dip bluing was faster but less durable. In either case the finish needs to be the original finish appropriate for the period.
So to tell a fake you can look inside the interior frame of the gun. Inside surfaces
of a rust blued piece are in the white and the inside surfaces of a salt blued piece are blued. This is also one way to tell if a Navy Luger has been reblued or not. (This only works if the firearm was originally done by these methods & within the time frame)
O.k. I have copied the information from the posting of the Navy Luger:
They do offer a 3 day inspection for used firearms (see below).
RARE FIND! Mint Condition 1916 Dated Navy All matching Numbers Including Magazine.
**NOTE: BUYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SHIPPING, HANDLING, INSURANCE, AND TAX.
(SHIPPING, HANDLING, INSURANCE IS NON-REFUNDABLE)
**USED FIREARMS:
3 DAY INSPECTION PERIOD ONLY!
ITEM(s) MUST BE RETURNED IN AN
UNALTERED CONDITION
FOR ANY CONSIDERATION FOR ANY TYPE OF REFUND (NO EXCEPTIONS)
A 30% RESTOCKING FEE MAY BE
APPLIED FOR ANY RETURNS.
ALL SHIPPING, HANDLING, INSURANCE IS NON-REFUNDABLE
**NEW FIREARMS:
ALL SALES FINAL WITH MANUFACTURES WARRANTY ONLY.
WE WILL APPLY A 30% RESTOCKING FEE FOR ALL RETURNS. ALL SHIPPING, HANDLING, INSURANCE IS NON-REFUNDABLE
(BTW: Most mail order companies these days charge you S&H. Depending on the carrier, insurance may or may not be mandatory. Restocking fees too for returned items)
Gun Broker isn't just for the home seller anymore. Tons of companies list inventory for sale on these auction sites. They are getting more money & people viewing them,
then they would at gun shows and at local auctions.
This is only my opinion.
I don't like to see people getting a bad rap when they cannot be heard & defend themselves.
I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive. -Albert Einstein
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