High end guns are a catch 22 that all who collects, comes up against at least once in their collecting career? The problem being, it is hard to ever see enough of them to really have a chance to know the difference in mint and restored? P.38's are a bit easier, as many mint examples survived the war, and it wasn't to hard to acquire a benchmark example to go forwards from? Plus, less were messed with as there was no reason to boost them anyway. Lugers are a little different in that they almost immeadiatly show high edge wear and handling, hence what i said about what the camera would allow..
I have never had a stone mint Luger, and only seen one I would rate that high... and I saw it 30 years ago... It was an artillery kept in a bank vault for 80+ years and never was handled or saw the light of day... Two elderly gents brought in in to my work place for me to appraise for an estate. I was at a loss, but I believe I said somewhere around 2K but i really had no clue... This 08 commercial can be viewed by many, but only verified by a very few. If I were investigating it as a crime, my first two detectives would be Ron Wood and George Anderson... if either one, or both, of those two, smelled a rat, or said they saw a rat, pretty darn good chance there is a rat there! Again, it looked as to me, there was more right then wrong, but also it's not my strong suit either! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT
