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BILL · 02-10-2001, 10:19 PM

Great discussion! One thing we should be able to agree upon as collectors/historians/shooters/Luger lovers is the difference, and it is significant, between all matching serial numbers and 100% original. Maybe someday that will be the terminology with which we will have to judge a pistol's value when considering adding it to our collections. A pistol that is 100% original has never had a swapped out part, never had a replaced spring, never had any touch up bluing or been restrawed. It speaks for itself. That still leaves us with undetectable changes of which we have no knowledge, unfortunately.

Just one short story..years ago, a close friend of mine was fortunate enough to acquire an original cartridge counter but unfortunately it had a mismatched sideplate. In his travels to other states he would display his beautiful pistol. At an out of state show an elderly local was browsing and made the comment that he thought he had a Luger that had the cartridge counting feature. My friend discounted the fellow's story but later that afternoon he returned with it wrapped in a cloth. It was as he described but to both of their amazement it had the sideplate that matched my friend's. There was a friendly exchange and one pistol left that show with all matching numbers. The belief was that the US arsenal had disassembled them after test- firing them and, since we don't number our arms in any particular fashion, not payed any attention to reassembly. All original or just all matching?

02-10-2001, 10:19 PM	#14
BILL User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 826 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	'matching'vs.'original' Great discussion! One thing we should be able to agree upon as collectors/historians/shooters/Luger lovers is the difference, and it is significant, between all matching serial numbers and 100% original. Maybe someday that will be the terminology with which we will have to judge a pistol's value when considering adding it to our collections. A pistol that is 100% original has never had a swapped out part, never had a replaced spring, never had any touch up bluing or been restrawed. It speaks for itself. That still leaves us with undetectable changes of which we have no knowledge, unfortunately. Just one short story..years ago, a close friend of mine was fortunate enough to acquire an original cartridge counter but unfortunately it had a mismatched sideplate. In his travels to other states he would display his beautiful pistol. At an out of state show an elderly local was browsing and made the comment that he thought he had a Luger that had the cartridge counting feature. My friend discounted the fellow's story but later that afternoon he returned with it wrapped in a cloth. It was as he described but to both of their amazement it had the sideplate that matched my friend's. There was a friendly exchange and one pistol left that show with all matching numbers. The belief was that the US arsenal had disassembled them after test- firing them and, since we don't number our arms in any particular fashion, not payed any attention to reassembly. All original or just all matching?