[lugerholsterrepair]

ViggoG, Undoubtably you are right about that but as little as I know about the subject of different steels I would need a lot more education, say a degree in metalurgy to speak about the subject without sounding foolish. I would assume for several reasons that the German engineers took all of this into account and mixed the steel with the best available components at that period. The Germans were pretty advanced with metalurgy at the turn of the century. The composition of steel between 1914 and 1936 was different and the Germans ideas about what was required for the frame and toggle obviously changed over that time. We know this for sure, The Luger pistol whatever it's properties has held up better than many of it's contemporaries. While as you say the subject is too complex to generalize I think it is fair to say that the rockwell hardness tests are nonetheless indicitive of the German mindset to improve their product and as a practical matter it is proven to have done just that. WW1 DWM Lugers show much more wear on the frame than do Mausers . Significant improvement was achieved with harder steel. Jerry Burney