BCC

Respectfully Disagree. There has been a lot of this kind of advise including in the FAQ section of this forum. I submit the following observations:

1. Any Luger with a "mismatched magazine" is not completly matched, but I can assure anyone that does not destroy thier "collectability". I will buy all Mag mismatched 98% original finish Lugers as "shooters" for $400 ea from any fool willing to take that. In other words matching is and can be measured by degree.

2. Any Luger (or 98k or 1860 Colt Army etc...) with original finish (either factory original or military rework origin) even with some or in some cases all parts mismatched is a legit and correct collectors example for the context in which it was used after re-build. Example--a 1917 made 03 Springfield rifle that is rebarreled,re-stocked, re-finished in 1943 is a valid example of a WWII depot re-rebuild Springfield rifle...no argument. The same is true of cut down Navy Lugers, Police Lugers etc.. I don't care what Luger "collecters" like or don't like, it doesn't change historical context of a piece ...end of story. Every piece must be evaluated on it's individual merits and this always has some subjectivity to it.

3. If one has to collect Mint guns maybe they should consider commemoratives...they are worth about the same today as they were 30 years ago and they they don't have all of that bad ole wear, tear and parts replacement that occured regularly on combat used guns.

4. I simply recommend that everyone stand back a bit and evaluate the overall integrity of the piece before they write a Luger off as not worthy of a collection. Consider if mm sideplates were as common as mm magazines, would mm sideplates disqualify a Luger from collecter status? I hardly believe it would. But because they do not pervail on 75% of the Lugers around it (mm sideplate)becomes a discrimminater and in fact a wall between a collection Luger and a candidate for trashing out.