mlm

Here is an intermediate solution that reduces most (not all) of the financial and historical preservation risk.


Put reproduction grips on in place of the originals. The originals are serial numbered, extremely fragile (right rib and left chipping near safety and mag release lever). The grips are worth $100 as a pair and, of course, each matching part is worth $500 to an all original gun. That is because that is the loss in value if an original part breaks on an all original 37 S/42.


Next, put in a spare firing pin. The tips are fragile and break from dry firing or from other bad luck events.


Finally, put in a modern replacement magazine. Original luger magazines, even though not original to your pistol, are worth five times what a modern magazine is worth and the modern ones might function more reliably for a longer time.


Once you have done the above, you have reduced much of the risk. There still is risk to the extractor (I have owned one that was broken on a 1914 Erfurt) and the ejector (can break on cleaning disassembly but I have not heard of one break during use).


The cost of shooting a high value historical piece like a 37 S/42 luger is partly the cost of ammunition and partly the cost of wear and tear. Think of it like an automobile as it gains miles. I tracked wear on an Astra 600 made in 1943 and estimated that for each 100 rds fired, it lost about a percent of finish. The loss is non-linear, as with an automobile. The first percent of finish loss, from 97 to 96 on your luger, is the most costly but when going from 60 to 59 percent finish it is very small. I roughly estimate that the first 100 rds fired in a 97% 37 S/42 will cost about $100 to $200 in value due to condition loss.


This is just my observation. I invite others' experiences and estimates.


I hope that is helpful.


dave