starting my collection

btlranger · 02-02-2004, 11:06 PM

I am glad I found this site because I have inherited some lugers and I am wondering if someone could help me out with them. The first one is a .30 cal. commercial, one that is referred to as a "black widow" and the last intriges me. It is stamped 1939 but the metal is more like a polished metal. The letter S is on the reciever. I know I have seen a few chrome plated lugers at the gun show but I have not seen one like this. To me it is not chrome. The story that was told to me by my father that he got this in 1947 from a friend of his that was in WW II. My father never had the chance to go to the war because he was the only son and he needed to stay home and take care of the farm. This why his friend traded him this for a bottle of whiskey and stories about what happened over there. I will attempt to get photos if needed. I thought when I looked it up the book by Danzig that it could possible be a 1939 commercial that is made out of zinc. Any ideas and help with this.

Bob

Edward Tinker · 02-02-2004, 11:41 PM

Bob, welcome to the forum!

Let me help a bit, others can chime in.

The 30 Caliber is probably a commercial as you have guessed, but pictures is always helpful.

The few frames that might have been made out of zinc, I believe were made at the end of WW2, so your 1939 is not the right time frame. Also, it is unluckly (impossible comes to mind) that there are going to be found any nickle, chrome or otherwise shiney metal Lugers that was from the factory. Many (many) GI's had their war prizes chromed either in europe or as soon as they came home, and eventually many people have said later they came back this way (true depending on the view). Re-blued or Chromed / Nickled guns drop in value very much...

So, Bob any pictures you can provide would be really good, either scanned in or digital? Try to provide pcitures from top, sides, underneath, etc.

Again, no matter what, you have history in your hands!

Ed

Pete Ebbink · 02-05-2004, 01:01 PM

Hello Bob,

Regarding the "S" on the receiver you mentioned...can you describe the shape of the "S" in a bit more detail.

Is the "S" a rounded symbol or is it more flatten along its sided and taller that it is wider ? This info. might help us decide if your receiver is a Simpson-Suhl luger or an S-code HK luger...

The finish on your 1939 dated pistol might just be regular steel that was polished before a refinish that never occurred (i.e. left "in the white"...). An other possibility would be that your 1939 was assembled from left-over parts in the gun factory at the end of the war, from un-finished (un-blued) parts by factory workers for the liberating soldiers...(just WAG's on my part...).

I suspect if truly a zinc-alloy gun, your 1930 gun/frame would be considerably lighter in weight that your other luger. You might want to compare the two on a kitchen scale...

As Ed mentioned, photos would be of trememdous help.

p.s. The WWII guns that are commonly described by collectors as the "Black Widow" were a 9 mm. pistol used by the German forces and would normally have "byf" on the its front toggle link. If yours is .30 cal. and has "DWM" on its toggle link, it is probably not a real BW luger, but another variety that someone added the BW grips to, somewhere along the way...

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

02-02-2004, 11:06 PM	#1
btlranger New User Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	starting my collection I am glad I found this site because I have inherited some lugers and I am wondering if someone could help me out with them. The first one is a .30 cal. commercial, one that is referred to as a "black widow" and the last intriges me. It is stamped 1939 but the metal is more like a polished metal. The letter S is on the reciever. I know I have seen a few chrome plated lugers at the gun show but I have not seen one like this. To me it is not chrome. The story that was told to me by my father that he got this in 1947 from a friend of his that was in WW II. My father never had the chance to go to the war because he was the only son and he needed to stay home and take care of the farm. This why his friend traded him this for a bottle of whiskey and stories about what happened over there. I will attempt to get photos if needed. I thought when I looked it up the book by Danzig that it could possible be a 1939 commercial that is made out of zinc. Any ideas and help with this. Bob

02-02-2004, 11:41 PM	#2
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,916 Thanks: 1,995 Thanked 4,507 Times in 2,081 Posts	Bob, welcome to the forum! Let me help a bit, others can chime in. The 30 Caliber is probably a commercial as you have guessed, but pictures is always helpful. The few frames that might have been made out of zinc, I believe were made at the end of WW2, so your 1939 is not the right time frame. Also, it is unluckly (impossible comes to mind) that there are going to be found any nickle, chrome or otherwise shiney metal Lugers that was from the factory. Many (many) GI's had their war prizes chromed either in europe or as soon as they came home, and eventually many people have said later they came back this way (true depending on the view). Re-blued or Chromed / Nickled guns drop in value very much... So, Bob any pictures you can provide would be really good, either scanned in or digital? Try to provide pcitures from top, sides, underneath, etc. Again, no matter what, you have history in your hands! Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

02-05-2004, 01:01 PM	#3
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Hello Bob, Regarding the "S" on the receiver you mentioned...can you describe the shape of the "S" in a bit more detail. Is the "S" a rounded symbol or is it more flatten along its sided and taller that it is wider ? This info. might help us decide if your receiver is a Simpson-Suhl luger or an S-code HK luger... The finish on your 1939 dated pistol might just be regular steel that was polished before a refinish that never occurred (i.e. left "in the white"...). An other possibility would be that your 1939 was assembled from left-over parts in the gun factory at the end of the war, from un-finished (un-blued) parts by factory workers for the liberating soldiers...(just WAG's on my part...). I suspect if truly a zinc-alloy gun, your 1930 gun/frame would be considerably lighter in weight that your other luger. You might want to compare the two on a kitchen scale... As Ed mentioned, photos would be of trememdous help. p.s. The WWII guns that are commonly described by collectors as the "Black Widow" were a 9 mm. pistol used by the German forces and would normally have "byf" on the its front toggle link. If yours is .30 cal. and has "DWM" on its toggle link, it is probably not a real BW luger, but another variety that someone added the BW grips to, somewhere along the way... Regards, Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />