Authenticating Imperial Navy Pistols

[Navy]

All,
I posted here some time ago a guideline for evaluating Imperial Navy guns. It is the process that underlies the "forensics" exams posted here.

I have done some updating and revisions.

I will be pleased to post the newer edition if there is any interest (Say 15-20 folks); otherwise, I will send copies to individuals via private e-mail as requested.

Tom A

[Brandon]

Tom,
I for one would be very interested, as I plan on buying a Navy one day!

Best Regards, Brandon

[Heinz]

Post it! Post it!

[Pete Ebbink]

Absolutely, Tom...I need your help...

Will have a chance to pick up a Navy in October...

Regards,

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

[Dwight Gruber]

Tom,

Please post this valuable and important information.

--Dwight

[Doubs]

Tom,

Go ahead and post it as there're surely more than 20 people who will benefit from you expertise and knowledge.

Doubs

[ViggoG]

Please !, Please !,Please !,
<img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" />
We all want to know !
ViggoG <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

[LU1900]

.........

[jamese]

Tom,
Post it Please

[lugerholsterrepair]

Absolutely Tom, by all means please post it...It will be valuble to at least that many if not more and will be an archival reference to boot. Thanks, Jerry Burney

[Luke]

Yes, Tom.

Please do post the information. It should be interesting.

Luke

[mauro]

Tom,
I believe should be interesting to put your guideline into "General Information".
What do you think about?
Ciao

[Ron Wood]

Tom,
I make an even dozen that would like to see your updated guidelines posted. Is that enough?

[John Sabato]

I will weigh in too... but don't look at the scales please...

Tom, I would be happy to turn your info into a permanent article to be posted in the general or technical information pages here on the forum... that way future Navy Luger admirers will be able to read and heed your advice on these pistols...

Just email me the text and photos and I will snap it together and post it permanently.

[Strider]

Tom, I say post it and not the yellow sticky paper either. This would be very valuable to all. Thanks for the hard work.
Sid.

[Frank H]

OK,I'm #14 go for it!
And Thank you!
Frank

[ken d]

Tom:

Eagerly awaiting the updated info. Please Post.

Regards Ken D

[ejc]

I would also find it very useful

[Navy]

All,
I got the message. Will work on getting it cleaned up and tidy and will probably post Sunday PM. Photos won't be done until I return from the road in early November, sorry about that.
Tom A.

[Navy]

All,
Here it is...
A guide for inspecting Imperial Navy Lugers

Introduction:

When one examines an Imperial Navy Luger, it is very important to look at the gun as an entity. Each section or subcomponent of the gun should have wear and signs of use that are consistent with the condition of the rest of the piece. These guns are at their youngest, 85 years old and some few have been around for 99 yearsâ?¦they should look their age. Time and the elements take a toll on anything and these guns are no exception. It is also very important to recall that there is a high demand for collectable quality Imperial Navy Lugers and a very small quantity available on the market at any time. The inevitable result is a pattern of escalating prices that shows no signs of slackening as demand increases and available supply is at best constant or, more likely, decreasing as the nice ones disappear into collections, not to be seen again until the estate auction is held.

Not surprisingly, the economic realities of this collecting situation has brought out both the worst and best in some people: the worst in their character as they â??boostâ?� fake, enhance or counterfeit these rare guns; and the best in the quality of their workmanship and ingenuity as they ply their fraudulent and dishonest trade. The facts are simple: there are some extremely talented craftsmen who can, through refinishing of original Navy Lugers, combining Navy Luger components with components from â??otherâ?� Lugers and/or complete new fabrication of major parts, produce pistols that are exceptionally hard to tell from originals, even for experienced collectors. At a major gun show in February 2003, I encountered 11 Imperial Navy Lugers; 9 had been â??improvedâ?� by enhancing the finish, freshening or adding markings or other some other modifications.

That experience is the reason for this guide. Simply stated, you ordinarily canâ??t and shouldnâ??t trust your eyes when examining a collector quality Imperial Navy Luger. Instead, you must augment and improve the quality of what your eyes tell you by using some of the following techniques and augmenting the information you glean through your sight with information from other senses, such as smell.

In the following paragraphs, it is my intention to present a sequential and logical way to thoroughly examine a Navy Luger. It is a fairly comprehensive way of examining a piece without sophisticated testing and measurement equipment; in short, it is suitable for application on the kitchen table or workbench; it is clearly not suitable for employing at a gun shop or gun show. To use this method on an intended purchase, you need to get from the seller as a condition of sale a reasonable inspection period in which to examine the pistol thoroughly. Most reputable dealers and collectors allow a 3-day, â??no questions askedâ?� examination period. If the seller is unwilling to permit such a period of inspection, it is up to you to decide whether to consummate the purchase. As â??Dirty Harryâ?� Callahan said, â??The question is, do you feel lucky?â?�

Ensure you are conducting the examination in the best light available. Ideally, it will be natural daylight without glare. Failing that, use of electric light that is adjusted to replicate natural sunlight (I recommend the OTT light) is very beneficial as it assists in looking carefully into small places and being able to see clearly. Also ensure that you have the tools you will need to conduct the examination: Gunsmith screwdriver, loupe, flashlight (Mini-mag light is very good for this), cotton swabs, three or four small bamboo shish-kabob skewers, a small amount of degreaser, some acetone, Semi-chrome or Flitz metal polish, a writing pad and pencil or pen for taking notes and some white card stock. You will want the degreaser to remove oils and lubricants from specific parts to check their condition and appearance under the lubricant as well as to soften old, dried
grease that may be present in or on internal parts. The composition of such grease is a very accurate indicator of age. The acetone will be used to remove any lacquer â??whitingâ?� that may be in markings to permit their careful examination au naturale. The use of the semi chrome and card stock will be explained in subsequent paragraphs.

Lets start this process from a macro-level and work down. First of all, a disclaimer: the process I am going to describe is a thorough method of evaluating virtually any Imperial Navy encountered, but there are exceptions. Because of their great rarity and sky high prices, 1903 Navy prototypes and 1904 Navies fall into an entirely separate category and anyone contemplating such an acquisition should exercise all of the caution and due diligence requisite for a purchase that equates in cost to a luxury automobile. Secondly, because of their rarity, any pattern 1914 Navy pistols dated other than 1916 and 1917 should be examined in greater detail. And, for 1917 dated pistols, extra caution and thoroughness should be applied as the author is aware of so many fake 1917 guns that it appears there was an organized attempt by more than one person to commit fraud on a large scale. I make no claims that the methods and process I will describe work 100% of the time on 100% of the guns you or I examine; I will say that it is a pretty good way to spend an hour or so and in so doing perhaps avoiding a several thousand dollar mistake. Many of the methods and techniques I describe here can be and often are defeated by highly skilled but dishonest craftsmen; however, and this is a big however, it is virtually impossible for a booster to defeat all of these techniques. Use the process, take notes as you progress from step to step and subjectively assign a plus value, negative value or neutral value to each note. At the end, review your notes, note by note, adjusting values as necessary. The sum total of the values will give you a pretty good index upon which to base your assessment of the gun. And remember, this is as much art and technique as science. And having said that, lets proceed.

Navy Lugers, as all Lugers manufactured by DWM were finished with 3 distinct metallurgical processes: rust bluing, nitre bluing and strawing. Each of these processes imparts a distinctly different appearance to the metal surface and each has specific color characteristics. The frame, barrel, receiver and toggle assembly were rust blued. The toggle pins, grip screws and sear bar were nitre blued and the trigger, safety lever, takedown lever and ejector spring were strawed. It is beyond the scope of this guide to describe in detail the color differentials between the three, but suffice it to say, the rust blue should appear a lustrous deep blue which may fade to dark gray over time; the nitre blue will be a deep blue black and distinctly different from the balance of the bluing on the gun, and the straw will appear light blonde to gray metal with blotches of oxidation.

The first thing you should do is to carefully examine the gun in its entirety from muzzle to butt, toggle to toe and from all angles. You are looking for anything out of the ordinary and inconsistent with what one would reasonably and rationally expect on a pistol that is 85 plus years old. Use your light source from several angles to look â??intoâ?� the finish. You should be looking for consistency and uniformity of condition and appearance on the entire piece, including the magazine, if present, and note any inconsistencies or irregularities. Examples of irregularities frequently encountered include pinpoint pitting that is underneath the surface blue, grips that are exceptionally crisp on a gun that evidences holster wear on metal surfaces and vice versa. Pay particular attention to the texture of the metal surface. You are looking for a uniform consistency in the finish under the blue through out the entire pistol. This examination should start with the naked eye and then progress to the use of the loupe to examine critical points such as the pattern adjacent to the top right part of the raised portion, or â??islandâ?� on the side plate. These guns were hand finished by master craftsmen under a rigid quality control program; the metal finish under the bluing should be of a uniform texture and grain throughout the pistol. Any irregularities in finish should raise a red flag immediately. If you detect an even matte finish, or what appears to be a lightly brushed texture with varying length striations in the areas above the safety on the â??earsâ?� or on itâ??s opposite side, you most likely have a re-done gun. This area should present clear but light circular milling marks in varying degrees of depth. If these are not visible or the area has some other appearance, you almost certainly have a non-original finish.

Observing from the front sight block rearward, the barrel should show uniform polishing marks around its circumference from the base of the front sight block to the barrel shank. The shank flange should be crisply squared; any rounding of the edge is an almost certain give away of a re-finish. Likewise any signs of wavy polishing marks are likewise a red flag. Using the loupe, carefully examine the front sight block for alignment of the sight blade, pitting and oxidation at the dovetail. There should always be some signs of oxidation, small though it may be, at the juncture of the sight blade dovetail and the sight block. This area is a classic â??acid testâ?� for authenticity of the finish. Use your loupe and the sharp end of one of the bamboo skewers to find and dislodge some of the crud that should be present. It should be a mix of oxidized metal and some dirt and grease or dried oil. Smear it on a piece of white card stock and examine it with your loupe. It should have the dark yellowish brown- to- black characteristic color of old grease and oil. If it has hardened and will not spread, a very slight wetting with some of the degreaser applied with the skewer tip should soften it sufficiently for examination. After waiting a few minutes for the smell of the degreasing solvent to dissipate, smell the smear on the card stock. It should have a faint odor that is reminiscent of strong pipe tobacco smoke and burned gear grease. If there is no oxidation, grease or crud present, this is a red flag; it is an indicator that the gun has undergone detailed disassembly and/or chemical cleaning. These actions are normally part of the preparation of the metal surface for refinishing.

Examine the markings on the left side of the barrel and barrel extension. Look at the Crown M proofs very carefully for consistency in depth of strike and alignment of the crown temple base with the M. It should be aligned perfectly on the vertical and be just touching the top of the M. If the crown appears narrower at the temple than the M, this is a definite red flag; examine it very, very carefully in the best light and magnification available. You are looking for the symbol of the Christian cross on the front of the crown. On all bogus guns I have examined, the cross was somewhat fuzzy and indistinct in contrast to the crisp strike present on bona fide guns. If you are examining a 1914 pattern pistol, carefully compare the fonts of the date stamps at the sight base with those on the left of the receiver flat. They should be identical. Compare the font of the serial number on the frame front with the font on all other numbered components. It should also be identical.

Examine the left and right sides of the receiver. If there is any sign of acid etching, a very subtle sand blasted appearance, this is almost certain evidence of sanding of the frame prior to refinishing. Likewise, any areas of matte appearing finish should be examined carefully. There was no matte finish on original Navy Lugers; there should be tool marks present and clearly visible.

Examine the side plate. It should be numbered in the commercial style and the number fonts should be consistent with the other numbers on the gun. The top polishing marks should be horizontal, the raised portion and main area of the side plate should have vertical polishing marks and the vertical and horizontal polishing marks should meet and feather at the top right corner of the raised â??islandâ?� portion of the side plate. Examine the reverse side of the side plate for uniformity of wear and old grease as described previously. Look at the milled ends of the trigger lever. They should be grooved across the flat portion of their face and show some slight oxidation at the metal- to- metal contact points. Examine the take down lever for consistency of straw with the trigger and safety, also check in the recesses for old oil and grease. There should be external finish wear underneath the takedown lever resulting from its being moved during the gunâ??s service life.

Next, remove the grips. Pay particular attention to the condition of the threads on the grip screws, the area surrounding the grip screw holes in the frame and the area where the grip panels made contact with the frame. The threads on the grip screws should evidence old dry oil or grease and should be slightly worn at the cutting edge. They should show evidence or remnants of nitre bluing. The area surrounding the screw holes should, like the area where the grip panel contacted the frame, show oxidation and perhaps pitting. This results from the wooden grips absorbing water vapor from ambient air and releasing it during temperature and humidity changes. Inevitably, with the passage of time, oxidation-rust-results. It should always be present in one degree or another and should be reddish brown and visible to the naked eye. If there is evidence of rusting or pits and they are under the surface of the bluing or are dark blue/black with no evidence of finish erosion, you have primae facie evidence of a refinished gun. If a grip safety is present, examine the safety pivot points for evenness of wear and look at the safety spring. The spring should have old grease on it at the pivot point and is usually found with some oxidation and corrosion at the metal- to- metal contact points with the frame and safety. Examine the main spring and adjacent areas for old grease, oil and crud. Examine the grip panels for general consistency of external condition and internal oil and grease staining. They should feel light and delicate and dry. The checkering should be the old DWM small diamond pattern. The grips should have that same old pipe tobacco smell or the scent of old oil described earlier.

Examine the front and rear grip straps. Normally you should see some blue fading on these areas; the fading pattern is typically from the outer margin inward resulting from the high spot wear on the outer surfaces during normal handling and holster wear of the gun throughout its service life. Take your loupe and look at the metal texture beneath the finish. You should see very fine horizontal polishing marks that are uniform in size and depth on both front and rear grip strap. You should also see some very fine micro pits that are reddish brown in color. The absence of the pitting is not necessarily a fatal flaw, but it should raise a serious question as to how the original finish has survived completely intact for 85+ years. This would be an unusual occurrence even in museums; not very likely to be genuine, in this authorâ??s opinion. If a grip safety is present, the finish wear pattern should be heaviest at the outer margins, although occasionally, the entire face of the grip safety is devoid of finish. The space between the inside of the grip safety and the rear grip strap should be swabbed with a clean cotton swab and the resulting residue examined. It should be the old oil, grease, crud and dirt consistent with that you have found elsewhere, except that there should be somewhat more of it present and there should be plain, old, garden variety dust present. Take your flashlight and illuminate this area and visually inspect it for oxidation on the finish. It should be present but the finish wear should be substantially less than is present on the rest of the pistol. This area has been protected from direct contact with human hands and sunlight so it should be in noticeably better condition. If it appears to be the same finish and color as the balance of the gun, a detailed disassembly of the grip safety from the frame and a very thorough examination of the surface are in order.

If there are property markings on the grip strap, examine them carefully. If they have been filled in with white lacquer or crayon, use acetone to remove it, but do so carefully as you do not want chemicals disturbing other parts of the pistol. The markingâ??s appearance should be â??haloedâ?� slightly around the margins. That is, there should be a slight grayish â??haloâ?� effect around the marking that is visibly different in color from the rest of the finish. This results from the change in the metallurgy of the grip strap resulting from the impact of the die and the resultant difference in how the bluing ages in that area. It is also the product of the margins of the marking being raised slightly from the surface of the grip strap providing a â??high spotâ?� for surface wear. This characteristic is not always present, so the lack of haloing around property markings should not be the sole reason for rejection of a gunâ??s bona fides. It should, however, raise a question and be noted as one component of the total examination. The markings should be cleanly and crisply struck and they should look like something hand struck rather than machine applied. By that I mean, they should not be perfectly symmetrical, exactly even and of completely uniform depth. These markings were applied after the guns were received in their unit and wide variations in size, depth and spacing are encountered.

Take the bamboo skewer and dig into the marking and try to dislodge any foreign matter that is present. Examine it as described previously. Then take your light and loupe and look â??intoâ?� not â??atâ?� the markings. The inside of the marking should be almost â??in the whiteâ?� with oxidation turning the surface mottled gray at the bottom of the strike. If this area is blued or shiny, the gun has been reblued or the marking has been engraved. Be sure to smell the metal at the unit mark; any trace of copper sulfate odor-the smell is very similar to that produced by hair permanent wave chemicals-is a red flag that cold blue has been applied to darken new or â??refreshedâ?� property markings. Examine all other external markings carefully. Factory applied proofs and part serial numbers were put on before the piece was blued, so they should be under the finish; likewise, these markings were machine applied, so there should be an exact sameness for the font of each number and alignment of dates. Carefully examine each separate digit and compare digit-by-digit all of the numbers on the gun. Crown Ms should be crisp and aligned precisely. Any sign of shine in these markings is almost certain evidence that they have been added as engraving as in out right fake or â??freshenedâ?�. In either case, this is a problem.

Disassemble the piece, and carefully examine its interior. You are looking again for consistency with the rest of the piece. The interior surfaces of the trigger well, frame rails and magazine well should be â??in the whiteâ?� and there should be traces of dried oil and grease in nooks and crannies. Using another bamboo skewer, repeat the process for extracting and examining some of this old crud. Dismount the toggle train and disassemble the bolt. Examine the components carefully under magnification for uniformity of metal finish; wear patterns and any unusual appearance. Look at the bolt face. It should show some minor pinpoint, almost microscopic, pitting around the firing pin aperture and the bamboo skewer should reveal crud under the extractor lip. All of the pins in the toggle train should show evidence of nitre bluing and are unnumbered. The underside of the toggle should have the same number in the same font as the serials present elsewhere on the piece. The receiver lug should likewise be numbered. The left side of the toggle axel pin should have a flange that fits precisely into a groove around the toggle axel pin channel on the left side of the barrel extension ears. This flange is noticeably larger in circumference than a standard Luger toggle axel pin.

Take a small amount of the degreasing solvent on a cotton swab and degrease several areas, each about .5 inches by .25 inch on the exterior barrel and frame. When the solvent has evaporated and the metal surface is dry and completely free of oil, take another cotton swab and slightly moisten it with the semi chrome metal polish. Run the swab across the degreased areas with just enough pressure to ensure good contact. Move the swab in a single direction for no more than a half-inch. Examine the tip of the swab. It should show a slightly pinkish to brownish cast. This discoloration is the result of microscopic rust particles that have formed over time and are virtually invisible individually. If you cannot find this on the guns exterior, it is almost a certainty that the piece has been refinished. Caution: a few very clever people have found a way to â??artificiallyâ?� age finishes via chemical application. This can be spotted, but is difficult and requires a very close examination. The give away in these cases is that the artificially â??agedâ?� finish is not consistent with the rest of the shiny new appearing pistol. Additionally, careful examination of such artificially oxidized finishes will generally reveal a number of other inconsistencies, which will not be detailed here lest the information be misused. Suffice it to say, if you have rigorously followed the process to this point, an artificially aged finish is not going to convince you that a gun is righteous; you will have picked up too many other red flags by now.

Examine the inside of the barrel. You are looking for 6 lands and 6 groves that make a one half turn in the length of the barrel. Start at either the six oâ??clock or twelve oâ??clock position and follow the grove to the muzzle. The six will end at twelve at the muzzle and vice-versa for the twelve. Examine the extractor recess cut. It should evidence wear from metal-to-metal contact when the bolt was cycled during the pistolâ??s service life. Also use a skewer to scrape residue from the corners. If this area is pristine, be suspicious of chemical cleaning.

Reassemble the pistol being careful to re-apply oil to any areas you have degreased and take a break. You have been focusing on many different and difficult to see pieces for a while. About this time, I normally fix myself an adult beverage and go to my library to consult reference books to validate and verify any assumptions I made and clarify any gray areas where I simply did not remember a point. I then review my notes carefully, as I have found that a note made early in the examination process may be clarified or mitigated by something found and noted later. I consider the â??storyâ?� this piece is trying to tell from the sum of its parts and try to identify a reasonable hypothesis for any anomaly encountered. My purpose is not to rationalize purchasing the piece; rather I am trying to ensure that should I reject the piece, I am doing so based on a well-founded reason consistent with the total picture, rather than a single irregularity.

When I am convinced I know the piece and can render an expert opinion on it, I call my evil twin Navy collector and discuss the piece in detail. He challenges my assumptions, makes me justify my conclusions and quickly points out any logic flaws which may have crept in to my thinking. We agree 100% so far on each piece acquired, but should we ever disagree, first will be digital photos via the internet followed by overnighting the piece to him for hands on evaluation. I strongly recommend this â??second opinionâ?� approach for obvious reasons.

In closing, I would like say that this was largely written from memory as I am miles away from home station and my notes/references, so feel free to correct anything that is FUBAR. I would also solicit from readers any additional items to be added to this process as well as any substantive critique of the approach. Be candid and straight forward. Please state clearly what part is to be examined, what the observer should be looking for and expecting to find, why the expected results are what they are and any noted signs and symptoms of fakery, boosting and enhancement.

TaTa for now,
Tom A (on the road)