Trust your instincts: Bad gun

[Navy]

All,

Got back to Huntsgaritaville last evening after a mixed weekend visiting old and sick parents and brand new grandson...figger one balances out the other.

In any event, awaiting in my palacial rent-a-lair was a big USPS box all sealed with tape and Certified Mail stamps all over it.

Opened it as I mixed a martini and was *really* impressed by first sight of the holster. A very primo C Weiss Braunschweig 1939 dated piece with the right markings and the right smell.

Pulled the gun out and it looked really nice at first glance.

Got my illuminated magnifying glass and began my typical exam. About 15 miliseconds into it, I noted that the piece, a 1938 S/42, had an eagle N proof on the left side of the receiver and breechblock.

I know that the KM glommed onto handguns when and where ever they could but there was something I didn't like about this one.

Didn't have III Reich Lugers with me (That won't happen again!) so I called on some knowledgable very senior collectors for advice.

Two emails and voila, the mystery she was solved as Inspector Cleuseau would say.

The Eagle N proof didn't go into use until Jan 16, 1940, some 2 years after this piece was made. Sooo, unless the gun was sent back to Mauser for referb in 1940 and then found its way into KM weapons supply channels, which would be more coinky-dinky than I believe possible, it is a fake.

It was returned via Express Mail at noon today.

The SN is 1849 lower case L suffix (Yes, I know they are all lower case but l looks like the number one) and the property number is N2894.

I have no doubt it will surface again, perhaps with the correct proofs.

Be careful, its a jungle out there kiddies. With Loogies, you are predator or prey it appears. I know which one of those I want to be.

Tom A.