Hello, intro and a questrion

[JPH]

Hello!!

I joined this site a whle back and I am really enjoyed reading all the posts and gleaning a whole lot of information about one of my favourite arms, the PO.8. My name is Jim, I am a blacksmith (of all things) here in the desert of southern Nevada and I am rather fond of Lugers. I have a few and that brings me to the question.

I have recently aquired on a trade a Erfurt Artillery Luger, chamber dated 1914, the parts all match except the magazine and it appears to be a arsenal rework as some of the parts are overstamped. The bore is not pitted but there is a small amount of "frosting" but otherwise I would rate it as "excellent". It had probably been re-blued at one time but there are no pits under the blue or other problems. I would rather the finish as 98% plu on the old reblue. The sources I have consulted say it could possibly be a rework intended for commercial sale back in the 1920s or so...

Now the question I have is with the stock/holster harness. Now as far as I undertsand, these were "used" with the holster attached to the stock..I can undertsand that, but for some reason I thinK that the two straps that run into and out of the stock are well, "threaded" wrong, knowing what I do about leather and how it will "wear" over the years.

With the stock positioned with the attching iron down, the straps come out the back side "between the holster and the stock" from the bottom holes.

Now never really being able to closely examine an original piece, it looks to me that you are begging for strap breakage, so the question is...Is this piece properly strapped up or do I unscrew the harness and "rethread" the straps??

Any advice or help would be appreciated greatly.

I am pretty much in the dark here on this..Now if you want to talk swords or metal working, I'm your guy but on this?? I am just some poor sott that doesn't know what's what as far as the artillery stocks/holsters go.

Thank you for your time...

JP Hrisoulas
Henderson, NV