Navy

[Imperial Arms]

Hello Vern,

I do not believe that this Navy Luger has an older restoration - in my opinion, it is a Military Navy Luger in excellent condition which experienced hardly any use. These kinds of Lugers do exist, but they are usually in private collections which some collectors might never see. In view of the fact that the Navy Luger has had the safety altered, is it possible that the pistol was refinished at an arsenal? It is possible, but I doubt it. All the small details that I look for are present such as patina, the color of the strawed parts and the color of the small fire-blue parts. Even the rear sight button bar has correct tone of fire-blue. In addition, the serial number under the barrel has 'halos' (Pete's word of the century!) which is a good sign. As I mentioned previously, if this pistol has been refinished, it is the best restoration I have ever seen and I would like to meet the fellow who did such a fantastic restoration. If I would be wrong, I would be the first to correct myself and apologize to you.

For example, the near mint M1906 Portugese Royal Navy rig which I have in my collection is in better condition than the Luger which we are discussing - does this mean that my pistol have an "older restoration"? Not! So, high quality pistols do exist, but they do not surface that often.

There will still be some uncertainity on this pistol until an expert examines it in his hands. If this pistol is in Germany and it happens to remain in the same country, I would be willing to examine it if the next owner could attend the gun show in Kassel.

Albert