HENRY FORDS LUGER?

[rufe-snow]

This is the last Military Handgun that I kept from my collecting days back in the 60's and 70's.
I got it from a elderly gentleman who had a interesting story, (abet unsubstantiated) telling how he acquired it.
According to his story, he was a hunting guide in the U P of Michigan before the war. In 1940 he guided Edsel Ford on a hunt. Edsel was so pleased at the outcome of the trip, that at the end he presented this Luger to him as a token of his gratitude.
Unfortunately at the time, I didn't think of getting a notarized statement from the seller. I always regretted this, as it might have made tracing the provenance easier.
In the 80's I sent photos and a request for information to the original Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI. After a number of months a curator got back to me with a rather ambiguous response and invited me to come to the museum to research the matter in depth.
Just recently I contacted the newly opened Benson Ford Research Center at the same location, with about the same results. At least this time they were able to tell me that Edsel had a "Pistol Permit" during that time frame.
I havn't done any research projects since my long ago school days, maybe it would be worth my wile taking a trip to Dearborn and digging in the stacks? I'm sure it would be a daunting task going through 30 odd years of reference material.
I always hoped the Luger had belonged to cranky old Henry originally, he was a mean old SOB. I could just Imagine him taking after Walter Reuther and U.A.W.ers with it.
O yeah, the Luger, I almost forgot. It's a common ordinary original Test Eagle, all matching, in standard Test Eagle condition. Maybe 70/70, it's a subjective thing, I've always had trouble grading Lugers.
Pictures are attached, (It looks a lot better in the pictures then it is?). I'm sure, doing my photo finishing at Wally World has something to do with it.