Blued Imperial Navy Magazines

Norme · 11-29-2021, 02:27 PM

When I first started collecting Lugers, back in the 1960's, Imperial Navy mags with blued tubes were regarded with deep suspicion. The thinking was that genuine Navy mags with damaged tubes had been fitted with replacement tubes from much later magazines. Who knows how many perfectly good blued tube Navy magazines were retro-fitted with "correct nickel plated tubes"?
It was only with the discovery, back in the 1990's, that 1917 Navy #4852 complete rig (gun, stock, 3 rust blued matching number magazines, tools, and all leather) had been recovered from U-157, a submarine captured by the British towards the end of the war, and had been on continuous display at a Norwegian museum. The rig was finally "deaccessioned" (sold off) at Hermann Historica Auctions in 2000.
Imperial Navy blued tubed mags are extremely rare, there are 5 with matching # guns (including the 3 with #4852), and 9 orphans. Needless to say I'm anxious to hear of any new sightings.
Norm

11-29-2021, 02:27 PM	#1
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,603 Times in 933 Posts	Blued Imperial Navy Magazines When I first started collecting Lugers, back in the 1960's, Imperial Navy mags with blued tubes were regarded with deep suspicion. The thinking was that genuine Navy mags with damaged tubes had been fitted with replacement tubes from much later magazines. Who knows how many perfectly good blued tube Navy magazines were retro-fitted with "correct nickel plated tubes"? It was only with the discovery, back in the 1990's, that 1917 Navy #4852 complete rig (gun, stock, 3 rust blued matching number magazines, tools, and all leather) had been recovered from U-157, a submarine captured by the British towards the end of the war, and had been on continuous display at a Norwegian museum. The rig was finally "deaccessioned" (sold off) at Hermann Historica Auctions in 2000. Imperial Navy blued tubed mags are extremely rare, there are 5 with matching # guns (including the 3 with #4852), and 9 orphans. Needless to say I'm anxious to hear of any new sightings. Norm