Aluminum Cal 9mm Mag?

[Big Norm]

Good discussion. Personally, I think that the "9 Cal" wood bottoms have gone the way of the "Red 9" grips. There are so many fakes out there with so many of them very good, that I wouldn't count on the average collector getting an original. I have seen "Cal 9mm" wood bottoms selling at gun show for as little as $5.

A knowlegable collector might pay more attention to the stem and its parts then to the wood bottom. Watch to see how the metal nail/peg has been placed onto the metal and through the wood. Most counterfeiters will butcher the sides of the stems trying to put the nail/peg through and then flattening the heads. If you see that the job was messed up in that area, then you can be sure that the wood bottom has been at least replaced. While that is no assurance about the originality, warning signals should be apparent. Don't get carried away with emotion and pay a lot just for show purposes on your commercial Luger.

Another thing that I have thought about is the nail/peg itself. On at least the WW1 magazines, the nail/peg should be blacked. I may be corrected on this point, but I think that this part was hardened to prevent rust. I don't really know about post WW1 magazines but this is my belief on WW1 and earlier mags.

In summary, I wouldn't pay big buckos for a "9 Cal" mag or a "Red 9" set of grips. There are just too many good counterfeiters out there. If the price isn't too bad and you want your Luger to look good, then do it. But always remember that you are buying on emotion and show and not on fact.

Just my 2 cents worth of opinion.
Big Norm