Help identify this Luger please?

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally posted by tacfoley
The take-down latch shows traces of straw, but it is the side-plate that intrigues me most. I have never seen one quite so rounded on the contours, especially the top left corner, as this one appears to be.

Terry,

Thanks for the photo analysis.

I've actually run into the sideplate situation a number of times. I asked the question of Ted Green (Thor) long ago about sideplates, particularly about the fact that their blue seems to "age" and brown at a much different rate from the rest of the gun. He informed me that sideplates are made from a much milder steel than the rest of the gun, and they "take" blue much differently. From this I have deduced that the sideplate steel itself ages and wears faster and more heavily than the rest of the gun, as well.

--Dwight