New to me Arty Luger

[mrerick]

From the photos that are in focus, I think it's likely this gun is in original factory finish. The toggle axle retaining pin is still in the white.

When you disassemble it, you should find that the frame interior is also in the white (not blued). Same thing with the safety bar that rises up against the sear. The muzzle is also properly in the white.

You didn't post pictures of them, but the barrel serial number stamping should have light "halos" surrounding the digits. This is further evidence that it wasn't refinished. Check the witness mark stamped across the receiver and barrel where they come together. This can provide evidence that they were not separated since being mated at the factory.

The grips look unusually dry and clean. Thankfully, your left grip is not chipped where it usually happens (near the safety lever at the top rear).

Your magazines are not Imperial vintage. They come from the WW-II period in the late 1930s to early 1940s.

The active rust corrosion does need to be stabilized, and you probably do need to get a look under the grips.

As to removing the FeO3 rust, others probably have better advice than I do. I'm not sure if the rust blued surfaces (which is FeO4 Ferric Oxide) need to be treated differently than the strawed surfaces (trigger) when removing rust.

You have a very nice LP-08. The micro adjustable front and rear site are excellent to have.

It's difficult to photograph Lugers without a tripod. Most digital cameras allow you to select the major focal point, but everything has to be steady for it to work properly. Even the smallest tripod will help improve your pictures.

Please let us know more as you explore your LP-08!

Marc