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[mrerick]

Hello Pete, and welcome to the forum.

You've already heard from some of the best Luger advisors, but I wanted to add my welcome.

Your Russian Capture Luger may, someday, be more collectible than your initial impression.

Because of all those that have been imported, the quality of RC Lugers ranges from completely mismatched assemblies to better examples. Your Luger is mostly matching, with a force matched side plate. Once the dip refinish was done, and the import mark added, the originality of this Luger cannot be regained. I wouldn't pour money into it for that reason. The 1936 would also have had a rust blued finish, and strawed trigger / safety lever / ejector. You can't really restore it's original appearance without quite an investment...

I would also recommend keeping it as-is, and enjoying it by shooting it. I think that the quality and metallurgy of these Mauser made Lugers is excellent, so they are great to shoot.

If you later decide you want a more collectible Luger, you can find them for reasonable prices. Just look for a gun with all original finish, no import mark and all matching parts. At 90% finish, these should be priced in the $1300-$1500 range (without a matched magazine).

Marc