Nickle or Chrome Plated 42?

John Sabato · 01-29-2003, 02:27 PM

MrPac,

the addition of nickle or chrome plating to a military luger would be a post war modification. Military Lugers did not leave the factory that way...it was a popular thing for some returning GI's to do to their war trophies to make them "pretty" for when they showed them off to non-combatants... You will hear outrageous stories that the plated ones were Officers Models or some other malarky but the truth is that they are just military issue guns that somebody decided to have plated.

While some Luger enthusiasts like the way this looks, in general, it definitely reduces the collector status of a Luger down to shooter status.

Some folks have successfully had the plating professionally removed and had the guns refinished in the appropriate blue, but then you still have a gun that has been refinished, and the lack of original finish diminishes the guns value to collectors...

Shoot the heck out of it and enjoy it...

The gun is definitely a 9mm based on the 8.81 marking on the barrel. This is the bore diameter in millimeters.

01-29-2003, 02:27 PM	#2
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,156 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	MrPac, the addition of nickle or chrome plating to a military luger would be a post war modification. Military Lugers did not leave the factory that way...it was a popular thing for some returning GI's to do to their war trophies to make them "pretty" for when they showed them off to non-combatants... You will hear outrageous stories that the plated ones were Officers Models or some other malarky but the truth is that they are just military issue guns that somebody decided to have plated. While some Luger enthusiasts like the way this looks, in general, it definitely reduces the collector status of a Luger down to shooter status. Some folks have successfully had the plating professionally removed and had the guns refinished in the appropriate blue, but then you still have a gun that has been refinished, and the lack of original finish diminishes the guns value to collectors... Shoot the heck out of it and enjoy it... The gun is definitely a 9mm based on the 8.81 marking on the barrel. This is the bore diameter in millimeters. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

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