When is a "shooter" too nice to shoot?

Delkal · 05-15-2011, 08:35 PM

I have a 1916 DWM, all matching, easily 98%, original finish with excellent grips with sharp checkering. The internals are mint............Unfortunately it is marked "Made in Germany" and has an UNMARKED .30 cal barrel.

I know a lot of Lugers were imported after WWI and many were rebarreled, but why would they use (or even find) a mint WWI pistol and rebarrel it in the 1920's. Was this done before exporting (or later by Bubba).

Here's a hypothetical question.........What would you do with a "mint" shooter?

Lugerdoc · 05-18-2011, 10:35 AM

It's hard to say when the rebarrelling was done. Both Stoeger & Pacific Arms Corp offered your choice of calibers (7.65 or 9mm) and barrel lengths from 95 to 600mm (24"). These new barrels would have been unnumbered, but usually "Germany" marked. This pistol would probably not fit my definition of a "shooter, being one that if you had to replace a part or scratched the finish, it would not apprecable lower the value of your luger. TH

Edward Tinker · 05-18-2011, 10:42 AM

that is an interesting question

Normally I would say, that you are welcome to shoot it, if you can afford to lose the value if something breaks / in other words, if losing half (or more) the value does not make you upset ....

With this one, I would say, it depends on if the rest of the gun and the barrel bluing seems to match, but as Tom says, the germany and the caliber lean towards a simple commercial sale of a war time gun.

Ed

Delkal · 05-18-2011, 08:49 PM

Thanks for the input, not shooting it was where I was leaning. The reason I asked is that I wasn't sure how much a period rebarrel devalued the pistol. If breaking another part would further decrease the value I will not risk it.

The barrel is unmarked but the pistol is stamped "Made in Germany" on the side of the frame by the barrel. The stamp is silver in the indentations indicating it was stamped after it was blued. I do not see any signs of the pistol being reblued. Looking closely the barrel is a slight shade darker than the rest of the pistol. Like they took a almost new pistol and rebarreled it to "improve" it.

Anyone know what happened to the big box of take off barrels? I would like to look through it

05-15-2011, 08:35 PM	#1
Delkal New User Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bucks, Pa Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	When is a "shooter" too nice to shoot? I have a 1916 DWM, all matching, easily 98%, original finish with excellent grips with sharp checkering. The internals are mint............Unfortunately it is marked "Made in Germany" and has an UNMARKED .30 cal barrel. I know a lot of Lugers were imported after WWI and many were rebarreled, but why would they use (or even find) a mint WWI pistol and rebarrel it in the 1920's. Was this done before exporting (or later by Bubba). Here's a hypothetical question.........What would you do with a "mint" shooter? Last edited by Delkal; 05-16-2011 at 05:37 PM.

05-18-2011, 10:35 AM	#2
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	It's hard to say when the rebarrelling was done. Both Stoeger & Pacific Arms Corp offered your choice of calibers (7.65 or 9mm) and barrel lengths from 95 to 600mm (24"). These new barrels would have been unnumbered, but usually "Germany" marked. This pistol would probably not fit my definition of a "shooter, being one that if you had to replace a part or scratched the finish, it would not apprecable lower the value of your luger. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

05-18-2011, 10:42 AM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,926 Thanks: 2,014 Thanked 4,523 Times in 2,089 Posts	that is an interesting question Normally I would say, that you are welcome to shoot it, if you can afford to lose the value if something breaks / in other words, if losing half (or more) the value does not make you upset .... With this one, I would say, it depends on if the rest of the gun and the barrel bluing seems to match, but as Tom says, the germany and the caliber lean towards a simple commercial sale of a war time gun. Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

05-18-2011, 08:49 PM	#4
Delkal New User Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bucks, Pa Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for the input, not shooting it was where I was leaning. The reason I asked is that I wasn't sure how much a period rebarrel devalued the pistol. If breaking another part would further decrease the value I will not risk it. The barrel is unmarked but the pistol is stamped "Made in Germany" on the side of the frame by the barrel. The stamp is silver in the indentations indicating it was stamped after it was blued. I do not see any signs of the pistol being reblued. Looking closely the barrel is a slight shade darker than the rest of the pistol. Like they took a almost new pistol and rebarreled it to "improve" it. Anyone know what happened to the big box of take off barrels? I would like to look through it