Picked up a shooter. Questions about Restoration.

Kohaku2416 · 11-13-2013, 11:04 AM

Hello everyone, I picked myself up a Luger a couple of days ago in trade to use as a shooter. The Luger in question is a 1917 Erfurt with matching numbers except for the take down latch. Also the pistol has been nickel plated sometime in it's life.

Externally the pistol is in good shape with some pitting but the bore and rifling is in very good condition with slight pitting. I have ran two magazines through it so far and it functions fine.

I would like to know if anyone could tell me where I could send this pistol off for restoration to have it cleaned up and reblued?

Edward Tinker · 11-13-2013, 12:00 PM

restored or reblued ?

- reblue and taking nickle off is probably $350-$500

- restore is probably close to a $1000

DavidJayUden · 11-13-2013, 12:10 PM

I'd take it to the local chrome plating shop to have it stripped. It will come back as bare metal, then it goes off for re-finishing.
Depends on how much you want to throw at it: lots of metal re-surfacing for rust blue/straw (restored), or a down and dirty salt blue. Your choice.
Have fun. A great winter project.
dju

Kohaku2416 · 11-13-2013, 12:55 PM

Thanks for the responses so far. But what I meant in my question was if there was someone I could send the pistol to get the work done?

DavidJayUden · 11-13-2013, 01:04 PM

Maybe contact Thor and see if he will take on the project?
Locally, at least, there is no one shop to do all jobs. The stripping is an electrical process, and most gunsmiths would not do it. The bluing is for a specialist too, not a plating shop.
No one ever said it was going to be easy...
dju

ithacaartist · 11-13-2013, 01:14 PM

Or cheap!

Kohaku2416 · 11-13-2013, 02:58 PM

Yes I know having it refinished won't increase the value. I just wanted to know if it was possible to have the pitting cleaned up and have it refinished to where it looks as it did when it left the factory back in 1917. This is strictly a shooter for me and I plan to hold onto this gun hence why I want to have it looking nice.

John Sabato · 11-13-2013, 03:21 PM

You can have the plating removed, and have the finish returned to be blue, it will look "nicer" but it can never be like it was when it left the factory because too much metal was removed by the aggressive buffing before the plating took place. The investment of time and money into this particular Luger is a personal decision. You could end up spending as much as another Luger might cost without having anything done to it. The choice is yours... Get some estimates and then make up your mind if it is worth it or not to you.

Kohaku2416 · 11-13-2013, 03:35 PM

Yeah I just sent a P'M to Thor to see what he thinks and for a possible price quote to give me an idea on how much I would be spending. I'm in no hurry to get it done, just feeling things out.

mustangtwo · 11-18-2013, 11:04 AM

I've had good luck with george Roghaar in Boca Raton, FL. He recently quoted me for a Luger job similar to yours. Likely around $350 to denickel, reblue, straw blue small parts.

http://gunblue.homestead.com/

Karl · 11-19-2013, 12:15 PM

Among the buffed and chromed lugers I've seen this one is not bad. I suggest that you enjoy shooting it while you save up for a nicer example. You can always sell this one on the forum.
KFS

Kohaku2416 · 11-21-2013, 11:14 PM

I just thought I would update that I took the Luger to someone locally to see about having the nickel plating stripped. But the gunsmith believes the pistol isn't nickel plated just heavily buffed and polished steel. Anyone care to comment?

alvin · 11-22-2013, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kohaku2416

the gunsmith believes the pistol isn't nickel plated just heavily buffed and polished steel.

No wonder the silver appearance is so consistent!

Actually, it's already in this shape, then, keeping it in this shape is probably better than making it black. It looks not bad, especially in the last picture. Just my opinion.

Sergio Natali · 11-22-2013, 09:43 AM

After all I think it's a nice gun, if you wanted a good shooter for the range why should you bother about having it refurbished, I would just leave it like that,.
You haven't got to put it a window have you?

NYRommel · 11-22-2013, 10:25 AM

Honestly, I am by far a newbie, but I like the way it looks.

Maestro · 11-22-2013, 01:43 PM

I'd go with Karl's advise. And John is right, " You could end up spending as much as another Luger might cost without having anything done to it."; this actually happened to me.. the wait time, the cost, the hassle of shipping and re-shipping. I would have been better off getting the same exact Luger (having gone already through the same process) finished, for a lot less. But as a shooter, IMHO, It's very unique and cool the way it is!

btw, cool avatar!!

11-13-2013, 11:04 AM	#1
Kohaku2416 User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Muncie Indiana Posts: 124 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Picked up a shooter. Questions about Restoration. Hello everyone, I picked myself up a Luger a couple of days ago in trade to use as a shooter. The Luger in question is a 1917 Erfurt with matching numbers except for the take down latch. Also the pistol has been nickel plated sometime in it's life. Externally the pistol is in good shape with some pitting but the bore and rifling is in very good condition with slight pitting. I have ran two magazines through it so far and it functions fine. I would like to know if anyone could tell me where I could send this pistol off for restoration to have it cleaned up and reblued? Attached Thumbnails

11-13-2013, 01:14 PM	#6
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,377 Thanks: 7,452 Thanked 2,613 Times in 1,380 Posts	Or cheap! __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

11-13-2013, 03:21 PM	#8
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	You can have the plating removed, and have the finish returned to be blue, it will look "nicer" but it can never be like it was when it left the factory because too much metal was removed by the aggressive buffing before the plating took place. The investment of time and money into this particular Luger is a personal decision. You could end up spending as much as another Luger might cost without having anything done to it. The choice is yours... Get some estimates and then make up your mind if it is worth it or not to you. __________________ 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..."*

11-22-2013, 09:43 AM	#14
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,087 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	After all I think it's a nice gun, if you wanted a good shooter for the range why should you bother about having it refurbished, I would just leave it like that,. You haven't got to put it a window have you? __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

11-13-2013, 12:00 PM	#2
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,967 Thanks: 2,066 Thanked 4,596 Times in 2,117 Posts	restored or reblued ? - reblue and taking nickle off is probably $350-$500 - restore is probably close to a $1000

11-13-2013, 12:10 PM	#3
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I'd take it to the local chrome plating shop to have it stripped. It will come back as bare metal, then it goes off for re-finishing. Depends on how much you want to throw at it: lots of metal re-surfacing for rust blue/straw (restored), or a down and dirty salt blue. Your choice. Have fun. A great winter project. dju

11-13-2013, 12:55 PM	#4
Kohaku2416 User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Muncie Indiana Posts: 124 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks for the responses so far. But what I meant in my question was if there was someone I could send the pistol to get the work done?

11-13-2013, 01:04 PM	#5
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	Maybe contact Thor and see if he will take on the project? Locally, at least, there is no one shop to do all jobs. The stripping is an electrical process, and most gunsmiths would not do it. The bluing is for a specialist too, not a plating shop. No one ever said it was going to be easy... dju

11-13-2013, 02:58 PM	#7
Kohaku2416 User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Muncie Indiana Posts: 124 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Yes I know having it refinished won't increase the value. I just wanted to know if it was possible to have the pitting cleaned up and have it refinished to where it looks as it did when it left the factory back in 1917. This is strictly a shooter for me and I plan to hold onto this gun hence why I want to have it looking nice.

11-13-2013, 03:35 PM	#9
Kohaku2416 User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Muncie Indiana Posts: 124 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Yeah I just sent a P'M to Thor to see what he thinks and for a possible price quote to give me an idea on how much I would be spending. I'm in no hurry to get it done, just feeling things out.

11-18-2013, 11:04 AM	#10
mustangtwo New User Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I've had good luck with george Roghaar in Boca Raton, FL. He recently quoted me for a Luger job similar to yours. Likely around $350 to denickel, reblue, straw blue small parts. http://gunblue.homestead.com/

11-19-2013, 12:15 PM	#11
Karl Lifer - Twice Over Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Savannah Posts: 530 Thanks: 0 Thanked 280 Times in 123 Posts	Among the buffed and chromed lugers I've seen this one is not bad. I suggest that you enjoy shooting it while you save up for a nicer example. You can always sell this one on the forum. KFS

11-21-2013, 11:14 PM	#12
Kohaku2416 User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Muncie Indiana Posts: 124 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	I just thought I would update that I took the Luger to someone locally to see about having the nickel plating stripped. But the gunsmith believes the pistol isn't nickel plated just heavily buffed and polished steel. Anyone care to comment?

11-22-2013, 10:25 AM	#15
NYRommel User Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 17 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Honestly, I am by far a newbie, but I like the way it looks.

11-22-2013, 01:43 PM	#16
Maestro User Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: "Where the streets have no names" Posts: 504 Thanks: 192 Thanked 200 Times in 136 Posts	I'd go with Karl's advise. And John is right, " You could end up spending as much as another Luger might cost without having anything done to it."; this actually happened to me.. the wait time, the cost, the hassle of shipping and re-shipping. I would have been better off getting the same exact Luger (having gone already through the same process) finished, for a lot less. But as a shooter, IMHO, It's very unique and cool the way it is! btw, cool avatar!!