Getting a Luger Home...?

[Dan Clemons]

Based on the amount of money invested, I think it is a good idea to look your purchase over and make your decision whether to keep it or not. I am trying to develop a keen eye for detail. Lugers will tell their story to you if you can speak their language. Here is what I have learned so far:


1. The wear on the grips should match the wear on the rest of the gun. If not, you have an issue.


2. The blue on the barrel should match the blue on the rest of the gun. The hash mark under the barrel should look like it was made with one whack of a chisel. Most often the font that struck the numbers on the gun should be the same. What is the condition of the bore? It should look as old as the rest of the gun.


3. If the mark left by the safety should be silver and not blue. If there are different shades of blue, there is an issue. Rust spots do not turn blue with age. If rust blued, correct me if Iâ??m wrong, there should be no blue neither at the tip of the barrel nor in the breach. Correct?


4. Strawing is a hard one for me. I have seen some parts blued when they should be strawed. The magazine release for example. If there is pitting on the strawed parts and no pitting on the rest of the gun, that would raise an issue. Sanding and buffing can soften the numbers and proofs to the point you can barely read them. A stamp pushes the metal up and buffing brings it back flush with the surrounding area.


I know this is not adding much to what you already know but I would like to know what is important to the experts here on the forum when you look at a gun. I guess what we are trying to find out is whether or not is has been recently fiddled with or not. Were also trying to determine whether it is a shooter or an all-original investment grade piece. In addition, is this an original mint or recently re-worked mint?


I would like to ask Ron Wood, Big Norm, Ralph, Tom Heller, Hugh, and others to share with us what they look for in an original Luger?


Thanks,


Dan