Question of ethics

[Dwight Gruber]

Hugh,

This is a very interesting question.

First thing off, you have just increased the value of your Luger by the part value of the mag safety, if nothing else (an obvious conclusion, but a necessary starting place). Since you are putting a part on your gun which "belongs" there (but was damaged before), you are increasing its value due to completeness; since it is an original part it is neither "faked" nor "forged". Since it is not a serial-numbered part, you are not "boosting" it in a commonly accepted meaning of the term.

Since the topic is ethics, you have a responsibility to tell a future purchaser of the gun that the mag safety has been replaced. They will most likely say thanks for telling me, and then pay for the value which appertains because of a complete mag safey. If they share your ethical values they will pass on this information when they sell it.

Of course, you could stamp it with a triangle of little red dots (don't hurt me, Thor!).

For my own part, I would say that you have come upon one of the few perfectly acceptable circumstances to complete a Luger and increase its value. Another thing strikes me: I saw the auction lot of parts from which you obtained the mag safety. If you personally had robbed it from a lesser-quality Luger to put in a greater one, I would consider that unethical. In that vein, it would be "better" if you were putting this part in a gun which had had its mag safety completely removed, rather than just cut.

--Dwight