Gun Show Buy: What do I have?

[BILL G]

I picked up a Luger at the Dallas gun show last weekend..and I was wondering what I have:


1915 DWM...with 1915 on top of reciver..with the DWM logo on the toggle action....serial # 6837...all major parts have the same last 2 letters..."37"....it has the stock luge, non matching mag...the trigger, the mag release ( on the right side), the take down button( both sides), a metal strip on the right side...all have a yellowish color....it has 4 symbols on the right side, one is the Imperial eagle, the rest are plain to the eyes...but I looked on the charts on this web site and i cannot find them....

but the other thing, is that the letters "BNP" are found on the barrel, reciver group (left side), and on

the grip group, right above the trigger. And on the barrel, bottom...is this: cross swords emblem, with the "O2B", and

9MM-752" 15 Ton Per (box)"....I have some pictures of the pistol scaned, but I don't know how to get them on here....


so what do I have? by the way..I paid a guy $450.00 for the luger...


Bill G

Dallas, Texas

[BILL G]

top picture




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/LugerTop.JPG

[BILL G]

right side




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Luger1Ri.jpg

[BILL G]

left side......




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Luger1L.JPG

BNP = British Nitro Proof


This stamp is required of guns exported from Great Britain. Your luger was somehow taken from Germany (during WW1 or WW2 perhaps) to Britain then exported to the US.


Without further information, I would say there is a good chance you got an outstanding bargain. Worse case is it was a mere good buy.

[Marvin]

Bill,


From the photos, it appears that the pistol MAY have been reblued, and the grips replaced. The reason I say this is that it looks too good not to have been. If it has been reblued, the job appears to be excellent. The grips appear to be a set of Nill-Griff German type and if they are, they are the best repro on the market. This is just my opinion from the photos.


All in all, you did well on this deal. If it has not been reblued, you made a great buy!


Marvin

It doesn't look like a re-blue from the photos. The proof marks look to crisp unless the were re-stamped or at least scribed. You made a great buy and should be very proud of this piece! Just my opinion.


Tim Canney

[Uncle Mike]

Hi Bill,Nice gun but looks to me like some one put a new barel on it.Looks kinda square in the picture.Regards,MC

[John Sabato]

and I am not sure it has from the photos, I think it was a great buy! Nice photos by the way,


-John

[BILL G]

its looks square because I scaned it with the scanner, since I do not have a ditigal camera....


Bill G

Dallas

[BILL G]

If the pistol was re-blued, then wouldn't the German

word "gesichert" be blued out...and also the yelloish parts be the same way?


Bill G

Dallas

[bill m]

Hi Bill,

Look at the barrel band, the side rails, side plate, under the toggle knobs, and where the knobs rub on the rails, and look for wear. Original finsished guns all have wear in these places.


Take the gun down and look at the sear nob, (originally it should be shiney) and the rear coupling link (originally they were gray and not blue), and the inside of a 1915 should be polished and not blue.


The safety area markings were actually more of a dirty yellow color than white originally also.


The grips should be numbered to the gun with the last two digits on this model.


These are just a few of the things to look for. Hope it helps.

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

Hi


I think the gun looks very reblued in the photos.

The toggle action is to shimy and the barrel looks brown.

I have never seen any rustblued parts brownish that way, looks like saltblue to me.


BUt i might be wrong cause of the pics..



http://www.vapensmedjan.com

[John Sabato]

The Safety marking "Gesichert" appears to have been filled in with a contrasting substance, and this would likely occur after the reblue process if one took place... And the strawed "yellowed" parts would normally be removed if the reblue were done properly instead of dipping like the Russians did.


After examining the scan under hi-magnification, the one thing that bothers me is that the scratch that takes place on the left side when the safety is moved from safe to fire and back is blue, and not really scratched...


This means that either the gun was not only not fired much, but evidently not even handled much. I find it hard to believe that this gun could survive this long without the the safety being applied many times even if the pistol were not fired. I can't place much confidence in an opinion based on the appearance of the bluing because the mottled appearance may just be the scan. If in person, the bluing appears to be different thicknesses it would make me wonder if the gun had been touched up.


I guess that is all the opinion I dare to put in print based on the scan. As I said in my earlier post, for $450 I think it was a great buy! It could easily have a spot in my gun safe for that price.


-John

[Luke]

I have a Luger which seems to pass all the above "reblue tests" but might have been reblued by a more clever artist. It has the following questionable area:


The serial number on the front of the frame is somewhat weak compared to my other Lugers, but still quite readable. All of the other numbers on the gun are deeper.

Does lack of depth here prove reblue, or were some guns merely stamped lightly?

[bill m]

Hi Luke,

As in any mass produced item, the die's did wear and the stampings did vary. How deep a serial number is stamped is not a great indication of a possible reblue. Clearness and sharpeness are though. The color of the blue is the most important factor. Study the color of the blue in the sun, or under a light, and compare it to a Luger that you know is original. Most reblue Lugers do not have the right blue when you compare them side by side, but by themselves look really good. Also, remember that there are almost no true 99% to Mint Lugers out there. A 98% Luger is about as good as you will ever find, and if you do not have wear on the gun, be weary of it. Original guns had wear, holster wear, working wear, and firing wear. Look at the firing pin and see if it has a ring around the breech from being fired. Some guns have had wear added, but have never been fired. Each manufacture had a different type of blue and hardness, which shows wear patterns differently. For instance, a mauser will almost always show wear on the left bottom of the grip strap by the bottom of the magazine, where a DWM will not show this wear as much. Look and study, and convince yourself that if it looks too good, it probably is. Mint Lugers are always in demand and will bring a big premium. That said, unless you find a fresh piece, (meaning it has been stuck away in some vet's closet), be leary of anything that shows very little wear, and especially very little wear on the side plate.

[Uncle Mike]

Sorry Bill,I don't have that expertise and didn't know it could happen.I haven't learned to do pictures.MC