Is this worth trying to restore?

[wayne8661]

I also posted this over on Jan Stills forum. I think you guys have seen this pistol Briefly before.

I have this one more pistol that I am bebating trying to get back into shape. But my initial thoughts are that it would be more than it is worth. I dont want to part it out if anything I would keep it as a representative piece.

#1.The Barrel is bulged and the rifling is completly gone. Is there anyway this barrel can be sleeved? Probably not but If I could I would like to keep the original barrel with the gun.

#2. The extractor and spring are GONE How hard would it be to get a proper 1900 part for this?

#3. The safety just flaps in the wind.

#4. The tension pin for the safety lever is GONE

#5. The grips are almost completely worn smooth and there are letters carved into the left grip.

It is a damn shame that this pistol was neglected as bad as it was and whats even worse is that this is a completely matched pistol including the grips.

What to do ?

Wayne

[Edward Tinker]

sell it to me for really cheap


A lot of parts to find, and unless you are going to shoot it, who cares about the barrel.


ed

[wayne8661]

Ed I would like to have this one reworked to display with my fat barrel I just hate the fact that they both had to be redone. But oh well they are still OLD OLD lugers.

[Edward Tinker]

Realize that when a gun is "restored" it loses all of its charector; I am not a big restorer fan. Yes on the fat barrel, personally no on this one.


Ed

[wayne8661]

true i just want to get this one to work properly again

[sheepherder]

The bulge can be rolled out, but finding someone to do it will be a task...and it is my experience that the rolling will leave rings...

It can also be sleeved and re-chambered (or just sleeved)...again, finding someone...

If Lugerdoc can't do them, he may know someone who can [Policeluger???]...and he probably has the parts you need...

[alvin]

Another one??? This one's bore is too bad. After restoration, a shiny gun with sewer pipe bore .... well, I don't know, many do not care. Alternatively, postie could help rebarrel it.

====

It does not have to be shiny. The major problem, it does not function and that can be fixed. Not many people shoot 7,65 though.

[wayne8661]

Alvin unfortunately yes another one .But, I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth I will take what I can get.. I would not restore this without redoing the barrel but I just need to know if it can be done and at what cost.

[alvin]

There is a gunsmith named "Redman" doing relining work on Mauser. People saying he does good job, consistently. Another guy doing similar work, some praised, some feedback saying he did not drill the new hole in the middle of the barrel. Probably unstable performance. No experience with either, but you may try "Redman". Fewer guys doing this business, I don't know he does Luger or not:

http://www.redmansrifling.com

The benefit of relining, it is still matching.

May contact Thor for the rest...

[wayne8661]

I may contact Thor for his opinion , I still need to finish my fat barrel so I am in no hurry

[alvin]

Some firearms collectors summerized a book out talking about "misc" stuffs in gun collecting. It covers many topics, one topic is regarding gun restoration. Although the book was written mainly by collectors of Winchester, Colt, etc, I feel this book is generic enough about this hobby's context -- It does not cover any German guns in detail (probably does not cover American guns' detail either but I don't know those), it serves as a high level guideline, and serves that purpose well, IMO.

The book is readily available from Amazon.com for five bucks.

Link: The Gun Digest Book Of Firearms, Fakes And Reproductions (Paperback)

[wayne8661]

Why would you recommend a book on fakes and reproductions?

[Edward Tinker]

IMHO, a gun should only be restored if it truely needs it or is so far gone; your fat barrel was, this I do not beleive is.


Once restored, all original bluing is gone.


But mank folks like prettty guns and not historical guns, sorry for interjecting my prejudices.


ed

[wayne8661]

Ed what would you do about the barrel? I just want to really get this back into shooter shape? Should I just get another barrel and keep this just to keep with the gun/ I am not hellbent on a restoration I just want it to function again.

[Edward Tinker]

I'll send you a shooter post WW1 luger if you want it in trade.


I am not against making these old guns into shooters, but feel that the 1900 is more fragile than a 1908 model.


There are some collectors / folks who want every gun they have capable of shooting, I don't mind that; but don't do it myself (although when younger I believed that every gun I owned should be shootable).

I have two 1900 barrels sitting in my parts, had them for sale on the forum, but both are sewer pipes for barrels (very little rifeling and pitting). Externally they look decent.


Ed

[wayne8661]

I appreciate all the advice I am getting on here , I thank you all. Ed maybe I should just replace the missing pieces and just leave it alone. I am starting to realize that would be the correct thing to do.

Alvin My question about the fakes and repro book wasnt meant to sound negative I hope it wasnt taken that way.

Wayne

[alvin]

The book's title is a little bit misleading, it does cover topics of fakes (looks that's a common problem on Winchester rifles and Colt SA, considering their 5 or 6 digit price tags), but it also covers many other topics, such as gun preservation, restoration etc., and its opinion on restoration is not all negative either. On page 160, one guy told a story:

A good example -- and I have a lot of them -- was in California. I had a guy who was a [Mauser] K98 collector and take one that was not collectible and I refinished it for him. He had two or three K98s original, nothing done to them. So he brought over his navy friends -- he was a chief in the navy [chief petty officer] -- and everyone want to see the one that was refinished. He got so mad he sold me the refinished one.

"These stupid blah, blah guys. They don't know to appreciate....." Well, they appreciated the nice looking one. In the time he says, 'I guess my idea of a collectible is different.' I called him a radical collector, but one who deserved his chance at it.

Of course, the chapter also has other opinions and thoughts. So, it's still up to the collector. Keep mind open and read all opinions is a fun part of this book.

====

There are more fun stuff in the book. Another example, on page 45 under topic "Consider the Character Issue":

You have made a purchase and now proudly display it in a case on the wall of your office, using cutton gloves to handle it. Then, someone points out an oddity: Sure, Wild Bill Hickok may have used this gun 150 years ago when he was an army scout, but why isn't there any evidence that the cylinder has ever been turned? Shouldn't there be a little "drag line" there from the cylinder stop? Your heart skips a beat. Your first impulse is grab the gun and club the bearer of bad news "right up aside his stupid head".

The topic was regarding "should you eat this loss, or transfer it to the next".

[wayne8661]

Need to re hash an old topic. A couple more questions regarding this pistol.
1. Should this be BUG marked i see no evidence of it ever having the markings.
2. Do any of you guys have an extractor and extractor spring for sale?

[lugerholsterrepair]

Wayne..Looks like you also are in need of a takedown lever spring?

I gotta say I rarely read something that makes me belly laugh but this was funny!

You have made a purchase and now proudly display it in a case on the wall of your office, using cutton gloves to handle it. Then, someone points out an oddity: Sure, Wild Bill Hickok may have used this gun 150 years ago when he was an army scout, but why isn't there any evidence that the cylinder has ever been turned? Shouldn't there be a little "drag line" there from the cylinder stop? Your heart skips a beat. Your first impulse is grab the gun and club the bearer of bad news "right up aside his stupid head".

[wayne8661]

Jerry you are correct