Need some help

[Herb]

Gentlemen I am at a loss on this one, I haven't paid much attention to this model as I never really expected to find one. Actually this is the first one I have ever seen. Today I inspected a Luger that is for sale as a result of an ad I placed in the regional paper. It turned out to be a 1900 Commercial. I need your thoughts on buying it. The particulars--it has been heavily buffed and reblued, there is still some evidence of past pitting that didn't get buffed out, blueing is excellent though and straw is about 90% less the thumb safety lever that has been blued. Serial number is 4771 and all numbered parts match and are in the commercial fashion. The chamber is unmarked, the toggles are the dished type and the toggle lock is present on the right side. It is DWM manufacture, and 30 cal. and the barrel is 4 3/4 inches and has the slim taper. The grip safety is present and there is no stock lug. Left grip cracked on the upper forward part but repaired, right grip appears to be a replacement, magazine appears to be a Mecgar type. The extractor is the old flat type as is the main spring and the firing pin is the old model. Here's where I need some help as these are so hard to come by, what are your best estimates on it's value in the condition I have described??

[Dwight Gruber]

Herb,

A couole of things to look for. These models used three different types of thumb safety levers, the first type is nearly flat and cross-checkered nearly half its length; the second version is raised and cross-checkered, the third type (most common) is the raised and grooved style we are familiar with for all other Lugers. Without looking at my references, the gun you are looking at may be early enough for the first model. You might also see the remnants of a polished area under the bottom positon of the safety lever, indicating its safe position.

How is the bore?

Look very closely at the top of the receiver to make sure that there aren't remnants of an American Eagle which might have been buffed away--straight Commercials are less common.

Old model Lugers are not scarce as hen's teeth, but you don't see them every day, either. I bought one in very similar condition to your description for $700. When I reflect on it, sometimes I think I paid too much for it, other times I think I did OK.

A really choice 1900 will run $2,500-$3,800.

--Dwight

[Herb]

Thanks Dwight, After seeing that it was a reblue I was so dissapointed, that I failed to look at the bore. I think the safety lever was of the third type that you described, at least I don't recall anything strangely different about it. The old guy, right, about my age I guess, wouldn't stop talking to me so my attention was constantly being distracted. The chamber did not appear to have been ground, I believe it was blank from the beginning. One thing I failed to mention-on the right frame rail, nearly buffed away, is the remnants of some lettering as best as I could tell it was ???fax VA. I have no Idea what that might be. Sure wish I had taken one of my references with me, oh well live and learn.

[drbuster]

Herb, I believe the safety lever on the commercial you are talking about (#4771) is probably the flat first type. My 1900 Eagle, serial #95xx has the second type. This makes it a little more desirable. The commercial 1900's were imported later than the 1900 Eagles, I think. Thus the marking on the right side of the frame may have been InterArmco, Fairfax, Virginia, although I believe they were loacted in Alexandria. In any event, its an importer stamp. It's a shame that it's been reblued. This really diminishes its collector's value. Dwight is probably correct in his estimate of around $700.

[Herb]

Thanks Herb, $700 is what he is asking. The inordinate amount of buffing really turns me off, even though I would really like to have one of the first 'real' Lugers. Holding it at arms length it looks pretty good but the little things up close are missing. I think I will have to pass on this one for now and hope for something better next time. Thanks for your post.

[Edward Tinker]

Herb, now that I think about this, kind of a coincidence that several people judge the value at about $700 and that is what the older gentleman is asking. Methinks he wasn't a country bumpkin, and did some research 'ey?



Ed

[Herb]

Ed, it's interesting that you brought that up, I did ask him if he had a computer and internet access and he does. I'm curious to know the source of his info if he did access it on the internet. I personally don't know of any of the Luger sellers that hand out such appraisals on the internet. I think I could probably get Ralph to give me a ball park figure but that's only because we know each other and I'm fairly sure this guy doesn't have those kind of contacts since he has only one Luger and is not a collector. I really hate to pass it up but it would be the ugliest in the collection except for the one I shoot and experiment on . <img border="0" alt="[crying]" title="" src="graemlins/crying.gif" />

[drbuster]

Herb, Don't feel bad about passing on this buffed, reblued 1900 commercial. They probably even blued the straw parts. These early lugers don't make the best shooters. I would be afraid of breaking that fragile flat recoil spring. Also, as I'm sure you know, 7.65 Luger ammo is very dear. Model 1900's are definitely out there, in all conditions, and priced accordingly. Bide your time, keep coming to the Reno show, etc.

[Herb]

Herb, that last Reno show was something else, every Luger I saw was priced as if it was gold plated with a platinum lined bore. Not a single good buy on the 1000 tables or so. The one I went to in 2001 Pete found a Simson shooter that had been refinished in black chrome and led me over to it, I got that one for $395, I wish I could do that every day of the week, that sucker is really purdy with the gold colored filling in the stamps against that black chrome. The normally strawed parts were blued so I did ole 1500 grit sanding and put them in the oven trick and it looks great now. Even lucked out and found a Simson mag on Ebay, wrong number, but still a Simson. I guess $700 saved now is two $350 shooters tomorrow. I'm going to put an ad in a little rag called the 'Horse Shoe Trader' that covers all of southern Utah and see what falls out, that $300 all original Spandau is out there somewhere, I'm goin' fishin.

[drbuster]

Herb, the thing is to find a 1900 with about 50% blue, no straw but all matching parts. Clips were un-numbered so that's easy. You could probably find one of those for $500-$700. I'm sure you could rehabilitate the thing. I'll keep an eye out for one such. HERB FISHER

[Edward Tinker]

Herb, keep an eye out for one like that for me too, <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />



Ed

[Lugerdoc]

I'm alway looking for M1900s for parts and have sold some reblued ones in the past in the $700 range to restorers to convert into custom carbines. TH