stainless vs nickel

btlranger · 01-05-2009, 02:48 AM

Hello group,

It has been along time since I have visited this site since joining a couple of years ago but I just recently inherited my fathers collection of lugers. My father had a total of 11 and one of them always stuck with me since I was a child. The one in question in my dad's collection was noted in his ledger as a 1939 code 42 serial #1309 with a matching clip. My father had it noted "stainless" in his ledger. A little history here .... My father wasn't allowed to go to WW II because he was an only child/son and in 1952 he aquired this luger from a friend of his who brought it back with him after the war.
I can remember going to gun shows and seeing Lugars that had been chromed and nickel plated but this ones finish always seemed a little different. I just recently attend a gun show and approached a table of someone who claimed after showing him the lugar that it was nickel plated. He basically told me it was "junk" because of this and that he would give me 400.00 for it. It just sparks my curiousity as to why from 1952 it was always noted as being "stainless".

The years of the lugars that I now have are 1916, 18 (erfurt police model, 21 (commercial DWM), 36, 37, 38, (2) 39, 40, (2) 41 (PO 8) (1 black widow). and 1 1941 P-38. All the lugars have their matching clips with them.

thanks for any feedback
Bob

Ron Smith · 01-05-2009, 08:46 AM

Hi Bob,

High quality real nickel plating is often difficult to distinguish from unpolished stainless steel. Chrome less so, due to it's very shiney appearance. The weren't any factory nickled, nor stainless steel military Lugers.

Gunshow dealer's never fail to amuse me. "It's a piece of junk. I'll give you $400 for it." If it's a piece of junk? I wouldn't offer anything for it. Any time a dealer offers cash for a gun. He figures he can sell it for at least a 25%-35% profit.

Ron

Edward Tinker · 01-05-2009, 09:40 AM

Bob, welcome to the forum. There were chrome and nickle and differnent methods in my opinion, because many ties they look VERy different.

It is also luger, as in Georg Luger; easy to mispell, but something that an owner of 13 lugers might want to be aware of

(a pretty impressive number BTW)

ed

01-05-2009, 08:46 AM	#2
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hi Bob, High quality real nickel plating is often difficult to distinguish from unpolished stainless steel. Chrome less so, due to it's very shiney appearance. The weren't any factory nickled, nor stainless steel military Lugers. Gunshow dealer's never fail to amuse me. "It's a piece of junk. I'll give you $400 for it." If it's a piece of junk? I wouldn't offer anything for it. Any time a dealer offers cash for a gun. He figures he can sell it for at least a 25%-35% profit. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

01-05-2009, 09:40 AM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,909 Thanks: 1,986 Thanked 4,500 Times in 2,076 Posts	Bob, welcome to the forum. There were chrome and nickle and differnent methods in my opinion, because many ties they look VERy different. It is also luger, as in Georg Luger; easy to mispell, but something that an owner of 13 lugers might want to be aware of (a pretty impressive number BTW) ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

01-05-2009, 02:48 AM	#1
btlranger New User Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	stainless vs nickel Hello group, It has been along time since I have visited this site since joining a couple of years ago but I just recently inherited my fathers collection of lugers. My father had a total of 11 and one of them always stuck with me since I was a child. The one in question in my dad's collection was noted in his ledger as a 1939 code 42 serial #1309 with a matching clip. My father had it noted "stainless" in his ledger. A little history here .... My father wasn't allowed to go to WW II because he was an only child/son and in 1952 he aquired this luger from a friend of his who brought it back with him after the war. I can remember going to gun shows and seeing Lugars that had been chromed and nickel plated but this ones finish always seemed a little different. I just recently attend a gun show and approached a table of someone who claimed after showing him the lugar that it was nickel plated. He basically told me it was "junk" because of this and that he would give me 400.00 for it. It just sparks my curiousity as to why from 1952 it was always noted as being "stainless". The years of the lugars that I now have are 1916, 18 (erfurt police model, 21 (commercial DWM), 36, 37, 38, (2) 39, 40, (2) 41 (PO 8) (1 black widow). and 1 1941 P-38. All the lugars have their matching clips with them. thanks for any feedback Bob