Added value of numbered magazines, ect?

[Gun-R-Us]

Hello all,

I have a cousin that recently found one of those mystical attic finds. A 1941 Mauser manufactured Luger from WWII. Condition is near 99% and all the numbers match. This thing has spent the last 60+ years in a oil wrapped cloth in the corner of the attic. I've looked up the value in the BBGV at about $4k. My question extends to how the magazines, holster, and lack of any import stamps affect the value. He has all three matching numbered 1-2-3 magazines and the issue holster. The BBGV says to add 75-100% for two matching magazines, what about the third? I've added some photo's to hopefully help. If anybody has some additional information, it would be appreciated. At this point he's not looking to sell it, he just want's to make sure it's properly insured.

Thanks,
Mike

[Edward Tinker]

it is a police gun - I know few people that would pay double the money for two matching magazines

I would not go by the blue book - its a start but they are incredibly bad about rarer variations or over pricing common variations

I would like to see all three magazine bottoms, easy shot of all three on a table, base showing

Police guns are more likely to be found like this with matching magazines. A mauser Banner that is dated and then went to the police is very uncommon, not rare, but fairly so - that said, there is only a smaller market looking for something like this.

Your pictures, leave a bit lacking

full right, full left, front of frame, some close ups. Especially of magazines and holsters, is there a tool?

[Edward Tinker]

I assume since you are in a 'southern' state that you have no affiliation with the gun-r-us shop in Oregon...

[Gun-R-Us]

Ed,

Sorry the pics aren't great. It'll be awhile before I get back over to visit again, so pics will likely be awhile. He lives in what could kindly be referred to as the sticks... I am down south, so no i'm not affiliated with any shops in Oregon.

How do you ID the police model from the standard mil issue? The BBGV only says it has "sear safeties, and blue small parts". I didn't see a tool, but I'm not a luger collector (the good one's are a bit out of my price range) so i'm not sure what the tool would even look like.

[guns3545]

Originally Posted by Gun-R-Us

Ed,

Sorry the pics aren't great. It'll be awhile before I get back over to visit again, so pics will likely be awhile. He lives in what could kindly be referred to as the sticks... I am down south, so no i'm not affiliated with any shops in Oregon.

How do you ID the police model from the standard mil issue? The BBGV only says it has "sear safeties, and blue small parts". I didn't see a tool, but I'm not a luger collector (the good one's are a bit out of my price range) so i'm not sure what the tool would even look like.

Here's three:
1. Sear safety . A police feature
2. Mauser Banner. Bought by police. Military would have factory code
3. Numbered magazines, used only by police. BTW, three matching are very rarely found.

John

[tharpo]

I don't recall seeing the orange/red extractor on a Mauser Police Banner before. Reblue?
Love to see pictures of the 3 magazine bottom serial numbers.

Tom

[wlyon]

Is the trigger and safety lever strawed? Looks like it from the pictures? Bill

[SteveM]

Is the rivet on the sear safety blued?

[Geo99]

Mike,

Like Ed said, to get a proper guesstimate, you need some better pictures - full right, full left, full top, front of frame, and rear of frame.

At first glance your pistol looks beautiful, but a more careful observation reveals some inconsistencies. Based in what I can see in these pics, this looks to me like an incorrectly refinished Luger.
The sear safety rivet/pin is blued, but these are never blued.
The trigger, extractor, and safety lever are strawed (or painted?), which is incorrect - these small parts should all be blued the same as the finish on the rest of the gun.

The GESICHERT (safe) stamping is too white and so looks to be very recent. It could be a white lacquer pen filler that you someone put on it, but that kind of conflicts with the "hasn't been touched for over 60 years" idea.

Also from what I can see in these limited pictures, there is ZERO wear in the spots that should have some wear - combine this with all of the above, and it looks very suspicious to me.

You say it has been untouched for over 60 years - do you know that for certain? I mean it is possible, but I would seriously doubt the refinish/strawing was done in the late 40s/early 50s.

The fact that you have 3 matching police marked magazines with the police modified pistol does indicate the mags are original since the time it was re-issued to the police, so that is a plus.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by Geo99

Mike,

Like Ed said, to get a proper guesstimate, you need some better pictures - full right, full left, full top, front of frame, and rear of frame.

The sear safety rivet/pin is blued, but these are never blued.
The trigger, extractor, and safety lever are strawed (or painted?), which is incorrect - these small parts should all be blued the same as the finish on the rest of the gun.

The GESICHERT (safe) stamping is too white and so looks to be very recent...

Also from what I can see in these limited pictures, there is ZERO wear in the spots that should have some wear - combine this with all of the above, and it looks very suspicious to me...

The fact that you have 3 matching police marked magazines with the police modified pistol does indicate the mags are original since the time it was re-issued to the police, so that is a plus.

I'm down with most of this, however will reserve judgment until we see the comparative pic of all three mag bottoms. The way they are numbered (1-2-3) is police; military would be serial # only on the first, a + on the first spare and ++ on the third mag. I think a military rig would only include 2 original mags for the period (wouldn't a ++ mag only have been issued on a much earlier artillery rig?). In the new mag pic, we will be able to see of the fonts and style match, also see how much grinding/tampering was done to number them as matching, if any.

[CAP Black]

Perhaps an examination of the holster will add more to the issue. Also perhaps the family can add valid info on the history of the gun?
Jack