Original finish 1906?

thegundude · 03-12-2007, 02:36 PM

I saw this come up for auction (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=67609200) and thought that the finish must be too good to be true.

An email assured me it was original finish and looks new. Is that even possible?

Pete Ebbink · 03-12-2007, 03:35 PM

Steve,

You might ask the seller for more detailed photos.

Three areas I would look for in detailed photos would be :

1. Polished thumb safety area to see how well-shaped and clean the polished (milled) area appears.

2. Close up photo of the Bernerprobe (BP) on the left side of the receiver. On an original finished piece, I would expect to see it stamped "through the bluing".

3. Close up of the top of the toggle link to see how deep the lettering and Swiss cross are stamped.

BTW...this is the later variety of the 06/24 Bern Luger with its taller "island" on the trigger side plate. This change began to appear around the middle of the 27xxx serial range. This gun on G-B is in the # 29xxx serial range.

I would also expect this gun to be salt-blued (i.e. dipped process in salt baths) so the interior surfaces of the gun would not be "in the white". This change from rust blue to salt blue also seemed to occur transitionally in the 27xxx serial range.

On this G-B offering, the photo seems to show a pronounced bluing difference on the trigger side plate versus the rest of the gun. Maybe follow-up photos from the seller to you might show if this is the case or not...

thegundude · 03-12-2007, 03:39 PM

Thanks, Pete.

Guisan · 03-17-2007, 04:29 PM

..I waited till the auction had ended and I guess Pete is quite right as always.
This gun got touch-ups or was re-blued and it was not done in the same way as W+F did during repairs or refurbishing.
Interesting is that "non-matching magazine" .

Guisan.

03-12-2007, 02:36 PM	#1
thegundude User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Western NC Posts: 1,137 Thanks: 3 Thanked 16 Times in 3 Posts	Original finish 1906? I saw this come up for auction (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=67609200) and thought that the finish must be too good to be true. An email assured me it was original finish and looks new. Is that even possible? __________________ Keep your knees in the breeze and your iron in the air. ~Steve

03-12-2007, 03:39 PM	#3
thegundude User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Western NC Posts: 1,137 Thanks: 3 Thanked 16 Times in 3 Posts	Thanks, Pete. __________________ Keep your knees in the breeze and your iron in the air. ~Steve

03-17-2007, 04:29 PM	#4
Guisan User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 112 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Well... ..I waited till the auction had ended and I guess Pete is quite right as always. This gun got touch-ups or was re-blued and it was not done in the same way as W+F did during repairs or refurbishing. Interesting is that "non-matching magazine" . Guisan. __________________ Fight to your last cartridge, then fight with your bayonets. No surrender. Fight to the death. --Gen. Henri Guisan, Switzerland, July '40

03-12-2007, 03:35 PM	#2
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Steve, You might ask the seller for more detailed photos. Three areas I would look for in detailed photos would be : 1. Polished thumb safety area to see how well-shaped and clean the polished (milled) area appears. 2. Close up photo of the Bernerprobe (BP) on the left side of the receiver. On an original finished piece, I would expect to see it stamped "through the bluing". 3. Close up of the top of the toggle link to see how deep the lettering and Swiss cross are stamped. BTW...this is the later variety of the 06/24 Bern Luger with its taller "island" on the trigger side plate. This change began to appear around the middle of the 27xxx serial range. This gun on G-B is in the # 29xxx serial range. I would also expect this gun to be salt-blued (i.e. dipped process in salt baths) so the interior surfaces of the gun would not be "in the white". This change from rust blue to salt blue also seemed to occur transitionally in the 27xxx serial range. On this G-B offering, the photo seems to show a pronounced bluing difference on the trigger side plate versus the rest of the gun. Maybe follow-up photos from the seller to you might show if this is the case or not...