Newbie questions about commercial markings.

[thegundude]

I've order a book (on back order) on identifying Lugers but I still await it's arrival. I was hoping I might find some help here in the meantime.

I've noticed that military models have the last two digits if the serial number on them to identify a match. Well, that's really only one out of every hundred parts in general population, right? What's to keep some one from find another sideplate (or whatever part) and replacing a broken one and calling it matching? Other than blue condition, of course. That might prove to be sort of limiting, but not insurmountable.

Another thing that confuses me, because commercial models don't have all of the parts numbered, how can you tell if it's "all matching"?

Thanks for any help guys.