new member with 1938 S/42

[swampsavage]

I have just acquired s/n 3384 C with a few quirks. It is all matching except magazine which is a type 5 (blued fxo e/37 w/center pinned base). Grips have matching number also.
From doing research on this forum it is most likely refinished. The little pin on the left side of toggle grip is blued over. The other non-standard for a 1938 is the many parts that are strawed. Trigger, extractor, ejector, toggle cross pins, safety, and trigger plate latch. The straw is pristine and the blueing is 90+% also, only showing wear on high points and front of frame grip area. The refinish was done by a real pro as all the edges are still sharp and the S/N stands out as well wherever it appears.
I am not a collector so this will make a truly elegant shooter.

[mrerick]

Hi John, Welcome and congratulations!

We love pictures - please post some.

Marc

[andwaahs]

Sounds like a looker, pictures?

[swampsavage]

I need to figure out how to post pics. I have an iMac with no trace of Microsoft contamination. I have a great camera with macro capability and heavy duty Bogen tripod but so far have not figured out how to reduce them to acceptable resolution. I have iPhoto on the Mac.

[rolandtg]

Originally Posted by swampsavage

I need to figure out how to post pics. I have an iMac with no trace of Microsoft contamination. I have a great camera with macro capability and heavy duty Bogen tripod but so far have not figured out how to reduce them to acceptable resolution. I have iPhoto on the Mac.

You can use iPhoto to do an export to a lesser resolution.
File>Export. "Medium" is 1024x768 or so I believe.

If you're really ambitious you can get GIMP for the Mac. It's a freeware version of Photoshop.
It's a little slow and clunky but very serviceable.

[swampsavage]

...I also discovered, since prior post, that I can reduce the resolution of my camera from 4 MP to lower values. The Export tip you give is something I was not aware of and will try it. I am still relatively new to Mac software as I spent many years with Microsoft prior to retirement.

Got the Canon battery all charged up and will try it tomorrow.

thanks again

[MFC]

I take pictures about 18" away from the subject, which results in a lot of background. I then crop it to show only my subject. Works 99% of the time.

[swampsavage]

here is 1st attempt at showing pics

pics taken outdoors in morning light. No direct sun yet, shaded by surroundings. I used the resolution reduction feature in the camera and used tripod with self timer. Canon G3 and iPhoto SW in iMac.

I will improve composition in the future.

[mrerick]

Hi John,

Nice Luger.

All 1938 Lugers should have left the factory with a salt blue finish. I think you're correct about the refinish work, and it looks to be very high quality.

Is the magazine you pictured a new plastic based magazine rather than the FXO?

Even the grip screws appear to be fire blued. The person doing the refinishing did a very good job, yet it's the wrong combination for this year.

BTW, the 1938 year started in the "a" block (transitional with 1937 frames) putting your pistol toward the Spring of that year. A small number in that block have what appears to be SE/83 SE/63 TP/2 rather than SE/62 SE/63 TP/2 acceptance proofs. I can't see this detail in your photos.

So, one of the nicest dressed up shooters I've seen! Congratulations.

Marc

[swampsavage]

Thanks Marc

The magazine is a modern replacement. I will post a pic of the Type 5 later (blued with cross pinned center of rounds). The waffenamts you refer to are probably e/s 63 but the 1st one is faint. The straw parts look like original (still show tooling grooves) so whoever had them done got a good job. Ditto on the blueing as it was not done recently and shows the brownish patina in wear areas. The checkering on the grips is almost like new. Only a few chipped diamonds on right grip and points still sharp. They are original as are numbered correctly. I am going back to the dealer (friend of mine) where I purchased it and see if he knows the origin. It was on consignment and the place was full of hunters yesterday so I was not able to ask him much.

[alanint]

The grips also appear to be modern reproductions who somebody numbered to the gun. Can you detect any inspector's marks or other stamps?

A look at the back side of the grip's numbers would be useful.

[swampsavage]

I think they may be replacements also. They both have a spread stick eagle with W and something I can not make out to the left of the tail and 63 to the right. No serial number as I incorrectly reported. I thought my dealer friend said they were numbered but was mistaken.

I just came back from going back to the gun shop and asked the origin of the consignment sale. It was some 40+ year old woman who got it from her Father. She told him that her Father was not in the war but his brother was.

None of this concerns me greatly as I will be shooting it whenever I get range time. I actually feel better about the restorations done as it has limited collector value.

[andwaahs]

re blued or not, that is a stunner of a shooter. my 38 s/42 is refinsh too and i am happy with the mediocre level of finish for a shooter, yours however in my eyes is a fine looking pistol. well done..

[rhuff]

That is a handsome P08. Let us know how it functions at the range. I agree that whoever did the refinish, they knew what they were doing.