unbelievable Find!!!

lugerholsterrepair · 05-18-2009, 08:01 PM

Amazing Photo's posted below courtesy of the computer savvy Ed Tinker..Thanks ED!

Gentlemen, Here is a story that will amaze you...It did me! It will bring hope to all Luger nuts looking for hard to find parts.
A year or more ago I was cruising a site known to have Luger stuff. A fellow comes on with an ad for a 1937 Krieghoff Luger pistol. Of course I am interested even though the pistol is in relatively poor shape. Dented and pitted but not too bad, 75-80% bluing. Rough but hey, I want a Krieg. Thing is..it’s missing the sideplate. . OK, I buy it anyway, get it, open er up and it’s ALL matching. Not one part is un numbered or mismatched. A fascinating piece actually....Well, I think, I would love to find a Krieghoff sideplate to put on this just to sort of complete it. I gotta say... how often have you ever seen a loose Krieghoff sideplate?
I saw one for sale a year later...I’m on the web and it pops up! I immediately Email the seller, I’ll take it! He Emails back, a fellow just bought it a little while ago. I am going ape! I have spent how many thousands of hours on the internet looking for stuff like this and it’ sells to someone else! I beg the seller to sell it to me but he refuses. I finally wise up and ask the guy to tell me the name of the buyer. He does. I write the buyer and ask him about the sideplate, he says he bought it for a G date that was missing one. Thank God he didn’t need it for a Krieghoff! I offer to buy the plate for my Krieg...explain that I have a pistol it could better fit. Nothing...I get curious. I take a good look at the plate and it has 01 for a serial # on the back plate flange as well as the Eagle 2 on the lever & plate. I call our resident Krieghoff expert, Tom Armstrong and discuss Krieghoff serials. He says the # is just where it’s supposed to be. I dig thru my safe and find my Krieghoff. The serial number of said pistol is 7801. This can’t be! I take a look at the front of the plate...Looks right for condition....Could it be? The buyer finally gets back to me..he will trade the Krieg plate for another and an undisclosed, quite reasonable sum. I am overjoyed! Ed Tinker is kind enough to accomodate me with a suitable sideplate and he immediately sends it to buyer. I send $$. Krieghoff sideplate shows up this morning. This IS the missing sideplate from the pistol I bought over a year ago! It fit right on, the blue, patina and a line of pitting all match. The pistol cocks and fires perfectly! Truely an astounding set of circumstances brought these two back together.The original seller told me he bought this sideplate at a local swapmeet and it was in a box with some K98 rifle parts. I have been looking for matching mags for 15 years and have never found anything close. This knocked me for a loop! I guess all the time I spend looking for gun stuff on the internet wasn’t wasted.....I will take some photo's tomorrow...

Jerry Burney

Ice · 05-18-2009, 08:08 PM

Somebody loves you, Jerry. Have you bought a Lottery ticket this week. Congrats on your phenomenal luck!

Charlie

rolandtg · 05-18-2009, 10:08 PM

Amazing.
Now, it would be really interesting to find out how the sideplate was separated from the pistol in the first place.

lugerholsterrepair · 05-18-2009, 10:22 PM

The story told to me a year ago was that the pistol was an estate sale find and the seller was not a gun guy. He couldn't have been or he would not have sold it to me for such a low price. He said it came that way.
I still have a smile so big I have to go thru doors sideways!

Jerry Burney

cma22inc · 05-18-2009, 10:31 PM

Can you pick some lotto numbers for me!

That is a awesome story!

Oh and PICS please!!!

Don M · 05-18-2009, 10:34 PM

Jerry, you must be living right. Congratulations!

tharpo · 05-18-2009, 11:16 PM

Outstanding Jerry!! Gotta love a story with a happy ending.

Tom

John Sabato · 05-18-2009, 11:17 PM

Jerry, That is absolutely an amazing tale... we have seen some other parts reunited like stocks with artillery Lugers, since this forum was established, but I think this story takes the prize... Congrats!

Edward Tinker · 05-18-2009, 11:47 PM

A story almost impossible to believe, but of course I know the source and all I can say when I heard it was WOW!

Ed

wlyon · 05-19-2009, 01:22 AM

Jerry
Amazing story. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Bill

lfid · 05-19-2009, 02:41 AM

Jerry,

very cool story

thanks for sharing

Bill

Edward Tinker · 05-19-2009, 03:39 PM

pictures posted for Jerry the inconcievable uploading dude.

George Anderson · 05-19-2009, 04:29 PM

Proof that God smiles on the poorest among us.

lugerholsterrepair · 05-19-2009, 05:03 PM

Thanks fellows! These photo's show with no doubt that this IS the sideplate this Krieg was born with.
I just took it out to my pistol range beside my leather shop and ran a mag thru it. Sweet!!! Trigger pull was delightful, ran all 8 with no problems and shot where I pointed it. It's an ugly old dog but it's the only Krieghoff I could afford.
Like John says...I would like to hear a matching # story that would top this one! I still find it hard to believe....

Jerry Burney

cma22inc · 05-19-2009, 08:01 PM

Thanks for posting the pictures!

That is one for the history books fellows.

What are the odds of finding the EXACT side plate.

Someone here run the numbers please.

Gotta be a really big number.

Oh and I think you used up most of your lifetime luck allotment on that one Jerry.

I would not be beting on any horses if i were you.

LOL

Lugerdoc · 05-20-2009, 11:03 AM

Jerry, I Can't top your story, but a couple of years ago at an auction, I purchased a box of misc parts. Before leaving the auction, I determined that I had the matching mag floor plate, spring & follower for a 6 shot conehammer and the original mag for a German STANDARD M1893 pistol both purchased at the same auction by Randy Bessler. I naturally sold him those parts for what I had paid for the whole box, also containing a complete Navy luger rear sight assy and several nice M1900 luger parts. TH

lugerholsterrepair · 05-21-2009, 09:15 PM

Matt, I don't think my luck ran out on this one but it's got to be low on juice! Like a gambler who wins... I will only be disapointed foreverafter....

Tom, There must be more of these types of stories...Pretty amazing when they do happen.

I wonder how long I will be giddy. Probably everytime I look at this pistol.

Jerry Burney

Went Blakely · 05-23-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lugerholsterrepair

The story told to me a year ago was that the pistol was an estate sale find and the seller was not a gun guy. He couldn't have been or he would not have sold it to me for such a low price. He said it came that way.
I still have a smile so big I have to go thru doors sideways!

Jerry Burney

Hahaha i like that one

What a fantastic story Jerry, well done mate!

MP38 · 05-27-2009, 11:18 AM

Jerry,

An unbelievable story Jerry!

I can't top that one, but I was on the other side of a simular situation a few years back. I was contacted by a member online about a zero series magazine that I had posted photos up with my Zero series P38.
He told me he had the gun that matched my magazine, and asked me if I would be willing to sell it. I did sell it for a reasonable price, and now the buyer has not only one, but two matching magazines for his zero series!!

I was glad to help out!

I just wish that kind of luck would happen to me some day?

Matt

OKCShooter · 02-08-2010, 11:20 PM

The neatest 'find' story I've ever heard!

Just makes that gun more special...

05-18-2009, 08:01 PM	#1
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	unbelievable Find!!! Amazing Photo's posted below courtesy of the computer savvy Ed Tinker..Thanks ED! Gentlemen, Here is a story that will amaze you...It did me! It will bring hope to all Luger nuts looking for hard to find parts. A year or more ago I was cruising a site known to have Luger stuff. A fellow comes on with an ad for a 1937 Krieghoff Luger pistol. Of course I am interested even though the pistol is in relatively poor shape. Dented and pitted but not too bad, 75-80% bluing. Rough but hey, I want a Krieg. Thing is..it’s missing the sideplate. . OK, I buy it anyway, get it, open er up and it’s ALL matching. Not one part is un numbered or mismatched. A fascinating piece actually....Well, I think, I would love to find a Krieghoff sideplate to put on this just to sort of complete it. I gotta say... how often have you ever seen a loose Krieghoff sideplate? I saw one for sale a year later...I’m on the web and it pops up! I immediately Email the seller, I’ll take it! He Emails back, a fellow just bought it a little while ago. I am going ape! I have spent how many thousands of hours on the internet looking for stuff like this and it’ sells to someone else! I beg the seller to sell it to me but he refuses. I finally wise up and ask the guy to tell me the name of the buyer. He does. I write the buyer and ask him about the sideplate, he says he bought it for a G date that was missing one. Thank God he didn’t need it for a Krieghoff! I offer to buy the plate for my Krieg...explain that I have a pistol it could better fit. Nothing...I get curious. I take a good look at the plate and it has 01 for a serial # on the back plate flange as well as the Eagle 2 on the lever & plate. I call our resident Krieghoff expert, Tom Armstrong and discuss Krieghoff serials. He says the # is just where it’s supposed to be. I dig thru my safe and find my Krieghoff. The serial number of said pistol is 7801. This can’t be! I take a look at the front of the plate...Looks right for condition....Could it be? The buyer finally gets back to me..he will trade the Krieg plate for another and an undisclosed, quite reasonable sum. I am overjoyed! Ed Tinker is kind enough to accomodate me with a suitable sideplate and he immediately sends it to buyer. I send $$. Krieghoff sideplate shows up this morning. This IS the missing sideplate from the pistol I bought over a year ago! It fit right on, the blue, patina and a line of pitting all match. The pistol cocks and fires perfectly! Truely an astounding set of circumstances brought these two back together.The original seller told me he bought this sideplate at a local swapmeet and it was in a box with some K98 rifle parts. I have been looking for matching mags for 15 years and have never found anything close. This knocked me for a loop! I guess all the time I spend looking for gun stuff on the internet wasn’t wasted.....I will take some photo's tomorrow... Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know." Last edited by lugerholsterrepair; 05-19-2009 at 05:06 PM.

05-18-2009, 10:22 PM	#4
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	The story told to me a year ago was that the pistol was an estate sale find and the seller was not a gun guy. He couldn't have been or he would not have sold it to me for such a low price. He said it came that way. I still have a smile so big I have to go thru doors sideways! Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-18-2009, 10:31 PM	#5
cma22inc User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tampa Bay FL Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Can you pick some lotto numbers for me! That is a awesome story! Oh and PICS please!!! __________________ Matt A. Tampa, FL (C&R) Collector

05-18-2009, 10:34 PM	#6
Don M Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,429 Thanks: 67 Thanked 292 Times in 191 Posts	Jerry, you must be living right. Congratulations! __________________ Regards, Don [email protected] Author of History Writ in Steel: German Police Markings 1900-1936 http://www.historywritinsteel.com

05-18-2009, 11:17 PM	#8
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	Jerry, That is absolutely an amazing tale... we have seen some other parts reunited like stocks with artillery Lugers, since this forum was established, but I think this story takes the prize... Congrats! __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

05-18-2009, 08:08 PM	#2
Ice User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 552 Thanks: 13 Thanked 69 Times in 57 Posts	Somebody loves you, Jerry. Have you bought a Lottery ticket this week. Congrats on your phenomenal luck! Charlie

05-18-2009, 10:08 PM	#3
rolandtg User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 477 Thanks: 380 Thanked 258 Times in 113 Posts	Amazing. Now, it would be really interesting to find out how the sideplate was separated from the pistol in the first place.

05-18-2009, 11:16 PM	#7
tharpo Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: West Coast, USA Posts: 543 Thanks: 116 Thanked 382 Times in 157 Posts	Outstanding Jerry!! Gotta love a story with a happy ending. Tom

05-18-2009, 11:47 PM	#9
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	A story almost impossible to believe, but of course I know the source and all I can say when I heard it was WOW! 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

05-19-2009, 01:22 AM	#10
wlyon Lifer 2X Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere in Montana Posts: 2,636 Thanks: 3,174 Thanked 2,559 Times in 955 Posts	Jerry Amazing story. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Bill __________________ Bill Lyon

05-19-2009, 02:41 AM	#11
lfid Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wichita, KS USA Posts: 453 Thanks: 573 Thanked 96 Times in 53 Posts	Jerry, very cool story thanks for sharing Bill

05-19-2009, 03:39 PM	#12
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	pictures posted for Jerry the inconcievable uploading dude. Attached Images

05-19-2009, 04:29 PM	#13
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,529 Times in 787 Posts	Proof that God smiles on the poorest among us.

05-19-2009, 05:03 PM	#14
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Thanks fellows! These photo's show with no doubt that this IS the sideplate this Krieg was born with. I just took it out to my pistol range beside my leather shop and ran a mag thru it. Sweet!!! Trigger pull was delightful, ran all 8 with no problems and shot where I pointed it. It's an ugly old dog but it's the only Krieghoff I could afford. Like John says...I would like to hear a matching # story that would top this one! I still find it hard to believe.... Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-19-2009, 08:01 PM	#15
cma22inc User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tampa Bay FL Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Thanks for posting the pictures! That is one for the history books fellows. What are the odds of finding the EXACT side plate. Someone here run the numbers please. Gotta be a really big number. Oh and I think you used up most of your lifetime luck allotment on that one Jerry. I would not be beting on any horses if i were you. LOL __________________ Matt A. Tampa, FL (C&R) Collector

05-20-2009, 11:03 AM	#16
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	Jerry, I Can't top your story, but a couple of years ago at an auction, I purchased a box of misc parts. Before leaving the auction, I determined that I had the matching mag floor plate, spring & follower for a 6 shot conehammer and the original mag for a German STANDARD M1893 pistol both purchased at the same auction by Randy Bessler. I naturally sold him those parts for what I had paid for the whole box, also containing a complete Navy luger rear sight assy and several nice M1900 luger parts. TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 [email protected]

05-21-2009, 09:15 PM	#17
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Matt, I don't think my luck ran out on this one but it's got to be low on juice! Like a gambler who wins... I will only be disapointed foreverafter.... Tom, There must be more of these types of stories...Pretty amazing when they do happen. I wonder how long I will be giddy. Probably everytime I look at this pistol. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-27-2009, 11:18 AM	#19
MP38 User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 464 Thanks: 36 Thanked 113 Times in 60 Posts	Jerry, An unbelievable story Jerry! I can't top that one, but I was on the other side of a simular situation a few years back. I was contacted by a member online about a zero series magazine that I had posted photos up with my Zero series P38. He told me he had the gun that matched my magazine, and asked me if I would be willing to sell it. I did sell it for a reasonable price, and now the buyer has not only one, but two matching magazines for his zero series!! I was glad to help out! I just wish that kind of luck would happen to me some day? Matt

02-08-2010, 11:20 PM	#20
OKCShooter New User Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The neatest 'find' story I've ever heard! Just makes that gun more special...