Your opinions please

weljer61 · 09-20-2013, 11:02 AM

Hello all,

New owner of a 9mm Luger super excited to add to my collection. I do not have a lot of knowledge about Lugers and was hoping for you all to tell me about this one.

There is very little wear on the gun, all the serial numbers that I can see match (no serial number on mag). I was told it was brought back from world war one. From there it was hocked to two other owners before I got my hands one it.

I can post additional pics if you need to see something in more detail. I look forward to reading you comments.

Thank you in advance!

Tony Min · 09-20-2013, 07:14 PM

52 views and no responses.
Ok, I will say what I know.
It's a Luger.....

Ok,

I like it. Barrel is real shiny but if all original finish and matching probably worth $1,000 to $1,200
Maybe that will get them going...

mrerick · 09-20-2013, 07:46 PM

Hello Jeremy, and welcome to the forum.

Looks like a nice military Luger in original finish from WW-I. When you disassemble it you can verify that it is all matching.

The aluminum based magazine is from a later period. Photos of it (including sides and base details) will help identify it.

The finish, including the straw, looks to be in very good condition. Perhaps 95% finish and 80% straw from the photos. You need it in hand to make a closer judgement.

Be very careful when disassembling the grips. In particular the left one (which will easily break up by the safety if you lift it too far off the frame before sliding it away).

You can find retail values on the online websites that sell Lugers. Simpson's Ltd. is one...

Any specific questions?

Marc

Geo99 · 09-20-2013, 09:46 PM

Congratulations on your first Luger!

It is a late WWI 1918, 'e' block. It is in very nice condition except for the grips being dented up. I would say it could be 96%+ blue.

The grips are walnut, which is not usual for this year. Are the grips are numbered to the gun? (I will guess no, but I could be wrong)

How do know it's 9mm? By the 8.82 on the barrel.

The flat springs should be bright blue - you can clean them gently to see if they brighten up.

Is there a halo on the SN under the barrel? Shine a bright flashlight on it at a 45 deg angle and you should see a lighter outline around the numbers.

- Geo

Edward Tinker · 09-20-2013, 10:22 PM

Quote:

52 views and no responses.
.....

that is my point many times - people say, wow some guys post a lot - and its because so many people,lurk and aren't willing to stick their necks out a bit I think

as above, some additional pictures would be good - and welcome to the forum.

Tony Min · 09-20-2013, 10:29 PM

So far I am the only one that stuck my neck out on the value and I don't know ****

And why is the barrel so evenly shiny? Polished a bit too much? It is also lighter.
It's a nice one. Probably a little nicer than the one I just bought for $1,000
Just not crazy about the lack of bluing on the barrel.

Zorba · 09-21-2013, 02:52 AM

Its possible the "lack of bluing" on the bbl is just the lighting. I had the same thing happen in some of my pictures.

Or maybe the bbl is brand new!

ithacaartist · 09-21-2013, 10:51 AM

Hi Jeremy, welcome to the forum. Hey, I tried sticking my neck out yesterday, but gave up after I lost my composition--twice. I think Marc has it summed up pretty well, and details from others will very likely follow as this thread lives on.

One sign that the finish is original is that the end of the toggle axle retaining pin, which is visible atop the left toggle knob, is "in the white"--properly unfinished. Another sign is the overall look of the lines, edges, and surfaces, which is shown by the pics to be straight/sharp/flat--so this pistol has not been buffed prior to a refinish. Another place to check for this condition is inside the top of the frame, where the areas that do not show when the pistol is assembled should also be unfinished.

Your pistol displays an overall need for a good cleaning with a well lubricated bit of 0000 steel or brass wool-gently, so as not to remove any actual bluing. There are links on this site to videos showing how to dis-and re-assemble your gun. Field stripping is the way to expose the rest of the parts that should be serialized, and to check for what we're hoping is the lack of finish inside. I think it will clean up great, whatever the case.

You've been cautioned to be careful in removing the grips, left one in particular. Here's how to do it. The right one is usually a piece of cake, remove the grip screw and gently raise the lower end of the grip until it clears the frame. The grip should then be pulled downward to extract its top from where it tucks under the frame. The left one is the one that potentially presents a risk for chipping it in the area of the safety lever. Remove its retaining screw and push its bottom up from the frame only enough to clear. Then carefully rotate the bottom of the grip to the left until it is free from the safety lever. Once the lever is cleared, you 'l be able to un-tuck the top of the grip from the frame.

Military pistols were most often issued with grips serialized to their specific guns, so check their backsides for the same two numbers that appear elsewhere.

Geo99 · 09-21-2013, 11:10 PM

Now that I look again, the barrel appears like it may not even be rust blued. And the front sight blade is fire- blued - that would not match the condition of the rest of the gun. Barrel almost looks like it belongs to a WWII pistol with the high polish finish. Or it could all be from the glare/light. Really impossible to tell from these pictures, need pictures taken with indirect lighting.

Jeremy - can you show a picture of the witness strike (chisel mark) under the barrel?

- Geo

weljer61 · 09-26-2013, 01:53 PM

Thanks for all the comments folks, I will get some more pics up today.

09-20-2013, 11:02 AM	#1
weljer61 New User Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Your opinions please Hello all, New owner of a 9mm Luger super excited to add to my collection. I do not have a lot of knowledge about Lugers and was hoping for you all to tell me about this one. There is very little wear on the gun, all the serial numbers that I can see match (no serial number on mag). I was told it was brought back from world war one. From there it was hocked to two other owners before I got my hands one it. I can post additional pics if you need to see something in more detail. I look forward to reading you comments. Thank you in advance! Attached Thumbnails

09-20-2013, 07:46 PM	#3
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,909 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,110 Times in 1,510 Posts	Hello Jeremy, and welcome to the forum. Looks like a nice military Luger in original finish from WW-I. When you disassemble it you can verify that it is all matching. The aluminum based magazine is from a later period. Photos of it (including sides and base details) will help identify it. The finish, including the straw, looks to be in very good condition. Perhaps 95% finish and 80% straw from the photos. You need it in hand to make a closer judgement. Be very careful when disassembling the grips. In particular the left one (which will easily break up by the safety if you lift it too far off the frame before sliding it away). You can find retail values on the online websites that sell Lugers. Simpson's Ltd. is one... Any specific questions? Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

09-20-2013, 09:46 PM	#4
Geo99 User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Whidbey Island WA Posts: 398 Thanks: 102 Thanked 125 Times in 74 Posts	Congratulations on your first Luger! It is a late WWI 1918, 'e' block. It is in very nice condition except for the grips being dented up. I would say it could be 96%+ blue. The grips are walnut, which is not usual for this year. Are the grips are numbered to the gun? (I will guess no, but I could be wrong) How do know it's 9mm? By the 8.82 on the barrel. The flat springs should be bright blue - you can clean them gently to see if they brighten up. Is there a halo on the SN under the barrel? Shine a bright flashlight on it at a 45 deg angle and you should see a lighter outline around the numbers. - Geo __________________ "Diplomacy is the art of saying nice doggie, until you can find a rock." - Will Rogers

09-21-2013, 10:51 AM	#8
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,347 Thanks: 7,285 Thanked 2,579 Times in 1,366 Posts	Hi Jeremy, welcome to the forum. Hey, I tried sticking my neck out yesterday, but gave up after I lost my composition--twice. I think Marc has it summed up pretty well, and details from others will very likely follow as this thread lives on. One sign that the finish is original is that the end of the toggle axle retaining pin, which is visible atop the left toggle knob, is "in the white"--properly unfinished. Another sign is the overall look of the lines, edges, and surfaces, which is shown by the pics to be straight/sharp/flat--so this pistol has not been buffed prior to a refinish. Another place to check for this condition is inside the top of the frame, where the areas that do not show when the pistol is assembled should also be unfinished. Your pistol displays an overall need for a good cleaning with a well lubricated bit of 0000 steel or brass wool-gently, so as not to remove any actual bluing. There are links on this site to videos showing how to dis-and re-assemble your gun. Field stripping is the way to expose the rest of the parts that should be serialized, and to check for what we're hoping is the lack of finish inside. I think it will clean up great, whatever the case. You've been cautioned to be careful in removing the grips, left one in particular. Here's how to do it. The right one is usually a piece of cake, remove the grip screw and gently raise the lower end of the grip until it clears the frame. The grip should then be pulled downward to extract its top from where it tucks under the frame. The left one is the one that potentially presents a risk for chipping it in the area of the safety lever. Remove its retaining screw and push its bottom up from the frame only enough to clear. Then carefully rotate the bottom of the grip to the left until it is free from the safety lever. Once the lever is cleared, you 'l be able to un-tuck the top of the grip from the frame. Military pistols were most often issued with grips serialized to their specific guns, so check their backsides for the same two numbers that appear elsewhere. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

09-21-2013, 11:10 PM	#9
Geo99 User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Whidbey Island WA Posts: 398 Thanks: 102 Thanked 125 Times in 74 Posts	Now that I look again, the barrel appears like it may not even be rust blued. And the front sight blade is fire- blued - that would not match the condition of the rest of the gun. Barrel almost looks like it belongs to a WWII pistol with the high polish finish. Or it could all be from the glare/light. Really impossible to tell from these pictures, need pictures taken with indirect lighting. Jeremy - can you show a picture of the witness strike (chisel mark) under the barrel? - Geo __________________ "Diplomacy is the art of saying nice doggie, until you can find a rock." - Will Rogers

09-20-2013, 07:14 PM	#2
Tony Min User Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 169 Thanks: 0 Thanked 21 Times in 14 Posts	52 views and no responses. Ok, I will say what I know. It's a Luger..... Ok, I like it. Barrel is real shiny but if all original finish and matching probably worth $1,000 to $1,200 Maybe that will get them going...

09-20-2013, 10:29 PM	#6
Tony Min User Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 169 Thanks: 0 Thanked 21 Times in 14 Posts	So far I am the only one that stuck my neck out on the value and I don't know **** And why is the barrel so evenly shiny? Polished a bit too much? It is also lighter. It's a nice one. Probably a little nicer than the one I just bought for $1,000 Just not crazy about the lack of bluing on the barrel.

09-21-2013, 02:52 AM	#7
Zorba User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Merritt Island, Fl Posts: 952 Thanks: 777 Thanked 527 Times in 290 Posts	Its possible the "lack of bluing" on the bbl is just the lighting. I had the same thing happen in some of my pictures. Or maybe the bbl is brand new!

09-26-2013, 01:53 PM	#10
weljer61 New User Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for all the comments folks, I will get some more pics up today.