Hey I had a couple questions

[LugerJ]

The white lettering/ numbering on the top of a Luger , was that done at the factory , or done on referbishing. Or on commercial and not military? Sorry for my ignorance , but my search didn't pull up any info. Also why do the 42 mausers cost so much less than other variants , s/42, 41/42 , etc. iam not complaining just curious , maybe just more were produced?

[DavidJayUden]

I suppose there are other possibilities, but the most common method is with a "lacquer stick", a white waxy crayon-type marker that you rub on, then wipe off the excess, leaving the white in the channels of the stamped or engraved numbers/letters/markings. One notable exception is the "Giesert" marking under the safety, that came from the factory filled with white paint. None of the other markings were originally "whited" in.
I still have part of one lacquer stick that I bought form Ralph Shattuck about a gazillion years ago.
dju

[DonVoigt]

Your observation on Mauser lugers does not hold true for what I see.
Condition dictates pricing more than the date or toggle code, JMHO.

[guns3545]

John,

Welcome to the Forum.

The ONLY lettering or number filled in at the factory is the Gesichert under the safety lever. Anything else was done by a previous owner of the pistol.

On value. Don is correct saying that condition trumps everything else within a class/variation of P.08. The second factor is scarcity defined by either usage, i.e.a Navy marked gun, or number of pieces made, or a specific proof mark.

Some examples:

K-dates are generally speaking the most expensive S/42 marked P.08. Only 11,000 made and it was the first year of production.

There are several variations of G-dates, all S/42 but with various scarcities.

1937 dated, S/42s depend on early or late variation.

The 41/42 you mentioned is higher priced because it is a transition between the year 41 marked with 42 and byf toggle marks. Only few thousand made with 41/42. Most had 41 byf.

And, Navy marked guns!!! Another price point entirely due to scarcity.

Bottom line: Really difficult to generalize with respect to Luger collecting as all generalizations are wrong, including this one.

Hope this helps.

John

[Edward Tinker]

This is covered under the FAQ - not saying you shouldn't ask questions, but there is a lot of information there, see FAQ under the New Collectors area

Ed

[LugerJ]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

This is covered under the FAQ - not saying you shouldn't ask questions, but there is a lot of information there, see FAQ under the New Collectors area

Ed

Ya I found it thanks

[Major Tom]

I use Gesso acrilic paint. Original use is to paint office door windows. Wipes off easy with a little moister and stays on even when cleaning gun with gun oil.