1913 Erfurt finish

03-20-2001, 10:50 PM

Gentleman,

Great website.

IÃ¢??m new to Luger collecting and this is my first time posting a message. Maybe someone can help. Recently I traded for a 1913 Erfurt with all matching parts except mag. I have found out that it is a rare version with a stock lug. Supposedly it has been refinished. The pitting was filled with bluing and the surface shows a lot of grinding or sanding marks. I read about using Flitz polish to remove cold bluing and after trying it on another gun first, I cleaned the luger with just polish and paper towels. Sure enough it was cold bluing over the pitted areas. At least 90 % of the finish is left and it appears to be rust bluing. So, after writing all this, could this be the original finish even with the rough surface marks? I can send pictures if someone is interested. Thanks for your time.

Mark · 03-20-2001, 11:11 PM

Gruss Gott,Dowens!

I haven't the slightest idea as to the answer

to your question,but thanks for putting it out there.I have a 1917 Erfurt,so I'm interested in the

response your question will undoubtably generate.

Sorry I can't be of any help to you myself,but I'm

sure several of the volks on this site will be.Thanks again!

Tschuss! Mark

Ted · 03-20-2001, 11:24 PM

Erfurt Lugers were not as nicely finished prior to rust bluing as DWM military Lugers were. They are very rough. Pitting on top of the original bluing would be right! Bluing on the pitting is a reblue. Erfurts were rust blued in their entireity during WWI. ted

Patrick · 03-21-2001, 05:13 AM

Tolerances on Erfurt Lugers were always considered to be even better than DWM. They used the same machinery that was supplied by DWM DWM but didnÃ?Â´t have to make a profit as they were a state owned factory. But the finish was often rough. So the surface marks may well be original. They would have absolutely no effect on the functions of the weapon - and if they are original should under no circumstances be buffed off. Patrick

Buddy · 03-21-2001, 09:45 AM

Ted,

Do you mean that none of the parts on the WWI Erfurts were strawed?

Thanks,

Buddy

Ted · 03-21-2001, 09:47 AM

They were all strawed Buddy! Most Lugers this old that have been through a war have parts that appear tarnished silver color, most of the strawing has faded away. Ted

Ted · 03-21-2001, 09:50 AM

I meant all Erfurts were rust blued and all had strawed parts. Sorry for the confusing previous post. They tend to be rougher in the metal preparation than did the DWMs, especially the earlier DWMs. Ted

Johnny Peppers · 03-21-2001, 10:04 AM

The later Erfurts were indeed roughly finished, but I have a 1914 4" Erfurt that is fully the equal of the DWM in finish quality. This may vary from pistol to pistol, and in even the DWM pistols the late pistols were not as nicely finished as the early examples.

03-20-2001, 10:50 PM	#1
dowens Guest Posts: n/a	1913 Erfurt finish Gentleman, Great website. IÃ¢??m new to Luger collecting and this is my first time posting a message. Maybe someone can help. Recently I traded for a 1913 Erfurt with all matching parts except mag. I have found out that it is a rare version with a stock lug. Supposedly it has been refinished. The pitting was filled with bluing and the surface shows a lot of grinding or sanding marks. I read about using Flitz polish to remove cold bluing and after trying it on another gun first, I cleaned the luger with just polish and paper towels. Sure enough it was cold bluing over the pitted areas. At least 90 % of the finish is left and it appears to be rust bluing. So, after writing all this, could this be the original finish even with the rough surface marks? I can send pictures if someone is interested. Thanks for your time.

03-20-2001, 11:11 PM	#2
Mark Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish Gruss Gott,Dowens! I haven't the slightest idea as to the answer to your question,but thanks for putting it out there.I have a 1917 Erfurt,so I'm interested in the response your question will undoubtably generate. Sorry I can't be of any help to you myself,but I'm sure several of the volks on this site will be.Thanks again! Tschuss! Mark

03-20-2001, 11:24 PM	#3
Ted User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: SC Posts: 726 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish Erfurt Lugers were not as nicely finished prior to rust bluing as DWM military Lugers were. They are very rough. Pitting on top of the original bluing would be right! Bluing on the pitting is a reblue. Erfurts were rust blued in their entireity during WWI. ted

03-21-2001, 05:13 AM	#4
Patrick User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 241 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish Tolerances on Erfurt Lugers were always considered to be even better than DWM. They used the same machinery that was supplied by DWM DWM but didnÃ?Â´t have to make a profit as they were a state owned factory. But the finish was often rough. So the surface marks may well be original. They would have absolutely no effect on the functions of the weapon - and if they are original should under no circumstances be buffed off. Patrick

03-21-2001, 09:45 AM	#5
Buddy User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish Ted, Do you mean that none of the parts on the WWI Erfurts were strawed? Thanks, Buddy

03-21-2001, 09:47 AM	#6
Ted User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: SC Posts: 726 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish They were all strawed Buddy! Most Lugers this old that have been through a war have parts that appear tarnished silver color, most of the strawing has faded away. Ted

03-21-2001, 09:50 AM	#7
Ted User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: SC Posts: 726 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish I meant all Erfurts were rust blued and all had strawed parts. Sorry for the confusing previous post. They tend to be rougher in the metal preparation than did the DWMs, especially the earlier DWMs. Ted

03-21-2001, 10:04 AM	#8
Johnny Peppers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Calion, Arkansas Posts: 1,042 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: 1913 Erfurt finish The later Erfurts were indeed roughly finished, but I have a 1914 4" Erfurt that is fully the equal of the DWM in finish quality. This may vary from pistol to pistol, and in even the DWM pistols the late pistols were not as nicely finished as the early examples.