Old German Luger?

[Jackalope]

I'm a novice when it comes to the world of guns so I hope some of you may be able to offer a hand. My father left to me an old German Luger thats in pretty rough shape and I'm wondering weather or not its even worth it to bring it back to its former glory. All I can remember about the guns history is he said he found it while medal detecting in lake Montebello when it was drained. It has no mag. and very little bluing left at all, its mostly bare metal. Also a fair amount of pitting right where the date of manufacture would be. He had always talked about re-doing it but he got sick with caner and it took him before he could do anything with it, so now that the wife is getting more ok with the thought of owning a gun I decided it was time to take it out of the box I had it packed away in and dust it off. Everything still works and seems in tact but I'm far from a professional such as many of you. So here's a few pics let me know what I should do, please bare in mind I would like to restore it but I don't want to have to sell a kidney in order to do it.

The only #'s I an find on it are 461 and on the top it has Sc/42, also has what looks like either a G1 or 61 on it several more places.

This is what I'm dealing with.

 

[BlackBart]

Pretty cool, it's a good candidate for electrolysis rust removal. Biggest problem to me might be where it was found.....why was it ditched??? People with nothing to hide just don't throw P08's in the drink without reason.

 

[Jackalope]

Ok found out the "G" dates it to 1935 so that means pre WWII.

 

[Jackalope]

Yeah I couldn't tell you but it turns out its a 1935 gun so God only knows whats happened to it before he found it. He was a Balto City Police officer BTW and had said there was no serial # he could find to try to run. But we're talking mid 80's I think so things weren't as clear as today what with the internet and all.

 

[coynedogg]

shame

 

[Tankfixr]

That gun has a story to tell. I seriously doubt a "Boating Accident" caused it to be at the bottom of a lake.

 

[dist1646]

Anyone who would chuck a Luger into a lake should be used as fish bait! It would probably cost more than it is worth to have it restored. Given where it was found, I would have to wonder about its history.

 

[Dan44]

Ted Green is your man.
http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/

 

[Jackalope]

Yeah it could have a dark past but maybe not. My mother in law threw a pre WWII .45 in the trash that had been her father's in the war and didn't think twice about it. I didn't find out what she had done till months later and all I could do was congratulate her on throwing away a pile of cash. Someone may have thrown it in there who hated guns like my MIL did to the .45. Besides regardless of what it was used for has no bearing on my owning it. IMHO its only a tool like a hammer and it could have been misused but thats not fault. Hope thats not the wrong attitude to have.

Dan thank you so much! By his price list I'm thinking I'm looking at around $600 - $800. I mean I have all the original parts except the mag. and its a numbers matching 1935 gun so restored its gotta be worth at least what I'd have to put into its restoration and sine it was basicly free then I'm not out anything more then it'd cost me to buy a restored one.

 

[bean93x]

murder weapon lol

 

[BradMacc82]

OP, if your going to go thru with having it brought back to it's former glory, and considering it's a ghost (no paperwork) - don't bother trying to sell it, at least while you live in MD anyways.

Fix it up, shoot it, and keep it solely for the sentimental value - I have a 1908 Colt Hammerless .25 I inherited from my grandfather (who I never met, passed when my dad was a teen), it's a ghost also - Colt can't even give me a specific year of manufacture, I'll keep that in the family for as long as possible.

 

[Jackalope]

Yeah I'm not planning to sell it I want to keep it and enjoy it. The only things I was able to find out about it are it's a 1935 gun with the serial #461 on every part that a serial# should be on so its a numbers matching piece. I already told the wife I'm going to send it off to be restored or have it done locally if I can. She didn't seem thrilled but when I told her what they go for she got wide eyed and her jaw dropped.

 

[jtarpley59]

If you have the time and money, do it, clean it up, bring it back and when you take her out for the first time remember your father and enjoy it that much more that you where able to bring it back. Tell your son/daughter the history of the gun and make it a family memento.

 

[-Z/28-]

Looks like a mantle piece to me. Still pretty awesome though. Personally I'd be curious about the history, just because it would drive me nuts not knowing.

 

[BradMacc82]

She didn't seem thrilled but when I told her what they go for she got wide eyed and her jaw dropped.

You have just doomed yourself and that Luger....

Rule #1 - Never tell the spousal unit what a gun is worth, piss them off bad enough, they will attempt to sell it - either for gain, or out of spite.

 

[Mooseman]

If it were me, I would keep it as it is. It is a good story.

 

[lee2]

i wouldn't try to buff it or anything. just try some #0000 steel wool with some oil soaked in it. this may remove any surface rust.

 

[Jackalope]

Really just leave it as is? I hadn't considered that as an option. I mean I guess I could have a gun smith just go over it to make sure it was safe to fire and use. IDK thats a tough one guys. I will give that a try Lee thanks for the idea. I guess the more I clean it up should I decide to have it restored that means less work for them to do so it should save me a few bucks.

Now does anyone know where I an get a mag. that isn't $80 to $120?

 

[HT4]

Tough call. While I would normally say, "don't touch it" (as refurbishing could destroy value), there are enough samples in great condition such that your gun will never have collectors value (unless it was used to kill someone famous). So cleaning the rust off and making her purdy/operational might be a fun project. I would not use steel wool as suggested. If I was doing it, I would use a non-toxic rust removing chemical. They are safe and work great.

As far as firing it... Yikes. It's a 100 year old gun that's been sitting at the bottom of a lake for unknown period of time and it has significant pitting... I would shy away from ever firing it.

My personal opinion: Keep it exactly as is (and research local shootings in the applicable time period).

 

[Jackalope]

HT4 that could be anywhere from when they made the lake to the mid 80's when he found it! While I'd also like to know how it got there and when I think the only way to find that out would be to somehow find whomever threw it there in the first place and ask them why. There's just no way to ever find out.