1939 42 P-08 Luger

This pistol is a great example of the "Plum" colored bluing many 1939-40 Lugers exhibit.

While most of the pistol is the correct, dark blue, the receiver itself is a purplish plum color. This happened ostensibly when Mauser was fiddling with their bluing processes and isn't uncommon for pistols in this serial number range.

Great bargains can sometimes be had with these, as a lot of people who aren't familiar with it assume it's a bad refinishing, when actually it's a bad original finish.

That's what happened with this one, the previous owner had it advertised far lower than a numbers matching Nazi luger should sell for, because it was "refinished".

I told him what I knew about it, but I don't think he believed me, and didn't care to change his price accordingly, so who was I to debate him?

I paid what he asked, and have been happy ever since.

I need to abandon taking pictures indoors and just take all my photos outside in natural lighting.

Compare the yellow hues and over exposed flash of these photos with the "outdoors" pictures of this pistol.

Even though they were taken on a rainy Sunday morning in February, the outdoor colors are so much more accurate.

The rest look like the were taken under a 1960's 40 watt bulb in Grandpa's living room.

I wish my Grandpa had had some Lugers like these. I had to buy all mine, and have always been envious of people who inherited "war trophies".

A lot of collectors don't like these purple pistols, but I think it is an interesting variation.

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