How to restore a chrome 1941 dated Luger, all matching.

[Raven26]

I have an all matching, including the magazine, Luger. Is it possible to have the chrome removed and restored?

Thanks in advance.

[james m]

Yes:
A shop the does plating can "unplate" it for you. Of course you would then have to have it re-blued and you would end up with a restored example which is undesirable from a collectors viewpoint.
Only you can decide if this is worth it.
Jim

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Anything is possible with the right application of cash and effort and there are stunning restorations done on truly rare specimens that warrant such expensive work, IMO your gun is better left as it is.

[Alan Smith]

IMO on "common" military pistols, you are best to just accept the fact that the post-war chorme plating has ruined all collector value the pistol had. Such chromed pistols, however, can often be good sources to scrap out for parts such as grips, magazines and internals that were not chromed. If the P.08 in question has such salvageable parts and can be bought at a very modest price, you might consider making the deal.

Don't worry . . . we have all been in your situation, seeing an otherwise great collectable pistol ruined due to post-war chrome plating. I fact, I'm aware of a 1913 Erfurt P.08 that is in the same situation . . . all I can do is shake my head and try to forget about how nice it "would have been" if not chromed many years. ago. That said, it has a really nice set of grips on it so I'm hoping that I can eventually acquire it for little of nothing so that the grips can be salvaged (it is currently in an estate situation).

[Luis22]

IMO on "common" military pistols, you are best to just accept the fact that the post-war chorme plating has ruined all collector value the pistol had. Such chromed pistols, however, can often be good sources to scrap out for parts such as grips, magazines and internals that were not chromed. If the P.08 in question has such salvageable parts and can be bought at a very modest price, you might consider making the deal.

Don't worry . . . we have all been in your situation, seeing an otherwise great collectable pistol ruined due to post-war chrome plating. I fact, I'm aware of a 1913 Erfurt P.08 that is in the same situation . . . all I can do is shake my head and try to forget about how nice it "would have been" if not chromed many years. ago. That said, it has a really nice set of grips on it so I'm hoping that I can eventually acquire it for little of nothing so that the grips can be salvaged (it is currently in an estate situation).

Several trophy Lugers were nickel and chrome plated by the GI on their way back from Germany they still have a historic value since this is what was on fashion at that time. I owned two nickel plated Lugers, I had the Nickel removed by a well know gunsmith from Boca Raton, Florida from one of them,the whole thing cost me around $300.....


By the way mine is also an all matching BYF 41 "black widow"

[IMBLITZVT]

By the way mine is also an all matching BYF 41 "black widow"

Is that a reblue or were you somehow able to get the nickel off without destroying the bluing?

[phild]

There is truth in both positions here, that is collector value will be nil if reblued......regardless of its all matching state and that some of these were plated in Europe by the vets.....I personally have no interest in such pieces, but I will not say that they are of no historical value......I think actually we are talking about Nickel plating and not chrome plating......which is a very poor and difficult process to use on firearms....and really an impossible one if the gun is to still function!

Most every non factory nickel firearm that I have seen from this period and type has been very polished before the process (one had most of the sideplate bump polished off!!) and sometimes acid etched to adhere the copper to adhere the nickel .......so IMO a true restoration will be near impossible as the lines are forever changed and gone in many of the cases......smudged proofs as well

A re-blue after nickel removal is one thing...but a true restoration is very much something else

For what it is worth, I would prefer a complete mismatch but original finish firearm any day to an all matched gunsmith (non-arsenal) re-blue....which I will not have in my collection.

[Johnny Peppers]

While the nickel plating is a part of the pistol's history, I see nothing desirable about it as there is nothing to authenticate when it was done. A local plant that manufactured lighting fixtures had a plating department, and guns were still being nickel plated there by employees up into the late 1980's when the plant closed.

[Luis22]

Is that a reblue or were you somehow able to get the nickel off without destroying the bluing?

Thats the reblue...cold blue of course rust blue is for earlier models and it very expensive.

[Luis22]

While the nickel plating is a part of the pistol's history, I see nothing desirable about it as there is nothing to authenticate when it was done. A local plant that manufactured lighting fixtures had a plating department, and guns were still being nickel plated there by employees up into the late 1980's when the plant closed.

There is a very well know gunsmith that can remove the nickel and have the gun reblued or rust blue to almost its original condition..he goes by the name of THOR and he is a member of the luger forum ...he is expensive!!

[Bigdibbs88]

T
Most every non factory nickel firearm that I have seen from this period and type has been very polished before the process (one had most of the sideplate bump polished off!!) and sometimes acid etched to adhere the copper to adhere the nickel

THIS.

They are almost always heavily polished before plating. It is blatantly obvious (like the one posted) and will not look right again if that is the case. Some times its hard to accept, but iwhats done is done, enjoy for what it is or sell it (believe it or not there is a small market for these).

[Johnny Peppers]

There is a very well know gunsmith that can remove the nickel and have the gun reblued or rust blue to almost its original condition..he goes by the name of THOR and he is a member of the luger forum ...he is expensive!!

If he can put the metal back on that was lost to the buffing wheel, I would agree that he is good and should be expensive.

[juoneen]

Do not strip it and then use Cold bluing, as it has an awful smell that is always there...I would sell the gun to someone who has one that is blued with the original german blue still intact(untouched), where as European bluing is a different type than americans use.... there is always someone on the gun auction sites willing to trade straight across for a chrome luger...gunbrokers may allow a trade.....as gunbrokers is frequented by that kind of nimrod....(who will do a trade like that)...so as stated by the wise advisor above...leave it alone...either be happy with it as is, trade it, or sell it....and get what you want....and buy another `That's the reason why even beginners do best to take advice from the old collectors with more experience...to not buy anything that isn't as issued or as used....because later down the road...a chrome luger just ain't that kewel...like croming an ss helmet...you just have a chrome helm.....good to use as a flower pot, or to take a dump in ...after you realize its like sporterizing a nazi sniper rifle ...a bad , and not prudent thing to do.....Those are your options....take your pick.... (if you keep it ...get some silver bullets made for it...so you can be sure you are safe from the vampires , and werewolves....just kidding...about the dracula and wolf man....just do whatever makes you happy...

[MG34NZ]

I have recently restored a chrome gun, not as easy as you think, as stated above the metal may have had the hell polished out of it before plating,wearing down edges and gouging into the metal if not done carefully. there may even be rust creep under the plating which also damages the metal. make sure the people stripping the chrome have firearms experience. I was warned by a professional electroplater who learned from experience...too long in the tank and the carbon starts to dissolve from the steel making it porous.
I was directed to a specialized plating business that used a less aggressive method. I cost a lot more than standard stripping but the metal remained undamaged. A reblue will always be a reblue no matter how well done but it is probably better than chrome.

If you want pics to give you an idea of what you may find PM me

Hope that helps?

Andrew

[Luis22]

I'm not recommending to anyone to remove the chrome , in my case I had two Lugers that were nickel plated and I decided to try with one of them to see the results, nickel plated or chrome plated Luger no matter what condition; are "shooters" unless you have one of those special edition that were presented to Herman Goering.. In my case I paid $300 to have the nickel removed and the gun reblued. Some Gunsmith do magic like this guy from the link below:
http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/
There is a big advantage in having a chrome shooter Luger is that they do not rust!!!so take that in consideration...