C96 finish vs P08

[George R]

I need some help. I believe that the ejector, extractor, firing pin, hold open latch, mag catch, locking bolt, trigger, safety bar, safety pin and grip screws were straw blued on the P08. Are comparable parts on the C96 also straw blued? How about the fire blue thats on the receiver axle, trigger bar spring, toggle axle and mag catch spring on the 08, same on the C96? I'd appreciate any advice.

[James K]

The guns are entirely different, and share no parts, so I am confused by questions such as the toggle axle on a Mauser C96.

You are incorrect on some of the Luger parts, and I hope you are not in the restoration business. IIRC, Mauser did not use straw coloring. The triggers were blued, the exact color depending on the era. The extractors are blued. The bolt is left white or blued, the safety and hammer are white or blued, again depending on the era. The grip screws are bright blued on early guns, just blued on later ones. There are no other screws in that action.

BTW, the straw color on Luger parts is not a finish, it is the result of the drawing process, the final stage of heat treatment. Trying to duplicate it by heating can ruin the heat treatment (especially on the ejector, which is a spring) and is not recommended. On WWII era Lugers, those parts were still heat treated, but the straw color was simply blued over.

Jim

[George R]

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I've seen a lot of P-08s with fire blued and straw blued parts. Why is that? Straw color drawing is about 530 degrees for a couple of minutes and that anneals the metal? Why am I questioning a guy with 11,000 posts?

[George R]

I got the answer from another source. Unless it's a late 1930's gun, the extractor, bolt stop and rear sight adjuster were fire blued. The hammer, bolt and rear sight face were in the white. No parts were straw blued.