Leica M3 Mystery

[User_4754088]

I was just ready to buy an M3 from the big auction site, had done all my research and thought I had found a good one, when suddenly I noticed something. The camera is claimed to be a late serial number #1041XXX and a single stroke, which is what I was looking for. But then I noticed these two screws:

 

http://www.arri16s.com/1041XXX.jpg

 

I had not seen them on other later model M3 cameras, like this one below:

 

http://www.arri16s.com/1032XXX.jpg

 

Upon further study, I found these screws on older M3 models, some of the original cameras, all with serial numbers below #781XXX, as seen below:

 

http://www.arri16s.com/781XXX.jpg

 

So it now appears to me that someone put a higher serial number cover on an earlier Leica M3. Can anyone shed some light on this?

 

Thanks for any and all information.

Best,

-Tim

[robert_hooper1]

<p>There is an asterisk after your serial number. <a href="http://www.nemeng.com/leica/035b.shtml">Check this site for an explanation of what this means.</a></p>

[User_4754088]

<p>Thanks,<br>

-Tim</p>

[Gus Lazzari]

<p>Ghester Sartorius in his book <em>Identifying Leica Cameras</em> (p. 69):</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em><strong>Serial numbers with an asterisk</strong> "</em><em>Occasionally, on some cameras, the serial number is immediately followed by an asterisk. Leitz adopted this system to indicate when a client requested the transformation of an old model into one of more recent production. For example, when a Leica I was updated to a Leica II with a rangefinder... In such cases, Leitz did not utlize a new serial number but reassigned the original number with the addition of an asterisk to the modified camera to indicate that it had been transformed and that the serial number, being a duplicate, no longer allowed the identification of the original model"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>That said, <strong>the camera is odd</strong> in that the top plate locking down retainer under the advance lever is present.<br /> (Absent from picture 3 & 4)<br /> This makes the need for the early style screw hold system unnecessary. (Interesting)</p>

<p>Maybe in producing the new replacement top, the factory only had blank tops that had the screw holes.<br>

(Easy to drill and tap the body casting)</p>

[paul_neuthaler]

<p>Get an M2 instead -- really better IMHO after 45 years with all the M's</p>

[bjscharp]

Seeing how the only parts not matching a newer generation M3 are the top plate and the rewind-release lever (it's longer on earlier models), looks like this model was repaired by Leica and for some reason fitted with an older top plate and rewind-release.

 

Every other `identifier matches a later model: length of the wind lever, two dots in rewind button, guard around lens-release, strap lugs, retainer around advance lever, shutter speeds.

 

Also, compare the amount of wear on the strap lugs to that on the top and bottom plate. I think the bottom plate is new too.

 

Looks recent, too, maybe Leica is running out of the newer top plates for repair parts?

[john_robison3]

<p>Leica M models sound like old V-dubs. You could look at the number on the frame tunnel, but even the pan could have been swapped out. I owned one that was a '67-69-71-72-and I don't know what year the petal cluster came out of.</p>