[heckinohio]

I will have to buy the guns to get you any more information than I already posted. I had no idea there would be this much interest. Price is not for the faint hearted. Did I notice a comment about marking on the extractor, kind of tough on a 1900 style, where would such a marking be??????? Or is this in relation to the 06??????? The key aspect is the comments to me about the wording on the top of the barrels which I am familiar with. These guns along with several other oddities are from a group whose owner spent considerable time in South America many years ago. I had really hoped to get some input on how to determine authenticity. I guess that would require more description?????????

 

[Jan C Still]

The experts on this Form have given their time and expertise to answer some of your questions. They have asked you a few questions so they can better answer your questions. You hint at safes full of treasures and continue to ask questions and make no effort to answer their questions. You will have to answer their questions or they will come to believe that you are not serious.
Jan

 

[garfield]

Other than your statement that some fellow who sojourned some place in S. America has two consequetive numbered 1903 French lugers, you have provided precious little information from which a person could offer an enlightened opinion. If the owner of these "French lugers", prior to purchase, will not provide you with information of the type that has been requested by the folks, here, who are attmepting to respond to your inquiries; then, in my humble opinion, a person would be foolhardy to purchase his offerings.

 

[Ron Wood]

heckinohio,
You need to brush up on the details of what you are considering to purchase before committing to a "price [that] is not for the faint hearted". The 1903 French is a rare "transition" Luger having characteristics of the old and new models. The breechblock is of the improved style having the new type extractor, therefore it is marked CHARGÉ in the same location that a standard Luger extractor is marked GELADEN or LOADED. The toggle knobs are flat rather than dished, but the right toggle knob retains the 1900 type three-piece toggle lock (rather than the one-piece type of the 1903/04 Navy model), and the checkering on the knobs is at 90 degrees rather than 60 degrees. Internally it still has the laminated flat mainspring rather than the subsequent 1906 new model coil mainspring.

As Jan and Garfield have pointed out, if the offer to sell is genuine, you should not "have to buy the guns to get you any more information than I already posted". Big bucks demand full disclosure. At an absolute minimum, the serial numbers of the pieces must be posted to determine if they even fall in the right range.

1903R.JPG