Jan, nice write up. I would like to see more photos of bulgarians in action with holsters and other weapons.
Ed
Ed
1906 BULGARIAN LUGER, SN 257.
10
1906 BULGARIAN LUGER, SERIAL NUMBER 257.
In the 19th Century, Bulgaria was a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire. During the First Balkan War (1912) Bulgaria defeated the Turkish Army in a series of vicious battles and won independence and territory. During the Second Balkan War (1913) Serbia, Romania, Greece and Turkey defeated Bulgaria and forced it to give up all its territorial gains. In 1915 Bulgaria joined the Central Powers and invaded Serbia and Romania. Both were defeated and occupied. Bulgaria defeated a joint British, French, Serbian, and Greek attack in 1916 and 1917. In 1918 these same joint forces broke through Bulgarian lines forcing her to sue for peace.
Bulgaria purchased Lugers (models 1900, 1906, and 1908) from Deutsche Waffen-und Munitions Fabriken (DWM), located in Berlin, Germany for its military. The 1906 Model is found in the serial range 1-1500 and estimated procurement is about 1500. These Lugers saw action in both Balkan Wars and in two World Wars and show much hard use. Most were reworked and rebarreled to 9mm. All should be considered rare and those in excellent or better original condition should be considered very rare.
Download Attachment:
1906B1.jpg
36.64KB
Figure 1. Left slant view of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. These Lugers bear: DWM on the toggle, 4 3/4 inch 7.65 mm barrel, short frame without stock lug, grip safety, and no proof marks. The serial numbers are placed in the commercial (hidden) style. .
Download Attachment: 1906B2.jpg
17.51KB
Figure 2. Top of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. The intricate Bulgarian crest is stamped over the chamber.
Download Attachment: 1906B3.jpg
45.23KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment: 1906B4a.jpg
13.42KB
Figure 4. Front of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment: 1906B5a.jpg
20.85KB
Figure 5. Bottom of barrel and front of frame, 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. The barrel serial number is on the curve of the barrel and properly has no halo. The take down lever has its serial number located in the commercial (hidden)style.
Download Attachment: 1906B6a.jpg
29.57KB
Figure 6. Spectacular Bulgarian crest stamped over chamber of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment: 1906B7a.jpg
37.48KB
Figure 7. Cyrillic safety marking on 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257 (The extractor also bears Cyrillic markings.). The strawed safety lever bears age spots.
Download Attachment: 1906B8a.jpg
45.36KB
Figure 8. Right side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger showing strawed parts. This Luger is 95+ years old. Generally, military Lugers show harder use than commercial Lugers. Chemicals from the hand (salt) tend to attack the strawed safety lever, trigger and take down lever. Over time, the strawed parts on most military Lugers tend to develop small black and brown spots and areas such as seen here.
Download Attachment: 1906B9.jpg
47.3KB
Figure 9. Left side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger showing aged strawed parts.
Download Attachment: 1906B10.jpg
68.38KB
Figure 10. Bulgarian soldiers. Two are wearing Bulgarian style Luger holsters. The Bulgarian military continued to use the Luger during World War II. (Is it possible to put a year or era on this photograph?) (Photographs courtesy of Jerry Burney)
In the 19th Century, Bulgaria was a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire. During the First Balkan War (1912) Bulgaria defeated the Turkish Army in a series of vicious battles and won independence and territory. During the Second Balkan War (1913) Serbia, Romania, Greece and Turkey defeated Bulgaria and forced it to give up all its territorial gains. In 1915 Bulgaria joined the Central Powers and invaded Serbia and Romania. Both were defeated and occupied. Bulgaria defeated a joint British, French, Serbian, and Greek attack in 1916 and 1917. In 1918 these same joint forces broke through Bulgarian lines forcing her to sue for peace.
Bulgaria purchased Lugers (models 1900, 1906, and 1908) from Deutsche Waffen-und Munitions Fabriken (DWM), located in Berlin, Germany for its military. The 1906 Model is found in the serial range 1-1500 and estimated procurement is about 1500. These Lugers saw action in both Balkan Wars and in two World Wars and show much hard use. Most were reworked and rebarreled to 9mm. All should be considered rare and those in excellent or better original condition should be considered very rare.
Download Attachment:
1906B1.jpg36.64KB
Figure 1. Left slant view of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. These Lugers bear: DWM on the toggle, 4 3/4 inch 7.65 mm barrel, short frame without stock lug, grip safety, and no proof marks. The serial numbers are placed in the commercial (hidden) style. .
Download Attachment:
1906B2.jpg17.51KB
Figure 2. Top of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. The intricate Bulgarian crest is stamped over the chamber.
Download Attachment:
1906B3.jpg45.23KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment:
1906B4a.jpg13.42KB
Figure 4. Front of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment:
1906B5a.jpg20.85KB
Figure 5. Bottom of barrel and front of frame, 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257. The barrel serial number is on the curve of the barrel and properly has no halo. The take down lever has its serial number located in the commercial (hidden)style.
Download Attachment:
1906B6a.jpg29.57KB
Figure 6. Spectacular Bulgarian crest stamped over chamber of 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257.
Download Attachment:
1906B7a.jpg37.48KB
Figure 7. Cyrillic safety marking on 1906 Bulgarian Luger, serial number 257 (The extractor also bears Cyrillic markings.). The strawed safety lever bears age spots.
Download Attachment:
1906B8a.jpg45.36KB
Figure 8. Right side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger showing strawed parts. This Luger is 95+ years old. Generally, military Lugers show harder use than commercial Lugers. Chemicals from the hand (salt) tend to attack the strawed safety lever, trigger and take down lever. Over time, the strawed parts on most military Lugers tend to develop small black and brown spots and areas such as seen here.
Download Attachment:
1906B9.jpg47.3KB
Figure 9. Left side of 1906 Bulgarian Luger showing aged strawed parts.
Download Attachment:
1906B10.jpg68.38KB
Figure 10. Bulgarian soldiers. Two are wearing Bulgarian style Luger holsters. The Bulgarian military continued to use the Luger during World War II. (Is it possible to put a year or era on this photograph?) (Photographs courtesy of Jerry Burney)
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
G
perhaps i,m what you need?! about the picture thise are bulgarian soljers wearing transitional uniform from era betwin WWI and WWII but more likly the scene is about 1935 year acording to uniform, belts and the fact thet soljers are whithout bulgarian M36 helmets tipical for pictures from WWII, but thera are also posibylity thise soljers to be from so cold "trudovatci" which means "working troups' and they served as hard workers more than soldiers, but like 2 clas units they wear "old fashioned" uniforms even in WWII, but I thing that the first date is more realistik!!! Do you need autentic pictures from batlefield presentink Bg holsters, helmets or uniforms? on wich adress to send them?
Oh, and thanks for your kind note about mu post on Bulgarian sn187C!!!
Download Attachment: late1944.jpg
56.83KB
Oh, and thanks for your kind note about mu post on Bulgarian sn187C!!!
Download Attachment:
late1944.jpg56.83KB
G
2
I,m sorry I was not corect in mu past latter I mean E-net adres, becouse I have pictures in mu computer and just some very small part in real black and white pictures on paper!sorry for confusion! I can ask some friends of mine to send me more pictures of bulgarian soldiers with lugers wich are not copyright protectet and you can be free to use them in your researches (like the first which I send you - it is from mu personel album taken on the battle fields of Yugoslavia, wheare in the late WWII period bulgarians were forsed to fight against germans troups you can see the flag troun apart by the enemy fire).
I can send you some pictures wich are copyright protectet, just for information(like thise two-
1. major of bulgarian parashute brigade from WWII about 1943,
2. shows a bulgarian oficers in winter combat uniform from WWII. if I can halp with some other info about history or equpment of bulgarian army - be free to write, if only I can help!
Download Attachment: 6a.jpeg
29.61KB).
Download Attachment: ww4.jpeg
19.9KB
I can send you some pictures wich are copyright protectet, just for information(like thise two-
1. major of bulgarian parashute brigade from WWII about 1943,
2. shows a bulgarian oficers in winter combat uniform from WWII. if I can halp with some other info about history or equpment of bulgarian army - be free to write, if only I can help!
Download Attachment:
6a.jpeg29.61KB).
Download Attachment:
ww4.jpeg19.9KB
How do the pictures links work. Every time I click on one of the links, I get a 404 Error: file not found. 
It would be better to put the pictures as inline show that the picture shows in the post.
It would be better to put the pictures as inline show that the picture shows in the post.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
