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1906 TEST-1915 DWM-EAST GERMAN POLICE
(I know almost nothing concerning East German police reworks. Please correct or add information as appropriate.)
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1906TEST1.jpg
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Figure 1. Left slant, East German police rework.: bottom half of Luger,1906 German Test serial number 29; top half of Luger, 1915 DWM serial 5145i. The top and side plate have been forced matched by the East German police. An “X” has been used to cross out the serial numbers on the side plate and the middle toggle link. The bulls eye grips are East German. The original East German finish had blued small parts. When I purchased this Luger it had been re-strawed and refinished by Thor.
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1906TEST2.jpg
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Figure 2. Top of East German police rework. The number 29 has been added to the rear toggle link.
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1906TEST3.jpg
33.12 KB
Figure 3. Left side, detail East German police rework. The sunburst 29 below the takedown lever is an East German Police rework stamp. The 29 is a police unit designation (Vopo?). The original left receiver serial number “5145" has been machined off and replaced with the frame serial number “29". The side plate serial number has been Xed off and replaced by a 29. This work was probably accomplished by an East German Police arsenal during the early 1950's.
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1906TEST4.jpg
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Figure 4. Right slant, East German Police rework.
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1906TEST5.jpg
31.13 KB
Figure 5. Right side detail, East German Police rework. The German Army acceptance stamps and test proof are on the right receiver. According to a May 6,1913 directive all P08's in service without a hold open were to have the hold open retrofitted. This was accomplished by Erfurt. A small crown / P indicates a hold open was retrofitting to this Luger. The end of the pin placed to retain the hold open is detectable under the blue.
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1906TEST6.jpg
43.91KB
Figure 6. Left side, East German police rework. This is a 1906 frame with a provision for a grip safety. The safety was originally manufactured with the “GESICHERT” in the lower position. Later, the safety was altered, the grip portion removed, and the “GESICHERT” was stamped in the upper position and the one in the lower position was obliterated by knurling.
The fxo magazine has been matched to the gun.
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1906TEST7.jpg
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Figure 7. Details of the obliterated lower “GESICHERT”.
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1906TEST8.jpg
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Figure 8. Details of the new “GESICHERT” stamped in the upper position. The safety mechanism has been converted to the P08 configuration.
The trigger, safety lever, safety bar, and hold open all bear the original frame serial number of 29. In addition the hold open, safety lever and safety bar all bear a small C/ gothic letter typical of the Luger parts inspecting practice at Erfurt. Likely the hold open was added and the safety altered at the same time, late 1913 or early 1914, by Erfurt.
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1906TEST9.jpg
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Figure 9. Front of East German police rework, serial number 29, showing unit mark: G.F.M.G.8. (It is of interest that 1906 Army Test, serial number 28, is unit marked: G.F.M.G.10.) The bottom half of this Luger is from one of the rarely encountered 1906 German Test Lugers.
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1906TEST10.jpg
18.03 KB
Figure 10. Details G.F.M.G.8. unit marking, which, signifies Garde-Füsilier-Regiment, Maschinengewehr-Kompagnie, Waffe Nr. 8.
The Garde-Füsilier-Regiment was one of the top German combat Regiments. It was a part of the 3rd Garde Division during World War I. and battled on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Some notes on the World War I battle history of this Division:
3RD. GARDE. DIVISION
1914 NAMAR
1914 RUSSIA AUG. 27 TO SILESIA, INVASION OF S. POLAND, TURNED BACK
1914 SEVER ENGAGEMENTS ON THE BZURA WINTER 1914/1915
1915 CARPATHIANS UZSOK DEFILE ; MARCH -SUMMER CARPATHIANS, ORIENTAL GALICIA, LINSINGENS' ARMY
WINTER 1915/1916 TARNAPOL, BOTHMERS ARMY
1916 SOMME JULY 1, 57.5% LOSSES
1916 GALICA, HALIEZ GERMAN COUNTEROFFENSIVE GREAT LOSSES
1917 LORRAINE
1917 ARTOS, SEVER BATTLES
1917 YPRES JULY 31 GREAT BRITISH ATTACK VERY HEAVY LOSSES
1917 CAMBRAI NOV. 22
1918 BATTLE OF PICARDY MARCH 21-24 ADVANCE HEAVY LOSSES
1918 BATTLE OF THELYS, KEMMEL HEAVY LOSSES APRIL
1918 CHAMPAGNE RHEIMS JULY 25-31 HEAVY LOSSES
1918 ARGONNE SEPT 27-OCT. 5, REAR GUARD EXTREAMLY HEAVY LOSSES
1918 OCT.12 ROMAGNE VIGAROUSLY OPPOSED FIRST AMERICAN ARMY VERY SEVERE LOSSES
ONE OF THE BEST GERMAN DIVISIONS
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1906TEST11.jpg
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Figure 11. During 1916, the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment M.G. company took part in the battle of the Somme. Sketch of such a machine gun crew during the Battle of the Somme.
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1906TEST12.jpg
90.85 KB
Figure 12. During 1917 the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment M.G. company took part in the battle of Flanders. Sketch of such a machine gun crew stopping a British attack during the 1917 Battle of Flanders.
(I know almost nothing concerning East German police reworks. Please correct or add information as appropriate.)
Download Attachment:

32.51 KB
Figure 1. Left slant, East German police rework.: bottom half of Luger,1906 German Test serial number 29; top half of Luger, 1915 DWM serial 5145i. The top and side plate have been forced matched by the East German police. An “X” has been used to cross out the serial numbers on the side plate and the middle toggle link. The bulls eye grips are East German. The original East German finish had blued small parts. When I purchased this Luger it had been re-strawed and refinished by Thor.
Download Attachment:

16.56 KB
Figure 2. Top of East German police rework. The number 29 has been added to the rear toggle link.
Download Attachment:

33.12 KB
Figure 3. Left side, detail East German police rework. The sunburst 29 below the takedown lever is an East German Police rework stamp. The 29 is a police unit designation (Vopo?). The original left receiver serial number “5145" has been machined off and replaced with the frame serial number “29". The side plate serial number has been Xed off and replaced by a 29. This work was probably accomplished by an East German Police arsenal during the early 1950's.
Download Attachment:

35.16 KB
Figure 4. Right slant, East German Police rework.
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31.13 KB
Figure 5. Right side detail, East German Police rework. The German Army acceptance stamps and test proof are on the right receiver. According to a May 6,1913 directive all P08's in service without a hold open were to have the hold open retrofitted. This was accomplished by Erfurt. A small crown / P indicates a hold open was retrofitting to this Luger. The end of the pin placed to retain the hold open is detectable under the blue.
Download Attachment:

43.91KB
Figure 6. Left side, East German police rework. This is a 1906 frame with a provision for a grip safety. The safety was originally manufactured with the “GESICHERT” in the lower position. Later, the safety was altered, the grip portion removed, and the “GESICHERT” was stamped in the upper position and the one in the lower position was obliterated by knurling.
The fxo magazine has been matched to the gun.
Download Attachment:

45.72KB
Figure 7. Details of the obliterated lower “GESICHERT”.
Download Attachment:

45.56KB
Figure 8. Details of the new “GESICHERT” stamped in the upper position. The safety mechanism has been converted to the P08 configuration.
The trigger, safety lever, safety bar, and hold open all bear the original frame serial number of 29. In addition the hold open, safety lever and safety bar all bear a small C/ gothic letter typical of the Luger parts inspecting practice at Erfurt. Likely the hold open was added and the safety altered at the same time, late 1913 or early 1914, by Erfurt.
Download Attachment:

18.85 KB
Figure 9. Front of East German police rework, serial number 29, showing unit mark: G.F.M.G.8. (It is of interest that 1906 Army Test, serial number 28, is unit marked: G.F.M.G.10.) The bottom half of this Luger is from one of the rarely encountered 1906 German Test Lugers.
Download Attachment:

18.03 KB
Figure 10. Details G.F.M.G.8. unit marking, which, signifies Garde-Füsilier-Regiment, Maschinengewehr-Kompagnie, Waffe Nr. 8.
The Garde-Füsilier-Regiment was one of the top German combat Regiments. It was a part of the 3rd Garde Division during World War I. and battled on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Some notes on the World War I battle history of this Division:
3RD. GARDE. DIVISION
1914 NAMAR
1914 RUSSIA AUG. 27 TO SILESIA, INVASION OF S. POLAND, TURNED BACK
1914 SEVER ENGAGEMENTS ON THE BZURA WINTER 1914/1915
1915 CARPATHIANS UZSOK DEFILE ; MARCH -SUMMER CARPATHIANS, ORIENTAL GALICIA, LINSINGENS' ARMY
WINTER 1915/1916 TARNAPOL, BOTHMERS ARMY
1916 SOMME JULY 1, 57.5% LOSSES
1916 GALICA, HALIEZ GERMAN COUNTEROFFENSIVE GREAT LOSSES
1917 LORRAINE
1917 ARTOS, SEVER BATTLES
1917 YPRES JULY 31 GREAT BRITISH ATTACK VERY HEAVY LOSSES
1917 CAMBRAI NOV. 22
1918 BATTLE OF PICARDY MARCH 21-24 ADVANCE HEAVY LOSSES
1918 BATTLE OF THELYS, KEMMEL HEAVY LOSSES APRIL
1918 CHAMPAGNE RHEIMS JULY 25-31 HEAVY LOSSES
1918 ARGONNE SEPT 27-OCT. 5, REAR GUARD EXTREAMLY HEAVY LOSSES
1918 OCT.12 ROMAGNE VIGAROUSLY OPPOSED FIRST AMERICAN ARMY VERY SEVERE LOSSES
ONE OF THE BEST GERMAN DIVISIONS
Download Attachment:

91.47 KB
Figure 11. During 1916, the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment M.G. company took part in the battle of the Somme. Sketch of such a machine gun crew during the Battle of the Somme.
Download Attachment:

90.85 KB
Figure 12. During 1917 the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment M.G. company took part in the battle of Flanders. Sketch of such a machine gun crew stopping a British attack during the 1917 Battle of Flanders.