[Dwight Gruber]

Taking advantage of Bavarian Week to present a Bavarian marked 1911 DWM. Jan Still posted an excellent profile of 1911 DWMs not too long ago, I won't reinvent the wheel but refer you to the link http://luger.gunboards.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3286 .

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This Luger is serial# 521e. It displays the usual 1911 characteristics. 1911s were produced without holdopen, as with most Bavarian Lugers this weapon did not make it back to the Erfurt arsenal to have a holdopen added.
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The magazine is the appropriate type for a pre-1912 Luger, although it has no letter suffix which was added with the e suffix guns.
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1911 DWM (and some 1912) did not conform to the 1910 marking regulations. This gun shows commercial--hidden--serial number placement on the small parts, and only two inspector's stamps on the right receiver.

At the conclusion of the Marking Instructions published in Görtz & Walter (German Small Arms Markings, p.114) the editors note parenthetically the difference in DWM and Erfurt marking practices, and comment that the Instructions may have been aimed specifically at the Erfurt manufacturing plant. This makes a certain amount of sense in that Erfurt was a Government aresenal, and would be subject to decree in a manner that private-enterprise DWM might not be.

We are used to seeing the comment that "DWM did not follow the marking instructions", and interpreting it as willful contravention. Might DWMs post-1910 marking practices just as easily be evidence that the Instructions were simply not applied to them until later production (and then not in their entirety)?

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B.1.T.S.1.133 represents "Bayerisches, 1 Train-Bataillon, Sanitäts-Kompagnie 1, Waffe Nr. 133"; translates as Bavarian, First Train Battalion, First Medical Company, weapon #133. Actually there is a differing interpretation of Sanitäts-Kompagnie: Görtz & Bryans glossary defines it as Medical Company, as does a German-English diectionary. Jeff Noll parses it out as medical company as well. In "Imperial Lugers" Jan Still defines Sanitäts as an ambulancer. I have no way of knowing which is the most proper, "ambulancer" makes a certain logical sense in the context of a mobile service column. I suppose that this speaks to Klaus's insistence that one needs to have a thorough understanding of how the Imperial German Army was constructed before one can fully understand unit markings.

I suppose it's worthwhile pointing out here that "Train" in this context is not associated with railroad. Train Batttalions started out in the 19th Century as Artillery Trains, ammunition and logistics support columns for artillery. These evolved into general mobile support columns.

I note an interesting correlation among Bavarian T.S. marked Lugers. Of the 10 reported examples, all are 1911 DWM. Six of the First Train Battalion guns fall into the e block (serial numbers of the other examples are not reported). This is a very small sample, certainly of low statistical validity, but points an interesting direction for the issue distribution of Lugers. The consecutive distribution of serial numbers in the First, Second, and Third Companies of the First Division is provocative.

B.1.T.S.1.133...DWM 1911...521e...(this post)

B.1.T.S.2.9.....DWM 1911...689e...Luke
B.1.T.S.2.210...DWM 1911...930e...Noll (Imperian German Regimental Markings)
B.1.T.S.2.230...DWM 1911...(unk)...Still (Imperial Lugers)

B.1.T.S.3.68....DWM 1911..1046e...Noll, Still (Imperial Lugers)
B.1.T.S.3.73....DWM 1911..1051e...Noll (Imperian German Regimental Markings)
B.1.T.S.3.171...DWM 1911...1166e...Still (Imperial Lugers)

B.2.T.S.1.177...DWM 1911...(unk)...Still (Imperial Lugers)
B.2.T.S.2.76....DWM 1911...(unk)...Still (Imperial Lugers)
B.2.T.S.2.102...DWM 1911..4089e...http://luger.gunboards.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10799

B.2.T.S.3.69....DWM 1911..3209e...http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17359
B.2T.S.3.201....DWM 1911...39xx...Noll, Still (Imperial Lugers)

--Dwight

 

[Luke]

Dwight -

Thanks for the pictures. I own a 1911DWM, SN689e, all matching including magazine, with unit markings B.1.T.S.2.9 "Bayerisches, 1 Train-Bataillon, Sanitäts-Kompagnie 2, Waffe Nr.9"
Unfortunately I don't have a working digital camera at the moment. I will try to post pictures in January.

Luke

 

[lugerlou]

Dwight

nice right up about your Bavarian unit marked luger and great photo's and now understandably why you have been looking for an e suffix early imperial magazines, will look for you at our spring gun shows.

 

[Jan C Still]

Dwight
Outstanding photographs and presentation of your Bavarian Medical Company 1911 DWM.
Jan
Some medical personnel in action during World War I.

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[maddog350gt]

Dwight,
Great write-up on the 1911 DWM. Just curious, is this the same gun you and I looked at in the Portland, a couple of shows back? I didn't remember it looking so good! See I don't get all the good ones.

Nice gun!
Bob M.

 

[Dwight Gruber]

Bob,

Yep, same gun. I chalk it up to the difference between gun show lighting and photographic lighting. And thanks.

--Dwight