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COMBAT ENGINEER, 1912 ERFURT, SN 4916, AND ACCESSORIES
Erfurt Lugers were manufactured from 1911 to 1918 by the Prussian Government owned Erfurt Arms Factory for the Imperial German Army. During 1912 Erfurt manufactured 21,000 Lugers in the (reported) 62 to 866b serial range. These were manufactured without hold open or stock lug.
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1912ERFPIONERE1.jpg
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Figure 1. The 1912 Erfurt shown above bears serial number 4916. All Erfurt’s bear military style serial number placement (exposed) and Crown/gothic letter acceptance stamps on all parts (except springs).
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1912ERFPIONERE2.jpg
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Figure 2. Top of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916.
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1912ERFPIONERE3.jpg
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Figure 3. 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. Right side. This Luger is Bavarian unit stamped. A hold open has not been added. According to a May 6,1913 directive all P08's in service without a hold open were to have the hold open retrofitted. I have examined numerous Bavarian unit marked Lugers. All those that lacked the hold open at manufacture did not have it added. Apparently World War I started before the Bavarian’s had time to have the hold open added to their Lugers. Once the war started the troops and Lugers were scattered in battles on two fronts in a dozen countries and the hold opens were never added.
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1912ERFPIONERE4.jpg
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Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. The barrel proof is delicate compared to the receiver proof.
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1912ERFPIONERE5.jpg
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Figure 5. Front of frame and bottom of barrel, of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. Erfurt’s most often display a halo around the barrel gauge and not around the barrel serial number. This Erfurt is typical, it has a halo around the 2 in the digits of the 8,82 barrel gauge.
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1912ERFPIONERE6.jpg
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Figure 6. The grips bear the crown/gothic letter stamp and last two digits of the Lugers serial number, 16. Erfurt’s left the factory with matching grips.
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1912ERFPIONERE7.jpg
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Figure 7. Proper early Erfurt magazine with two acceptance stamps.
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1912ERFPIONERE8.jpg
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Figure 8. Front of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916.
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1912ERFPIONERE9.jpg
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Figure 9. Details of unit marking. B.4.P.1.1. signifies: Bayerisches, 4 Pionier-Bataillon, Kompagnie 1, Waffe Nr. 1. This Luger is marked to Bavarian Combat Engineer company. In a data base of 823 unit marked Imperial Lugers only three are marked to Pionier units. It is a very rare unit stamp.
Erfurt Lugers were manufactured from 1911 to 1918 by the Prussian Government owned Erfurt Arms Factory for the Imperial German Army. During 1912 Erfurt manufactured 21,000 Lugers in the (reported) 62 to 866b serial range. These were manufactured without hold open or stock lug.
Download Attachment:

36.72 KB
Figure 1. The 1912 Erfurt shown above bears serial number 4916. All Erfurt’s bear military style serial number placement (exposed) and Crown/gothic letter acceptance stamps on all parts (except springs).
Download Attachment:

25.18 KB
Figure 2. Top of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916.
Download Attachment:

42.75KB
Figure 3. 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. Right side. This Luger is Bavarian unit stamped. A hold open has not been added. According to a May 6,1913 directive all P08's in service without a hold open were to have the hold open retrofitted. I have examined numerous Bavarian unit marked Lugers. All those that lacked the hold open at manufacture did not have it added. Apparently World War I started before the Bavarian’s had time to have the hold open added to their Lugers. Once the war started the troops and Lugers were scattered in battles on two fronts in a dozen countries and the hold opens were never added.
Download Attachment:

41.56KB
Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. The barrel proof is delicate compared to the receiver proof.
Download Attachment:

37.55 KB
Figure 5. Front of frame and bottom of barrel, of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916. Erfurt’s most often display a halo around the barrel gauge and not around the barrel serial number. This Erfurt is typical, it has a halo around the 2 in the digits of the 8,82 barrel gauge.
Download Attachment:

66.63 KB
Figure 6. The grips bear the crown/gothic letter stamp and last two digits of the Lugers serial number, 16. Erfurt’s left the factory with matching grips.
Download Attachment:

49.33KB
Figure 7. Proper early Erfurt magazine with two acceptance stamps.
Download Attachment:

10.88 KB
Figure 8. Front of 1912 Erfurt, serial number 4916.
Download Attachment:

36.22 KB
Figure 9. Details of unit marking. B.4.P.1.1. signifies: Bayerisches, 4 Pionier-Bataillon, Kompagnie 1, Waffe Nr. 1. This Luger is marked to Bavarian Combat Engineer company. In a data base of 823 unit marked Imperial Lugers only three are marked to Pionier units. It is a very rare unit stamp.