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1913 DWM, SERIAL NUMBER 5776, PRUSSIAN EAGLE ON FRONT OF TRIGGER GUARD
ACQUISITION OF 1913 DWM, SERIAL NUMBER 5776.
Juneau is a small town of 30,000 people and very few of them know that I collect lugers. Two months ago, I had the opportunity to examine a 98 % 1913 DWM with a mint bore and a “Prussian Eagle” on the front trigger guard. It was reported to be for sale and a local dealer estimated its value at $700, based on Blue Book values. I offered more. I tried as hard as I could to close the deal and had no luck. I was not able to find out who actually owned the Luger. Through no fault of my own the sale through the local dealer seemed to be going no where and I feared that the Luger would be sold to a lower 48 dealer. A few days ago, by accident I found who the Luger owner was.
It was the City Attorney, and I had been acquainted with him for almost 25 years. More recently I was Foreman of the Grand Jury headed by this City Attorney. I had no idea that he had the Luger for sale and he had no idea that I collected Lugers. He invited me to his house(excitement filled the air). His father obtained the Luger during the 1950's when he was a military policeman in Germany. The 1913 DWM was complete with a holster, tool, and extra magazine. Also included was an unusual Nambu holster, with cleaning rod and 40 rounds of military Nambu ammunition. We made a deal that was fair to both of us and I left his home with the Luger, its holster, tool, extra magazine, the Nambu holster, Nambu cleaning rod, and 40 rounds of Nambu ammunition.(This Nambu holster is shown in the Japanese section of this forum.) Sometimes hunting can be very good, even in small isolated towns in Alaska.
1913 DWM Lugers are reported in the 1201 to 315E serial range and were initially manufactured without hold open or stock lug. All have the exposed style of serial number placement. Toward the end of 1913 production they were manufactured with hold open and stock lug. About 35,000 were manufactured.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU1.jpg
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Figure 1. Left slant view of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. The serial number placement is military (exposed).
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU2.jpg
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Figure 2. Top view of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU3.jpg
46.58 KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776..
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU4.jpg
25.28 KB
Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. 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/scriptic letter indicates a hold open was retrofitting to this Luger. The end of the pin placed to retain the hold open is properly in the white.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU5.jpg
37.73 KB
Figure 5. Front of trigger guard, frame and bottom of barrel of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. Note: the halo around the digits of the barrel serial number(barley visible) and lack of halo on the frame serial number. The barrel serial number is through the blue. A so called “Prussian Eagle” has been stamped on the front of the trigger guard.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU6.jpg
51.52 KB
Figure 6. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, showing details of the trigger guard eagle. It is identical to an Erfurt style Luger test eagle.
According to orders dated 23, July 1918, auxiliary pistols were to have an Imperial Eagle applied to the front of the trigger guard. (Close reading of the orders indicates that the application was already in process before the orders were published) The purpose of the trigger guard eagle was to identify Imperial property and prevent its theft. “All Army high commanders etc are asked to take the necessary steps that all pistols being currently in use by troops and not verifiably held in private ownership, are additionally marked by military armorers with this same marking”
This trigger guard eagle stamp is found on Mauser M1914 and Red 9, Beholla, Sauer 1913, Bavarian Steyr Hahn, 07 Dreyse, FL Selbstlader, P08, LP08 and commercial Lugers(see page 54 Imperial Lugers, page 46 Volume I, and page 129 Gortz and Bryans). In general the trigger guard eagle is scarce to rare and is mostly confined to the later wartime produced pistols. Four styles of eagles have been identified and more probably exist.
The trigger guard eagles are very rare on Lugers. They have not yet been reported on unit marked Lugers. Two 1913 DWM’s serial numbers 5776 and 6414, have been reported with identical Erfurt style trigger guard eagles. This might suggest that in a few cases the trigger guard eagles were applied to new pistols at the factory during manufacture. This may have been for the same identification purposes indicated in the 23 July 1918 orders (above) or for some other military identification purposes.
I would like to research the style of trigger guard eagles found on Imperial Pistols. Photographs of the trigger guard eagles found on the various pistols listed above and the pistol details would be most helpful.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU7.jpg
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Figure 7. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. Inside of grips stamped with the last two digits of the Lugers serial number.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU8.jpg
56.62KB
Figure 8. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, with the Imperial holster that it came from Germany with.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU9.jpg
51.74 KB
Figure 9. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, showing open holster with tool(unmarked) and extra magazine.
Download Attachment: 1913DWMNAMBU10.jpg
55.03 KB
Figure 10. Faint ink stamp found on the above holster. B.A.XI signifies: the Bekleidungsamt ( Clothing Procurement Office) of the XI Army Corps. Holsters were issued to troops from this office.
ACQUISITION OF 1913 DWM, SERIAL NUMBER 5776.
Juneau is a small town of 30,000 people and very few of them know that I collect lugers. Two months ago, I had the opportunity to examine a 98 % 1913 DWM with a mint bore and a “Prussian Eagle” on the front trigger guard. It was reported to be for sale and a local dealer estimated its value at $700, based on Blue Book values. I offered more. I tried as hard as I could to close the deal and had no luck. I was not able to find out who actually owned the Luger. Through no fault of my own the sale through the local dealer seemed to be going no where and I feared that the Luger would be sold to a lower 48 dealer. A few days ago, by accident I found who the Luger owner was.
It was the City Attorney, and I had been acquainted with him for almost 25 years. More recently I was Foreman of the Grand Jury headed by this City Attorney. I had no idea that he had the Luger for sale and he had no idea that I collected Lugers. He invited me to his house(excitement filled the air). His father obtained the Luger during the 1950's when he was a military policeman in Germany. The 1913 DWM was complete with a holster, tool, and extra magazine. Also included was an unusual Nambu holster, with cleaning rod and 40 rounds of military Nambu ammunition. We made a deal that was fair to both of us and I left his home with the Luger, its holster, tool, extra magazine, the Nambu holster, Nambu cleaning rod, and 40 rounds of Nambu ammunition.(This Nambu holster is shown in the Japanese section of this forum.) Sometimes hunting can be very good, even in small isolated towns in Alaska.
1913 DWM Lugers are reported in the 1201 to 315E serial range and were initially manufactured without hold open or stock lug. All have the exposed style of serial number placement. Toward the end of 1913 production they were manufactured with hold open and stock lug. About 35,000 were manufactured.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU1.jpg36.96 KB
Figure 1. Left slant view of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. The serial number placement is military (exposed).
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU2.jpg16.95 KB
Figure 2. Top view of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU3.jpg46.58 KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776..
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU4.jpg25.28 KB
Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. 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/scriptic letter indicates a hold open was retrofitting to this Luger. The end of the pin placed to retain the hold open is properly in the white.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU5.jpg37.73 KB
Figure 5. Front of trigger guard, frame and bottom of barrel of 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. Note: the halo around the digits of the barrel serial number(barley visible) and lack of halo on the frame serial number. The barrel serial number is through the blue. A so called “Prussian Eagle” has been stamped on the front of the trigger guard.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU6.jpg51.52 KB
Figure 6. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, showing details of the trigger guard eagle. It is identical to an Erfurt style Luger test eagle.
According to orders dated 23, July 1918, auxiliary pistols were to have an Imperial Eagle applied to the front of the trigger guard. (Close reading of the orders indicates that the application was already in process before the orders were published) The purpose of the trigger guard eagle was to identify Imperial property and prevent its theft. “All Army high commanders etc are asked to take the necessary steps that all pistols being currently in use by troops and not verifiably held in private ownership, are additionally marked by military armorers with this same marking”
This trigger guard eagle stamp is found on Mauser M1914 and Red 9, Beholla, Sauer 1913, Bavarian Steyr Hahn, 07 Dreyse, FL Selbstlader, P08, LP08 and commercial Lugers(see page 54 Imperial Lugers, page 46 Volume I, and page 129 Gortz and Bryans). In general the trigger guard eagle is scarce to rare and is mostly confined to the later wartime produced pistols. Four styles of eagles have been identified and more probably exist.
The trigger guard eagles are very rare on Lugers. They have not yet been reported on unit marked Lugers. Two 1913 DWM’s serial numbers 5776 and 6414, have been reported with identical Erfurt style trigger guard eagles. This might suggest that in a few cases the trigger guard eagles were applied to new pistols at the factory during manufacture. This may have been for the same identification purposes indicated in the 23 July 1918 orders (above) or for some other military identification purposes.
I would like to research the style of trigger guard eagles found on Imperial Pistols. Photographs of the trigger guard eagles found on the various pistols listed above and the pistol details would be most helpful.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU7.jpg60.15KB
Figure 7. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776. Inside of grips stamped with the last two digits of the Lugers serial number.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU8.jpg56.62KB
Figure 8. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, with the Imperial holster that it came from Germany with.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU9.jpg51.74 KB
Figure 9. 1913 DWM, serial number 5776, showing open holster with tool(unmarked) and extra magazine.
Download Attachment:
1913DWMNAMBU10.jpg55.03 KB
Figure 10. Faint ink stamp found on the above holster. B.A.XI signifies: the Bekleidungsamt ( Clothing Procurement Office) of the XI Army Corps. Holsters were issued to troops from this office.
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