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1917 DWM, LP08, SERIAL NUMBER 7670f, MACHINE GUN STAMPED, DETAILS AND WAR HISTORY.
1917 DWM LP08 Lugers (often called artillery) are reported in the 248 to 4884w serial range. P08 models are interspersed in the same serial range as LP08's during 1917. About 90,000 1917 dated LP08's were manufactured. The front and rear sight were initially fine tuned. Later in production the fine tuned feature was discontinued on the front sight and then on the rear sight. Less than 1 percent were unit marked.
A directive dated August 11, 1917 ordered each infantry company on the Western Front to be armed with 10 Long P08's for attack purposes (Gortz, 1994). A similar directive ordered the arming of the Sturm battilone with Long P08's with 6 extra magazines each (Schad, 1993). This special arming for assault troops would require most of the 1917 Long P08 production (Imperial Lugers, page xxv).
Of 800 reported unit marked Imperial Lugers 92 are LP08's and 68 of these are dated 1917. Of these 68, 53 are marked to infantry regiments, 5 to infantry regiment machine gun companies, 6 to infantry regiment minenwerfer companies and 4 to various other units.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG1X.jpg
24.35 KB
Figure 1. Left slant view of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. The serial number placement is exposed (military style).
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG2.jpg
14.86 KB
Figure 2. Top, of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Note: it is of interest that the sight radius of the LP08 (back of rear sight to front of front sight) is 7.3 inches while that of the P08 is 8 inches. The LP08 has a shorter sight radius by 0.7 inches. Apparently the tangent sight was attached to the barrel because it was a solid-stable base when compared to the rear toggle link.
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG3.jpg
28.7 KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. These all have a stock lug and hold open. This one does not have a fine tuned front sight.
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG4.jpg
25.05 KB
Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. The barrel proof is of the style usually seen on Erfurt Lugers and it has often been theorized that the LP 08 barrels were all manufactured at the Erfurt plant. However, the inspectors and their stamps were beholding to a Gewehrfabrik Spandau formed acceptance commission, not the Erfurt plant. Manufacture of artillery barrels by DWM and their acceptance with a stamp similar to the Erfurt stamp or by an inspector assigned from the Erfurt plant is a more probable theory.
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG5a.jpg
28.73 KB
Figure 5. 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Details of the tangent rear sight. It is fine tuned and graduated to 800 meters in100 meter increments. As the sight is raised it increasingly shifts to the left to compensate for bullet drift. All the parts are numbered with the last two digits of the Lugers serial number.
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG6.jpg
36.79 KB
Figure 6. Front of frame and bottom of barrel of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Note: the halo around the digits of the barrel serial number and letter suffix; and the lack of halo on the frame serial number. The barrel serial number is through the blue and the frame serial is under the blue.
Download Attachment: 1917LP08MG7.jpg
39.9KB
Figure 7. Grips of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. They are stamped with a faint 5 and some letters.
1917 DWM LP08 Lugers (often called artillery) are reported in the 248 to 4884w serial range. P08 models are interspersed in the same serial range as LP08's during 1917. About 90,000 1917 dated LP08's were manufactured. The front and rear sight were initially fine tuned. Later in production the fine tuned feature was discontinued on the front sight and then on the rear sight. Less than 1 percent were unit marked.
A directive dated August 11, 1917 ordered each infantry company on the Western Front to be armed with 10 Long P08's for attack purposes (Gortz, 1994). A similar directive ordered the arming of the Sturm battilone with Long P08's with 6 extra magazines each (Schad, 1993). This special arming for assault troops would require most of the 1917 Long P08 production (Imperial Lugers, page xxv).
Of 800 reported unit marked Imperial Lugers 92 are LP08's and 68 of these are dated 1917. Of these 68, 53 are marked to infantry regiments, 5 to infantry regiment machine gun companies, 6 to infantry regiment minenwerfer companies and 4 to various other units.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG1X.jpg24.35 KB
Figure 1. Left slant view of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. The serial number placement is exposed (military style).
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG2.jpg14.86 KB
Figure 2. Top, of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Note: it is of interest that the sight radius of the LP08 (back of rear sight to front of front sight) is 7.3 inches while that of the P08 is 8 inches. The LP08 has a shorter sight radius by 0.7 inches. Apparently the tangent sight was attached to the barrel because it was a solid-stable base when compared to the rear toggle link.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG3.jpg28.7 KB
Figure 3. Right side of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. These all have a stock lug and hold open. This one does not have a fine tuned front sight.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG4.jpg25.05 KB
Figure 4. Right receiver and barrel 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. The barrel proof is of the style usually seen on Erfurt Lugers and it has often been theorized that the LP 08 barrels were all manufactured at the Erfurt plant. However, the inspectors and their stamps were beholding to a Gewehrfabrik Spandau formed acceptance commission, not the Erfurt plant. Manufacture of artillery barrels by DWM and their acceptance with a stamp similar to the Erfurt stamp or by an inspector assigned from the Erfurt plant is a more probable theory.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG5a.jpg28.73 KB
Figure 5. 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Details of the tangent rear sight. It is fine tuned and graduated to 800 meters in100 meter increments. As the sight is raised it increasingly shifts to the left to compensate for bullet drift. All the parts are numbered with the last two digits of the Lugers serial number.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG6.jpg36.79 KB
Figure 6. Front of frame and bottom of barrel of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. Note: the halo around the digits of the barrel serial number and letter suffix; and the lack of halo on the frame serial number. The barrel serial number is through the blue and the frame serial is under the blue.
Download Attachment:
1917LP08MG7.jpg39.9KB
Figure 7. Grips of 1917 DWM LP08, serial number 7670f. They are stamped with a faint 5 and some letters.
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