[Guest]

I've been studying this Luger for a couple of years, using this and another forum. It's starting to look like I have a force-matched 'Frankenluger', but I like it anyway. It has '1920' stamped over the chamber, in a slightly irregular manner. It has 4084h on the frame and 4084l on the barrel. The 4084 on the slide and barrel match in style, but the font of the frame number is different. The toggle is DWM, and the '4' in the 84 stamps seems to be overstruck on a '3' on the extractor, rear toggle link and rear flat of toggle (under the sight). Some other small parts are original '84'. On the right of the slide are the three Weimar 'AYA4' birds, and there is also one of those on the top of the 9mm barrel near the chamber. The sideplate was so buggered up by previous attempts by others to remove pitting that there is no usable information on it. I'm using an Erfurt plate. The index mark under the barrel is aligned perfectly and appears to be a single strike. The pistol appears to have been refinished, and all components match in color and wear - the blue/gray 'soft' appearance leads me to believe it is rust blue. There are no extra safeties or unit marks. It's the standard (not long) frame. My best guess is that the 4084l upper half was put on the 4084h frame, then refinished. So, is it just a 'put together', or perhaps done for a rework at some point?

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Download Attachment: 1920lugerR.JPG
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[Guest]

Well, we decided it was put together this way during the DMW rework. If anyone has a differing view, please post. I'd like to redo the straw-colored parts, touch up the blue and put some new grips on it. I don't think I'd be messing up a valuable collectible by doing that. Any other thoughts on that?

 

[Guest]

I recently fired this Luger, and it worked perfectly and had pin-point accuracy. During cleaning, I discovered the indentations of a unit mark on the inside of the front strap. I now believe this gun was assembled from at least two Imperial Lugers after WWI, that the '1920' is indeed a date for the 'new' gun (applied by hand), that the original date was ground off, that the unit marking was sanded off the front strap for the rust-blue refinish, and that all this was done to sell it in Germany as a commercial (no Germany stamp on the gun). Does this sound plausible to you experts?