[Guest]

My Grandfather recently passed away and my Grandmother sent me the following item- from what I gather after reading posts here I have inheirited an a 1915 imperial DWM serial No. 4718 (g), all matching numbers-The magazine is WW2 era 3975 (i) (122?) Im told my Grandfather was given this gun by a close friend who brought it back from WW2- My grandmother says he never fired it and almost never handled it (He owned a decent collection of other German WW1 and WW2 items that he kept on display in his library) I have a couple of Questions Im hoping you guys can help me with- My local dealer thought the gun might have been reblued- he didnt have any particular knowledge of Lugers but he felt the over-all condition was "too good"- Im wondering if the fact that the safety lever is Blued is a clear indication that this is the case? I would also like to ask where I should look for the proper era magazines Im willing to start with repros but if anybody can point me in the right direction towards originals Id be grateful Im also interested in WW1 rigs- and finally of course Im wondering about the value I wont be selling (now that Ive got it I think Ive come down with some sort of Luger fever) but Im curious... And finally Id like to say How impressed i am with this forum -Its been the only reliable sourse of info for me the past few week- I guess I need to purchase some of Jans lit now- Thanks- swartsel1915

 

[Luke]

Hello Corey, and welcome to the forum.

Congratulations, you have a 1915 DWM from the WW-I era, one which may well have also seen duty in WW-II.

Yes, the gun has been reblued; several areas in your pictures clearly indicate that.

As far as obtaining an appropriate magazine, try Tom Heller (lugerdoc) on this forum. If he does not have any in stock, try the Trader category of this forum. Possibly someone here will have one that he can spare. You might also try eBay for WW-I DWM nickel-plated wood bottom magazines. Note that Erfurt magazines are also nickel-plated with wood bottoms, but are not appropriate for your gun.

If you are interested in collecting, by all means try and find a copy of Jan Still's "Imperial Lugers" . . . my favorite book. You'll find it very helpful. I don't know if Jan currently has new copies, but you might try contacting him directly. If not, check eBay and the Trader section of this forum. Also, Kenyon's "Lugers at Random" is very useful for the beginner.

Luke

 

[Edward Tinker]

Hello Corey and welcome to the forum. It is a lot better to post the pictures here localled, as many times the photobucket pictures don't show, when they reach their limit of viewing. (they didn't show for me)

Ed

 

[Ron Smith]

Hey Corey,
Even if it is a reblue. It's a nice looking Luger, and the price was right. I'm sure you will enjoy it. Especially since it was your grandfathers.

Carefull, they are addicting. I started out 2 years ago looking for a single artillery luger. Just because I had always wanted one. Now I am shopping for a second gun safe to put the overflow in. It'll grab ya!!

Ron

 

[Pete E.]

Hi Corey,

The blued stafety lever is one sign of the reblue.

Others include :

1. Loss of depth and definition of the inspector's stamps along the right side of the receiver.

2. Loss of the "halo" of the markings on the underside of the barrel.

3. Loss of depth and definition of the number stampings on the left side of the receiver and the left side of the take-down lever.

Nice pistol...one to keep since it has family ties.

You might take your magazine out and photograph it...members here can tell you more about it...it is not a WWI magazine, but a WWII magazine...

 

[pipeman45]

What a treasure. I hope you enjoy it. Thor could bring it back to it's original glory if you ever want it restored,he is the man to talk to.

 

[Luke]

Corey -

Because of its history, I am sure that you will want to keep it in the family. Regarding pipeman45's suggestion; Thor certainly could make it look like a new gun if you choose to restore it. That is a call that only you can make. However, it is probably a good idea to, as a minimum, have the safety lever restrawed. A blue safety lever is definitely not correct for this Luger.

Luke

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the feedback- sorry about the posting on the pics, Ill be the first to admit Im not a computer person by nature so I had some dificulty figuring out a method of posting. I found a copy of Jans imperial book on abebooks.com (a great resource for out-of-print or rare books for those not familure) and Im eagerly anticipating its arrival! Ive contacted Tom about Mags and tools and it sounds like he has what Im looking for, Ill know by the end of the week if I can purchase an original 1915 holster posted locally, Ive taken a look at Thors site and Im impressed with the work- sounds like Ill be sending it in.
As for the unmatched ww2 Mag I thought about posting it for sale once I get the proper era mags but then I realized I should just find a WW2 pistol to match the mag....Hmmm, I think I Might have contracted some sort of bug from you guys. Im Still looking for more info on proper belts/buckles does anybody out there have info/pics on what I should be looking for I have a buckle from my grandfather collection that i believe is an Imperial dress but I dont understand how it would fit on a belt- maybe somebody knows where I can find a complete original belt.

Thanks again, swartsel1915

 

[Luke]

Hi Corey,

Yes, you definitely have contracted some kind of bug; we all have it. Probably incurable.

If you are looking for additional components, try posting your interests on the "Trader" section of the forum. Quite often someone here will have what you need, and in my experience you will always get a fair deal from forum members.

Good luck,
Luke