[Guest]

This is my first gun. Always wanted a luger from the first time I saw one. One of our accounts owed about $2500. We settled in exchange for a luger. Now I'm trying to find out the real value of the luger and if it is a shooter or saver.

I have attached some pictures and can take more as necessary. Please advise. The condition appears to be all original with matching numbers. There is some holster wear on the muzzle and sides. The grips are excellent. The mag has a wooden bottom and I can't make out the number.

I've read many threads and looked up the serial in one of Jan Still's lists. It doesn't appear in the list. It is a 1915/1920 double date from what I can find. The serial is 7489. It does have a Bolo number (I think) on the underside of the barrel. It is stamped b 84.

Any information you can give me is greatly appreciated.



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[lugerlou]

rlumber

Welcome to the forum, to be frank about the value 2500.00 is way to high for this luger. Do not usually give values to lugers that are not in my geographical area but this one is the exception.

Your luger is a military 1915 DWM manufactured by the Deutches Waffen Munitions Fabriken factory, without checking the references about 105,000 were made that year (1915) so not a rare luger.

The lugers barrel as you indicated is a boehler replacement barrel with the numbers indicating the hardness of the steel.

The 1920 date stamped above the lugers manufacturing date is a reichswehr property stamp, this number you will find on many lugers overhauled during the weimar era to conform to the allied war commissions demands to demilitarize Germany after the first world war. ( Treaty of Versailles) all barrels had to be shorter than 4 inch on the luger, this is why you have a replacement barrel

It would be nice if you can post another picture of the left side of your luger paying attention to the serial number and the side plate area.

Hope this information assists you and that you are not to discouraged with the value.

Your luger is a collectable firearm and properly represents the Weimar period of collecting with the 1920 property stamp, replacement boehler barrel.

Checked Jan C Stills imperial lugers and your serial number with the (b) suffix fits so not to sure on your comments about not fitting the serial number tables.

 

[Vlim]

Hi,

Some minor corrections.
DWM represents 'Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken' (German arms and ammunition factories). DWM was in the P08 production business until 1930, when production machinery, tools and parts were moved to Mauser, who resumed production.

The 1920 date is not a rework stamp, but a 'property mark'. It also is not really connected to the Versailles treaty. During the years after WW1 a lot of guns were in the hands of civilians, decommissioned soldiers, etc... The German government awarded a fee for every weapon that was handed over to the authorities in 1920. To prevent people from turning in the same guns twice (or more) and to prevent a good amount of stealing from government arsenals, an order was issued to mark all the guns in government possession with the '1920' year mark.

 

[lugerlou]

Vlim

Thankyou for the name correction of DWM, post corrected above.

 

[Edward Tinker]

quote:It does have a Bolo number (I think) on the underside of the barrel. It is stamped b 84.

The 84 sounds higher than normal for a bohler, I bet it is actually 8,84 which is the land to land measurement and was required to be stamped on a barrel.

Ed

 

[Policeluger]

Someone still owes you about 1k, search the Lugers for sale web sites and check it out...start with www.simpsonltd.com

 

[Pete E.]

Hi Ross,

Hope you do not mind : I have lightened the photos to make some of the details stand out a bit better :

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[Ron Wood]

If that Luger was a check for $2500, it would have bounced. Your account pulled a fast one on you and, as Policeluger indicated, they still owe you at least $1K.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the great information. The number on the barrel is B subscript 1 or i then 84. I realize I over paid, I was told it was worth $1200 to $1500. I decided to take what I could get especially after waiting two years to get paid. Thanks again for the help. I will post the pictures of the left side as soon as my digital comes back home.

 

[Edward Tinker]

Actually, you did ok. 2 years no pay, then get a decent luger... you did all right

Ed

 

[lugerlou]

rlumber

Sounds like you got back half on a bad debt, 50 cents on the dollar is good recovery.

If you have time when your camera makes its way home could you post a shot of the barrel markings. These are tough to get as the light reflects off the barrel but if you take your time you can accomplish them.

Generally bohler steel did not get up to a hardness of 84 but who knows, maybe by 1915 the hardness increased. Anyways pictures are proof positive and we may see evidence of a improperly struck die.

Try not to use any marking enhancer as this usually covers up the small detail unless you are very experienced in this regard.

Looking forward to the photos requested

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the help with my luger. I have attached additional pictures of left side of gun. Let me know what you think.
Ross

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[Edward Tinker]

Under the barrel, under the serial number of 7489b you can see the land to land measure of 8,84



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[maddog350gt]

Rumber,

I know others are more qualified and will probably reply as well, but the barrel marking is the land to land measurement 8,84 mm (Germany uses a comma instead of a decimal point). This is not a Bohler barrel. I don’t believe it is a replacement either. It look like a very nice property marked (aka Double Date) Luger in excellent condition. It has a relieved sear bar, so it probably was reworked during the war or the Weimar era, as I don't think that went into production until 1916. I don't see any halos around the serial number on the barrel, but if it went back to the arsenal for the sear bar rework this may be correct. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can comment on this. All in all a nice pick-up. Too bad the guy had to stick you for the other $1200.

Bob M.

 

[lugerlou]

rlumber

looks like Ed pegged it right the first time, that is why pictures are so nice, the ( b) is the lugers suffix and forms an integral part of the serial number as number 7489 will repeat itself in the c block and upwards till end of production.

Thankyou for additional photo's very nice luger.

 

[Guest]

Thank you all for the great information. It is great to have such a fantastic knowledge base.

Finally, what do you think? I looked in some lugers that appear as if the rifleing is very rounded over and worn. In my luger, the internal condition of the rifleing, to me, appears very distinct and sharp.

Should I shelve it for value preservation or shoot it once in a while?

Thanks
Rlumber