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Mauser Role in DWM Police Luger?

1134 Views 5 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  Jan C Still, 
donmaus
I have a 1927 DWM commercial model, S/N 3299q, with (mostly) matching S/Ns on small parts in military style, that was issued to the Police School at Muenster (grip strap mark "P.M.477."), has no evidence of a sear or magazine safety and has a firing pin with three longitudinal grooves milled in it and a matching S/N stamped on it. My understanding is that the firing pin grooves and numbering of firing pins were initiated by Mauser in the early 1930s. Is this evidence that this gun passed through Mauser on its way to the Police School?
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Jan C Still
donmaus said “My understanding is that the firing pin grooves and numbering of firing pins were initiated by Mauser in the early 1930s. Is this evidence that this gun passed through Mauser on its way to the Police School?”

In doing the research for my three Luger books, I never came across any documentation that Mauser reworked Lugers (see page 204-205 Third Reich Lugers for some information on Mausers involvement with the Luger during the 1930's ). Simson was the designated major repair facility for the P08 according to a Oct 19, 1922 decree by the Prussian Minister of the Interior (Weimar Lugers page 36). Simson reworked Imperial Lugers and repaired new manufactured Lugers during the Weimar Era and remained in business until it was expropriated by the Nazies in 1934/1935.

I would speculate that Mauser concentrated on manufacturing new Lugers (perhaps reworking old or surplus Lugers was time consuming and not very profitable). It would have been within the purview of the police/military armories to procure, number, and install grooved firing pins. Perhaps the larger repair facilities machined the groves in the original firing pins.
Jan
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donmaus
Jan,

Thanks for the clarification. I was going by the statement in Henrotin's ebook on Luger Mechanical Features, "...prompted Mauser to add longitudinal grooves to Luger firing pins in the 1930's."

This somewhat redirects my question to:

Does the existance of firing pin grooves, the presence of a matched</u> S/N on the firing pin or the presence of a matched</u> S/N on the rear toggle pin say anything about the probable date an alpha DWM Luger was put into police service? This relates to my planned research on Weimar Police Marks discussed in the thread "Police School Marking" on this forum. I'm wondering whether I should try to gather information on these characteristics.
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Jan C Still
Don
Alphabet DWM Lugers were manufactured by DWM (BKIW)from approximatley mid 1921 to the end of 1928. I would suggest that you look at the Weimar Era production tables on page 15 of Weimar Lugers.

If Henrotin's ebook lists alphabet DWM Luger production during the 1930s', I would suggest that it is not a good source of Luger information. It is well documentated that Luger production machinery transferred from DWM (BKIW) to Mauser in the Spring of 1930 (see Weimar Lugers page 33-34).

The rear connecting pin was numbered by Army orders dated 17 March 1932. The police also complied. It appears that earlier manufactured Lugers were recalled and also had the sn added to the rear connecting pin and the groves added to the firing pin. Therefore, these are not a reliable method of dating manufacture.

Jan
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donmaus
Jan,

Henrotin's book doesn't say that alphabet DWM/BKIW Lugers were produced with grooved firing pins, only that Mauser began grooving firing pins in their production in the early 1930s. I was wondering whether this dating would also apply to police armorers and would help date the time when a commercial gun was placed in police service. Apparently not.

Was the marking of firing pins with the S/N a practice throughout the Weimar era or did it have a definite start date?

I apologize for asking a bunch of questions that probably could be answered by reading Weimar Lugers. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy. As are many others, I am eagerly awaiting your next production of it. Thanks for your patience with me!
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Jan C Still
Don
The table on page 15 of Weimar Lugers will help date Alphabet DWM Lugers by their serial number suffix.

WEIMAR LUGERS has been reprinted and was shipped from the printer yesterday. As soon as they arrive here in Alaska (about two weeks) I will be open for sales.
Jan
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