Recieved this today. The V.P.S. marked police luger that I posted an inquirey about in the post below.
A reworked 1917 DWM Artillery. All matching including grips and magazine. Sear safety, never fitted for a mag safety. The finish is very similar to a late production Erfurt. Dull black with the barrel being a bit more polished. Appears to have been salt blued over the original rust blue. Download Attachment: LS.jpg
128.23Â*KB
Note sight notch for Artillery sight. Download Attachment: Top.jpg
74.23Â*KB E/N and E/J barrel rework proofs, circa 1939-1940? No barrel gage mark or suffix. Frame appears to have been shaved and re- numbered, with K suffix. Download Attachment: Barrel markings and SN.jpg
57.81Â*KB V.P.S. stamp on grip strap. Stamped in reverse of conventional marks(top to botom) It's an oddity, but my kind of Luger. Download Attachment: grip marking.jpg
79.13Â*KB
these are civil proof markings used from January 15, 1940 till the end of the war. While the eagle/N is the normal civil (or commercial) Nitro proof, the eagle/J is the "Instandsetzungs-Beschuß" marking, what means "repair proof". Normaly, this was done on new barrels or on rebore barrels - or just, because somebody did not trust in this pistol. Interesting, I haven't seen this eagle/J on a pistol, only on long guns (drillings and the like).
There is an old post with a pistol which is marked like this. A "Frankenschloss' marked Luger. Thanks for the information. Do you have a theory on the V.P.S. marking?
thanks for asking. But I don't have a theory on the V.P.S. marking. But the "Frankenschloss" marking (meanwhile, I read the posts dealing with this) is most interesting. Until now, I was not able to find anything about a company (?) with this name. I bed it is (was) a trademark, something like Akah (= A. K. = Albrecht Kind). I guess so, as "Franken" is a region in Bavaria or also a surname. I am continuing to find anything what could give more information.
"Frankenschloss" was the trade mark used by the "Franken & Lüneschloss" company in Suhl. They bought up used Lugers for refurbishment & resale in Germany and abroad. They did not manufacture handguns.
This trademark No. 395,700 was applied on April 14, 1928 and was registered on December 13, 1928. Business of Franken & Lünenschloß was "Gun Factory", goodscovered by the trademark: "Firearms". I did not find a "Frankenschloß" trademark, but this trademark here is better than nothing.
Two days ago a Belgian fellow collector came in here to show his three recent newly conquered Lugers. One if them had the E/N + E/J stamped on the barrel, just like yours.
This was a rebuild 4" 7,65mm P.08, it has the following poperties:
Frame: German Navy 1906, grip safety (altered)
Receiver: German Navy, left side nicely proofed with Navy Crown, C/M C/M, right side proofed with the upmentioned Eagle /N
Barrel: 4" proofed with E/N E/J, the SN, a stamp with the name FERHINGER and underneath: 7,65mm.
Toggle train: DWM marked, seems original to the Navy pistol, but rear toggle replaced with a P08 one.
I do not have the pistol here for pictures. If you like to see some, I can ask my friend to come back.
I would like to see photos of your friends Luger, if not too much trouble. This is the third one that I know of that has the markings on it. There is still some dispute over the translation. Does your friend have any ideas as to what they mean? Is it also VPS marked?
Thanks! Ron
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Jan C. Still Lugerforums
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