[Guest]

If someone could help me with this or give me any info I would appreciate it.

I noted my local gun shop has a Luger on the shelf. I’ve always wanted one but I don’t know a lot about them. The shop owner is a straight shooter but I like to check things out a little before I buy.

Marked DWM on top. He has it listed as a police model including a police style holster. Serial number is 8620 and this number or just the 20 are on all the parts I could see. He stripped it down and the bore is on great shape, no pitting that I could see. He showed me that the military marked the parts in one location and civilians in another and this one has markings in both places. This indicates both military and civilian use. The gun also has a safety added to the left side which he said was for the police. The barrel has 1920 stamped on top near the breach. The mag has a wooden base with the serial number in it. Also a 1 is stamped in the base. The front of the frame has a number which he stated was a rack number. The number is 1032. This number is in the mag base also. The gun has been refinished and most of this remains. The frame has some small rust spots on it.

What would a ball park value be for this gun, 1 mag, and holster.

Thanks

Ken

[email protected]

 

[Edward Tinker]

When you say refinished. Arsenal or old 1950's/60's USA refinish?

If refinished in the USA and not arsenal refinished it is worth around $550-$650, as a refinished luger, that is a negative unless done by an arsenal).

Ed

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure how to tell who refinished it. The shop owner told me it was refinished.

 

[lugerlou]

EM1SS

Your quote "The front of the frame has a number which he stated was a rack number. The number is 1032. This number is in the mag base also"

Are you calling the front of the frame the forward part under the barrel which usually contains the full serial number with or without a letter suffix (military and police issue).

If this is so the luger has a different frame and receiver. 8620 and 1032

 

[Dwight Gruber]

Ken,

Very interesting sounding Luger. Some questions come to mind.

Is there a letter suffix under the serial number on the frame?

Is there a crown-over-N stamped on the left receiver? If not, are there any other stamps on the left or right receiver? Are there any other small marks stamped on the barrel?

The safety added on the left side--is it a small spring over the top of the trigger plate, or is it a bar under the left grip?

Is there a date stamped on the top of the receiver? Are we to understand that 1920 is stamped on the barrel itself rather than the receiver?

The "rack number" on the front of the frame--where exactly on the frame is it? Are there any letters associated with it?

Are the small parts--trigger, thumb safety lever, ejector, magazine latch, takedown lever--strawed, that is, s polished yellow color? When the gun is taken apart, is the inside of the frame blued, or polished bare steel? Is the recoil spring connecting link--the little stirrup which hangs down from the toggle--blued or bare metal?

--Dwight

 

[Guest]

The front of the frame under the barrel has the serial number also. The rack number is on the front of the grip part of the frame. There are no other letters just the number 1032. The safety is the flat spring over the trigger plate. I didn't look as close at some of the other parts. I'll pring this out and go look at it again. Also there isn't a spot for the stock to fit on this one. The 1920 is on the frame just behind the barrel.

 

[Edward Tinker]

Ken, pictures, many of them would help a lot?

Can you take some digital or scan it in on a flatbed?

Ed

 

[donmaus]

Ken, in the pictures, please try to post one of the markings on the front grip strap. This is where the police stamped marks indicating the unit and weapon number. Having a number with no other marks is strange. A picture will help a lot. If not, please look carefully to see if there are other markings, perhaps something lightly stamped or partially ground off.

 

[lugerlou]

EM1SS

Thankyou for your reply, generally as Don Maus has pointed out the numbers will be accompanied with some form of lettering. 1032 is more like a naval property number only that the mark should be on the back of the grip to be proper.

Further reply's on my part would be pure speculation so will wait for a photo if possible.

Could you ask the dealer what his interpretation of a rack number is

Thanks.

 

[Heinz]

The lack of a date and the lack of a stock lug sounds like a 1908 model that was pressed into Weimar police service after recieving a Reichwehr 1920 property stamp. The magazine numbering is consistent with a Police reissue. The lack of an sequence number in the serial number would be consistent, I think, but do not have access to that reference.

Pictures are really need to estimate any value.

 

[Guest]

I've decided to get this one. I'll post more info when I get it later this week. I'll try to take pictures of it and post.

Thanks for all the help.

Ken

 

[Guest]

The inside of the frame is bright polished metal not blued. The stirrup hanging from the toggle is not blued either. There isn't a letter under the serial number.

Download Attachment: Luger 001a.jpg
170.62KB

I had to lighten the pictures to make them show any detail.



Download Attachment: Luger 002a.jpg
194.12KB

Here is the front of the frame. It is possible there was a different number under the 1032. I can just see a light 3 under the o.


Download Attachment: Luger 013a.jpg
136.89KB

The serial number is stamped on the left side of the barrel/ upper frame over some of the markings. The number stamping is not straight. The other stamps are a bird?, two others with crowns



Download Attachment: Luger 015a.jpg
114.55KB

Let me know what else I should look for. All the parts have a 20 on them even interal on the frame.

Thanks for any info

Ken

 

[Heinz]

You will not regret having bought this one. You need to work on the camera focus a bit, and take pictures of the top of the pistol showing the toggle marking and thhe bottom where the barrel meets the frame. But, Ed Tinker will probably offer to take the pictures for you if you just deliver it to him for a while I believe it is a 1908 model and there is some chance the blue is original. These early pistols had a much better finish than the 1915 and later models.

 

[Edward Tinker]

Here is where it was used by the nazi's during the early nazi police ear, it has a sear safety. Yes, you are welcome to send it to me and I'll take a bunch of pictures for you!




Download Attachment: 2004123016319ed.jpg
135.45 KB

That is an odd location for a weapons / rack number, but who knows?

So, there is no date on the top? I would say it is either an arsenal refinish, used to be a WW1 gun and they were taken off, or it is a alphabet luger.

Can you get some pictures of the top? Take it either outside in direct light, or right next to a window. Lots of light is the magic...

Ed

 

[Guest]

I'll take some more pictures tomorrow when it's light out. Ed please send me an email at [email protected]. I don't know what is required to send a pistol to someone?

Any ball park idea of it's value?

Thanks

Ken

 

[Edward Tinker]

e-mail sent, ref value, etc. I think Heinz and I were kidding on sending it to me. But I have a C&R and you could send it to me, once I sent you a copy of my license. But large pictures would be almost as good.

Ed

 

[donmaus]

I suspect the grip strap mark has been partially ground off. From the photo, the area before the number looks different from the rest. Look very hard in this area to see if anything remains. I would not be surprised if there are remnants of "S.B."

 

[Heinz]

Ken, I was joking about sending it to Ed. The smiley face is a warning of that. Ed however is very knowledgable on Weimar Police lugers.

 

[keoki7]

I believe Heinz is "on the money", it appears to be a 1908 Military pressed into Weimar Police use. Grip strap marking, while not by the book, is probably just what the seller said a "rack" or inventory number especially as it is repeated on the mag.

 

[Edward Tinker]

Last night I read something interesting in Walters, The Luger Story

quote:Lugers issued to the army during the Weimar Republic can often be identified by unit markings stamped int eh front grip=strap. The earliest instructions were published in the Heersverdnungsblatt on 9 April 1921, thought the marks, which were temporary. consited simply of the company and individual weapon numbers (eg 2.25).

It is possible this is all the marking it received.

Ed