My New 1917 DWM Luger questions

[DonVoigt]

I'm not convinced it is not a refinish from its time when the police sear safety was added.
The sear safety rivet is in the white, which is a pretty good sign that it is NOT a post period reblue.

This may represent a 1932/3 or even later addition of the sear safety, a time when a hot blue of all parts would have been possible.

I agree that the blue ejector and td lever, etc. are an anomaly one does not usually see.

[BarrelBaggins]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

I'm not convinced it is not a refinish from its time when the police sear safety was added.
The sear safety rivet is in the white, which is a pretty good sign that it is NOT a post period reblue.

This may represent a 1932/3 or even later addition of the sear safety, a time when a hot blue of all parts would have been possible.

I agree that the blue ejector and td lever, etc. are an anomaly one does not usually see.

Were most Lugers around 1932/3 refinished the way mine is or is there a good possibility it was done by non-armory?

[BarrelBaggins]

I’m also curious about those markings on the inside of the grip. Still trying to figure out if the barrel was cutdown also!

[DavidJayUden]

Seems to me that it is a 1917 Artillery DWM, rebarreled, not simply shortened. Interesting that they used the full serial number inside the grips. The other marks may be from a previous gun that they were on?
An interesting piece to the Police Luger collector.
dju

[Ron Wood]

The barrel has been shortened and the sight band re-installed. A really nice job.
A tip of the hat to David (ithacaartist).
Ron

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

The barrel has been shortened and the sight band re-installed. A really nice job.
A tip of the hat to David (ithacaartist).
Ron

3" barrel for a "baby" luger and how it is done:

[BarrelBaggins]

Awesome thanks for all the input guys! I’ve learned a lot so far. I just wish I knew when and what police were using this Luger. Is there a good chance this was used later by the Nazis? I’m just trying to find a logical story to how this pistol became a bring home from WW2.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by BarrelBaggins

Awesome thanks for all the input guys! I’ve learned a lot so far. I just wish I knew when and what police were using this Luger. Is there a good chance this was used later by the Nazis? I’m just trying to find a logical story to how this pistol became a bring home from WW2.

Yes, it is quite logical that it served in WWI, the Weimar police,
and after 1934 the police were still the "Police" but you can call them
Nazi if you want.

If it was/is a WWII bring back, of course it saw service until souveniered!

[BarrelBaggins]

I also posted a picture (post #16) of the inside of my grips and they had some interesting markings. Does anyone know what those are and mean?

[DonVoigt]

The receiver was made by Erfurt, the "defect or variance" was noted and either corrected or passed by the RC at Erfurt, at the time the pistol was first made.

Corrected: the receiver is DWM, the mid link(and perhaps the entire toggle) is DWM and is a later replacement.

The pistol is an assemblage of parts, so asking question is fine- but don't expect any definitive answer about when it was done or who
re-worked or refinished it. JMHO.

[BarrelBaggins]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

The receiver was made by Erfurt, the "defect or variance" was noted and either corrected or passed by the RC at Erfurt, at the time the pistol was first made.

Neither frame nor receiver are DWM, the mid link(and perhaps the entire toggle) is DWM and is a later replacement.

I doubt this pistol ever saw the inside of the DWM factory.

I thought the markings on the side was for military DWM?

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by BarrelBaggins

I thought the markings on the side was for military DWM?

You are correct, I was looking at the big picture that Doubs posted, and that you commented on- going back to your pictures, the receiver is DWM!

Too dang many pictures, sorry.

[BarrelBaggins]

I read these markings are DWM

[BarrelBaggins]

I also read that DWM made most of the Artillery Lugers. Maybe my references are incorrect

[Doubs]

Originally Posted by BarrelBaggins

I also read that DWM made most of the Artillery Lugers. Maybe my references are incorrect

Your receiver is DWM. Compare the DWM Eagle stamp on your Luger to the Eagle on my Erfurt receiver.

DWM did make far more Artillery Lugers than Erfurt. Erfurt only made Artillery Lugers one year: 1914. Jan Still says that only 23,000 Erfurt Artillery Lugers were made. Manufactured in blocks of 10,000 with the first block not having a suffix letter, the highest serial number Erfurt Artillery Luger will have a "b" suffix letter. DWM made them from 1914 until 1918.

It is interesting that many DWM Artillery Lugers have barrels supplied by Erfurt as indicated by the Prussian Eagle - the Eagle used by Erfurt inspectors - on the barrels near the right side of the receiver.

[BarrelBaggins]

Originally Posted by Doubs

Your receiver is DWM. Compare the DWM Eagle stamp on your Luger to the Eagle on my Erfurt receiver.

DWM did make far more Artillery Lugers than Erfurt. Erfurt only made Artillery Lugers one year: 1914. Jan Still says that only 23,000 Erfurt Artillery Lugers were made. Manufactured in blocks of 10,000 with the first block not having a suffix letter, the highest serial number Erfurt Artillery Luger will have a "b" suffix letter. DWM made them from 1914 until 1918.

It is interesting that many DWM Artillery Lugers have barrels supplied by Erfurt as indicated by the Prussian Eagle - the Eagle used by Erfurt inspectors - on the barrels near the right side of the receiver.

Is my frame a Erfurt then? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to figure out my lugers story. Been learning a lot from you guys

[k98mike]

Your frame has an "RC" stamp on the trigger guard, so it is an Erfurt frame. The "RC" stamp was almost never (or never) used on DWM pistols as they were a private firm and agreed to deliver pistols without flaws of any kind. The military arsenal at Erfurt could pass pistols with minor flaws with a government inspector signing off on it.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by Doubs

Your receiver is DWM. Compare the DWM Eagle stamp on your Luger to the Eagle on my Erfurt receiver.

DWM did make far more Artillery Lugers than Erfurt. Erfurt only made Artillery Lugers one year: 1914. Jan Still says that only 23,000 Erfurt Artillery Lugers were made. Manufactured in blocks of 10,000 with the first block not having a suffix letter, the highest serial number Erfurt Artillery Luger will have a "b" suffix letter. DWM made them from 1914 until 1918.

It is interesting that many DWM Artillery Lugers have barrels supplied by Erfurt as indicated by the Prussian Eagle - the Eagle used by Erfurt inspectors - on the barrels near the right side of the receiver.

The OP frame is definitely Erfurt, it has Erfurt eagle not DWM.
It also has the Erfurt inspection on the trigger guard, something that DWM did not do.

[Doubs]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

The OP frame is definitely Erfurt, it has Erfurt eagle not DWM.
It also has the Erfurt inspection on the trigger guard, something that DWM did not do.

Which I agree with 100%.

WRT the OP's receiver being DWM, my picture of the Erfurt receiver may have caused your confusion between it and the OP's which I apologize for. I was only intending to illustrate another C/RC marking to go along with my expanded RC Commission explanation.

[Norme]

Hi Alex,
I'm of the opinion that your gun is an Erfurt with some replaced and renumbered parts from a DWM. Specifically the center toggle, side plate and possibly some other small parts.
Regards, Norm