I remember reading (can't remember where) that the US ordered 1000 more .45 cal Lugers for testing. Georg thought it would be too costly to tool up for an uncertain contract.

The U.S. Army placed an order for 200 additional .45 Lugers. In a final letter to the Ordnance Board, Hans Tauscher (the U.S. representative for DWM) wrote: "...I cannot accept the order for 200 Luger Automatic Pistols and 100,000 cartridges, etc...I regret all the more the withdrawal of the Luger pistol from the competition, as this pistol (cal. 9m/m and 7.65m/m) has hitherto been adopted by the German Army and Navy and six other Governments."

In other words, Tauscher speaking for DWM was telling the U.S. to 'walk West 'til you hat floats', we have plenty of other customers and we have spent enough time trying to win what we recognize is a losing battle against Colt. I am sure this was not Georg's decision but that of DWM executives (Georg was an engineer not a CEO).

I guess the million $ Luger is also a victim of the economy too.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar...er15-2010mar15

This is the first time I see pictures of the famous "Norton Luger".
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Douglas.

Backing Mr. Wood up: Attached are some documents related to the .45 test. Several manufacturers were invited to submit a .45 for the test. DWM, Savage, and probably others resisted the .45 ammunition at the tolerances specified by the US, such that the US could produce their own ammunition.

DWM pushed a 9mm "double bullet" as an alternative to the .45. This 9mm double bullet was tested separately (Test Report and correspondence Attached).

Also attached are some of Tauscher's correspondence concerning the order for 200 .45s. I do not have a copy of the letter informing the Ordnance Department that the order was cancelled. I think a copy is in Reese's book.

I posted elsewhere Georg Luger's pursuasive letter (missing page 4 of 4) attempting to convince the US that they didn't need a .45 and can provide upon request.

The documentation leading up to 1910 and beyond verify Reese's conclusion that DWM dropped out, and that another pistol was not selected over the Luger. It was some 4 years after DWM dropped out that the US officially selected an automatic pistol, the Colt.

Apologize for poor quality. I had limited time to capture thousands of documents.


Clark

Shooting the .45 Luger (Guns & Ammo, June, 1994)
 

Working with Postino who provided the scans, here's a PDF copy of the June, 1994 Guns & Ammo magazine article about shooting the .45 Luger...

Marc