It gets easier...
dju

and never stops being fun

Pardon my ignorance......
 

I'm not knowledgeable of pistol components, can you give me an idea where to look for this number? Do I need to disassemble to locate?

Think I Found it
 

Is this it?

Yep! That is it. And You do have an all matching gun. Congratulations.:thumbup:

Thanks! Good to know.
 

Anyone want to give me a best guestimate on what it's $ value may be?

My limited research on the web finds values all over the place.

Is it a shooter or collectible?

Also the hold open has a matching number.

Anyone want to give me a best guestimate on what it's $ value may be? Sorry, but no, no one agrees or likes the "guestimates"!

My limited research on the web finds values all over the place. Because they are! Selling price depends on who, where, when, how, and the phase of the moon; and whether the seller is motivated or the buyer is "lucky" or not.

Is it a shooter or collectible? I'd call it collectible for sure.

Maybe this helps a little.

My spin, for whatever it's worth, is that this one, unless I missed a mismatched part, is definitely collectable and probably should enjoy the rest of time being looked at, not fired.
As per its value, you can search 1917 Artillery Lugers on Simpsons, Ltd. website to get some idea of high end retail.
I'd think it should bring in the neighborhood of $3k or a bit more, but it is a bit specialized so let's see what other brave souls have to say on the subject.
Of course all estimates are academic while cash in hand speaks volumes.
dju

Just to prove the point about pricing,
I don't think the OP pistol will bring anywhere near $3k.
It is a 1917, no matching mag, and the holster is not so hot.
One can't pay too much attention the the asking/retail prices at Simpson's, IMO; go to the online auctions and watch what they sell for, or a show with multiple offerings and motivated sellers.

David-
See, no good deed goes unpunished. ;)

David-
See, no good deed goes unpunished.

As usual!
dju

Thanks to All. Question on Online Auctions
 

Thanks to all that have responded. I feel a lot more confident on what we have than when we started asking questions.

Any suggestions on which online auctions we should monitor?

Not sure it will be for sale but you never know.

For Insurance purposes, it would be nice to know a general value at present.

I like gunbroker.com, search for artillery Luger in the firearms or curio and relics categories. Check active and completed listings too.
Good luck.
dju

Another of Eric's Dumb Questions~ Are all lugers basically the same, 41 or 42 pieces except for the sights and barrel lengths? Are all parts interchangeable? I.E. DWM or Erfurt, albeit different proofs? Please forgive me for asking?

There are 2 types of firearms. Those that are "fitted" and those that are "assembled". Fitted guns were made "before a man's time was worth anything". A Glock is assembled. The Luger is definitely fitted so one piece may, or may not properly "fit" on another Luger. I've had parts, major and minor, go one way or the other. I've had entire upper ends slide right onto a mismatched lower and work correctly, and I've had lesser trigger parts that simply would not interchange.
And then, of course, there were small changes made along the way that may complicate interchangeability, although they were mostly model specific.
Hope this helps.
dju

Thank You Dave! Were individual parts stamped before assembly or after completion? What a headache!

Parts were not stamped with the part number until AFTER fitting.

E:
I'm not sure but it seems likely that they were fitted to the gun and numbered afterwards. Perhaps others can clarify.
It's a small wonder that the military jumped at every opportunity to simplify the process. Imagine the logistics of equipping an army with equipment that was so labor-intensive!
dju

You are absolutely correct! Forty Seperate Parts, Great Stuff, A Tribute to German Engineering over a century ago and still even more relevant and sought after today!