Circle-S Police Luger Survey
 

Circle-S marked Police guns generally get a pretty short shrift, descriptively. Beyond noting that they are, indeed, Police guns, they are usually described as "Simson conversions" and left at that.

After discussing this topic off-Forum with Ed Tinker for awhile, it has become clear that an assessment in detail of these Lugers might be useful to help determine their origin. Commonality of markings might reveal a single source for these pistols, or where they might have been used. Or if there are not common markings, this too might be useful knowledge.

So, I have determined to undertake another survey. If you have a Luger marked with a circle-S on the left receiver, I would like to record details about it. The information I am looking for consists of:

Toggle Mark (logo)

Chamber Date

1920 property mark (yes/no)

Serial number (complete, with suffix)

Right Receiver Marks
(even if they are just Imperial inpector stamps and proofs, this will help determine if the toggle train is original or if it might have been replaced in rework--an Erfurt gun with a DWM toggle, for instance.)

Left receiver marks, if different from c-S and serial number

Circle-S position (in front of serial#, or in back)

Rear frame number (number, if present) (crossed out?)

Barrel Marks--all of them

PT/PTV stamp on barrel (yes/no)

Sear Safety (yes/no)

Magazine Safety (yes/no) (clipped, removed, or active)

Rear Toggle Pin numbererd (yes/no)

Grip Markings

Unit Marks (yes/no) (if yes, the mark itself)

Any other stamps present on gun (e.g. HZa, etc.) and where

Magazine (if matching, base material and markings)

Comments or other characteristics worth noting

When you report markings, particularly if they are unusual ones, a page-number and marking number reference to Costanzo will be useful. If you can't provide it, just the description will do fine.

Please respond on-Forum, or by email dwightg@clear.net if you'd rather not make it public here. I am posting this on both Forums, and will be making the request in Auto Mag as well, so it may take a couple months to publish any kind of result.

And no, this doesn't mean I have abandoned my commercial serial# survey--I am still trying to track down Dave Soracco, or the key to his database (in case anybody knows it). Its just that I don't have any new Lugers to post about, so I'll fill time with this until I do.

Thanks in advance to everybody for your assistance and information.

--Dwight

Dwight, You might have this . 1914 Commercial Toggle mark DWM, Chamber date 1920 property date,S/N 72353, Rt rec. none , Lt rec. Horizontal C/N and c-S, Back of C/N, Barrel C/N and serial number, Pt/Ptv No,Sear safety No, Mag safety No, Rear toggle pin numbered, Grip marking none. If you need any more info just ask.

Bill,

Thanks very much for the extra info.

--Dwight

DG.....just to let you know, I have no Police Lugers with a circle S...did not want you to think I was ignoring you.

Howard,

Didn't think that for a minute. Surprised, though, at the fact.

--Dwight

I'll work on correcting that....should you come upon a C/S for sale, with at least one match mag let me know.....Simpson's has a nice sneak calling me right now.....best to you

Toggle Mark (logo): DWM

Chamber Date: 1920

1920 property mark (yes/no) Yes

Serial number (complete, with suffix): 2983k

Right Receiver Marks: Ver hard to tell, when rearsenaled, it was pretty much wiped.

Left receiver marks, if different from c-S and serial number: c-S / serial #

Circle-S position (in front of serial#, or in back): In front of serial #

Barrel Marks--all of them: SN k 8,82 and a eagle on top right of barrel

PT/PTV stamp on barrel (yes/no) NO

Sear Safety (yes/no) yes

Magazine Safety (yes/no) none

Rear Toggle Pin numbererd (yes/no) yes and also oversized marked

Grip Markings: Left, S/42 and last two of sn. Right, 83 only

Unit Marks (yes/no) (if yes, the mark itself)

Any other stamps present on gun (e.g. HZa, etc.) and where: Yes, on rear of frame is 1670

Magazine (if matching, base material and markings): not matching, but is a police mag

Comments or other characteristics worth noting: Entire 4-digit serial number on sideplate and on same on toggle adj to DWM,

Ed

Ed,

Thanks much for the info. Got your PM.

--Dwight

Mr Gruber, I don't have my police luger where I am now.
But quite sure there is no S with circle. The serial is 7057g and I think you have registered it before..

This survey has been moribund, but got a shot in the arm via email this morning which re-enthused me.

So, I'm requesting again, anybody with a circle-S receiver marked Police Luger, please see the first post in this discussion and let me know what you see, thanks.

--Dwight

A few months ago I instituted this survey of circle-S marked Lugers, to discover if there were similarities or marking consistencies which might reveal the origin of this mark; which might help determine whether or not it is a rework mark of Simson, which many collectors assert is the case.

So far I have received only eight submissions. I had hoped that there were more of them out there to examine. While this sampling is not nearly large enough to come to any reliable conclusions, reviewing the data does prompt some interesting observations.

Reported samples range from Imperial military (all DWM), through 1914 Commercial and 1921-dated 20DWM (One is a complete, unaltered DWM LP-08 with matching stock and holster). All but one are 1920 property marked.

All appear to be unaltered from their original manufacture, there are no reported rework parts or markings. None are reported with TP Berlin armory marks. Only half the guns are reported with sear safeties, and only two of these with magazine safeties.

None are reported with Police unit marks, but three of the sear-safety guns are reported with back-frame numbers.

Other data is either sporadic or unreported, and does not conflict with or further these observations.

So far, it appears that the circle-S mark is not associated with a Police rework program (indeed, not associated with any rework program at all); and there are no physical markngs which support a particular Simson connection.

This mystery is not by any means solved, and I look forward to more data submissions.

--Dwight

Bill,

Does this gun have a back-frame number?

--Dwight

Dwight Yes it has an Xed out number 2182 0n the back frame. Bill

Hello Mr. Gruber. I bought last week another Luger ( a Double Date 1917/1920 DWM in mint condition, all numbers matching incl. mag ) and ir has a circle-s. Do you have a clue, what it means? Please take a look at the pic. Greetings from Germany, Thomas

In addition to the discussion in this topic, folks over on Jan Still's Gun Boards have been running a similar discussion with a few more ideas there as well :

http://luger.gunboards.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2763

Thomas,

Greetings from the US, and thanks for the picture. No, at this point the c-S meaning is obscure. It does seem to be limited to before 1922, it does not appear to have any connection with Simson, and it has a strong correlation with back-frame numbered Lugers. Keep looking here, around the end of the month I will have an article to post about this topic which will have more details, if not an actual answer to the mystery.

In the meantime, for my research, could you please look at the first post in this discussion, and provide the information which you did not mention in your post? I will be very appreciative.

--Dwight

Dwight,

here are the informations about my c-s Luger:

Toggle Mark (logo): DWM
Chamber Date: 1917 / 1920
1920 proberty Mark: Yes
SN with suffix: 5977 h
Right Receiver Marks: 3 x Imperial Marks 1 x Weimar Mark
Left Receiver Marks if diff.: No
C-S Position: In front of SN
Rear frame number: None
Barrel Marks: SN 5977, Imperial Mark, 8,82
PT/PTV stamp on barrel: No
Sear Safety: No
Magazine Safety: Yes
Grip Markings: Imperial Mark and 77 on both Grips
Unit Marks: None
Any other stamps: No
Magazin: Is matching, Imperial Mark and 5977

So, I hope that will help. If you need further informations, no problem.
By the way, Prize was 680 Euro.
Kind regards, Thomas:bigbye:

Thomas,

Thanks very much for your information, and I appreciate the offer of more.

Could you please confirm that this gun has a magazine safety? It does not appear so from your picture, and it would be very unusual for a Luger to have a mag safety but no sear safety. Is it possible that the receiver was drilled and the trigger plate was cut for the sear safety, but the safety itself was removed?

Also, is it possible for you to post a closeup picture of the left side of the receiver for the c-S mark, and the right side fot the Weimar mark?

Thanks for the additional help. I don't know what Luger prices are like in Germany, but equivalent $880 USD for a matching Luger with original grips and matching mag, even if reblued, is a pretty good deal here.

--Dwight

Dwight,

you are right, it was my fault. It has NO MAGAZINE SAFETY!!!! Iam sorry for the confusion, but Iam at work, doing three things at the same time and answering an e-mail. I send you the pics as soon as possible.

Thomas:bowdown:

Dwight,

If you haven't seen this one yet...

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=73290378

Steve,

Thanks much for passing this on--also to Ed, who emailed it to me.

This gun showed up in Auto Mag awhile back; with this listing I was able to get the rear frame number from the seller.

--Dwight

I have 1912/1920 DWM, serial 69182, matching including alumnium bottom mag. Cut for mag safety which is no longer present. Right receiver proofs are standard for 1912. Left barrel in front of receiver has proof that is a bit double strike. I believe it is #48, page 85 Costanzo. Could possibly be #44. Left receiver in front of side plate, Circle S #110, page 190 Costanzo. Serial # is also on left front receiver and is an over stamp with faint couple previous numbers visable. Numbers are a bit out of line. It even appears that the number 1 was part of a previous number. Above the serial number on receiver is stamped a small "GERMANY". I acquired this in 1995 and it came with a 1939 dated holster, tool and extra mag. Inside mag pocket was piece of paper with name S/sgt Johnson written on it. Hope this helps.

Art,

Thanks very much for the report. Your description prompts a couple of observations. 69182 is not a serial number one would expect for a 1912 military Luger. The barrel inspection marks sound interesting. Is there a number stamped on the back of the frame, above the lanyard staple?

Any chance you could post comprehensive pictures?

--Dwight

Probably just stating the obvious but for what it's worth:

We know the date letters that were in use between 1925 and 1935, resulting amongst others in the K-date and the G-date on Mauser produced lugers of 1934 and 1935. The encoded date letter was the result of a German army directive and it was halted as of 1936. Interesting to know is that the proposed year letter for 1936 was the 'S'.

Another 'S' code, which probably was the basis for the Simson-link, was that Simson (or BSW, Berlin-Suhler Werke as the company was know at that date), was assigned to Simson/BSW in the same time frame and it was used for their K98 production.

Probably just recycling old info here, but it might be useful.

Another thing worth investigating is the following:
Can owners of Circle-S marked guns check if the chamber is still the stepped chamber design?
If not, the 'S' might be an indicator for 'Stahlhulse', indicating that the gun is modified for the use of steel cased 9x19 ammunition. Just a wild fantasy, this, but worth checking nonetheless.

Police luger
 

It has been a while since I have been here, but I do
have a police luger. I haven't gone back a looked at
my old posts on this weapon. Mine has no " s ", per say.
It is stamped " S.P.L. " on the heal. No other " unit marks".
It came from Leipzig. ( 1917-1920 stamp )
This one may be in your book already.

I may have to put it up for sale because I have been out of work so long. It is going to be a sad day when part with it.

After some thinking, some additional reading and watching the interesting dig find Erfurt with circle/S on the forum I may have an interesting clue:

During 1918 - 1922 the Spandau arsenal was busy refurbishing luger pistols. Documents in German archives survive that state that the modification (rebarreling) of LP08 pistols was done in the Spandau arsenal during that time frame. If they rebarreled LP08 pistols there is no reason why they couldn't also have made other repairs as well.

Circle - S / Spandau .... ?

circle s
 

erfurt 1914 /1920#4684a. right rec 3 crowns +looks like a bird left more crowns. circle in front rear frame #536 no barrel marks. sear safety yes. mag safety yes still working. toggle pin #84 unit marked #536 2 matching haenel schmeisser mags rear toggel #27 crossed out &replaced by # 84. grip screws have crowns. both grips #05

Had Ted restore this.

https://i.imgur.com/KXDg2wz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/taoHtg8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bAAaax6.jpg

not sure if this is of any help to you, being it is not a police luger, but does have the circle S on left side in front of the serial number 3881 b,dwm toggel, 9mm, 1918 1950 double stamp, i do hope this may be of some help to you, thanks

Corcle-S Police Luger
 

Information for your study: DWM 1921/1920, 5042a, Ma.282, sear safety present, mag safety disabled, grips unnumbered, barrel serial number and suffix with bore gauge, right receiver two WaA4, one ArA4, barrel ArA4, breech block WaA4. Rear frame 282, mag 282.

Dwight, here is another for your database.

Toggle Mark (logo)-DWM

Chamber Date-1918

1920 property mark (yes/no)-yes

Serial number (complete, with suffix)-9866h

Right Receiver Marks
(even if they are just Imperial inpector stamps and proofs, this will help determine if the toggle train is original or if it might have been replaced in rework--an Erfurt gun with a DWM toggle, for instance.)-T S S and test proof

Left receiver marks, if different from c-S and serial number

Circle-S position (in front of serial#, or in back)-front

Rear frame number (number, if present) (crossed out?)-3090

Barrel Marks--all of them-8,83 and 9866h

PT/PTV stamp on barrel (yes/no)-no

Sear Safety (yes/no)-yes

Magazine Safety (yes/no) (clipped, removed, or active)-yes, clipped

Rear Toggle Pin numbererd (yes/no)-yes and fluted

Grip Markings-none

Unit Marks (yes/no) (if yes, the mark itself)-none

Any other stamps present on gun (e.g. HZa, etc.) and where-no

Magazine (if matching, base material and markings)-Haenel, aluminum base, numbered to gun without designation of 1 or 2 nor suffix letter

Dwight,

Another Circle S if you are still collecting data. This one is Mannheim Schupo marked.

https://www.joesalter.com/category/p...agazine-Safety

This pistol has resurfaced and researching it brought me to this thread. Fifteen years later.