1917 DWM Question
 

I am new this forum stuff and to Luger collecting, If I s---w up please overlook it. I finally got my first Luger. It is a 1917 DWM, all matching numbers except the mag. It is a nice piece. My question is how do I determine if the gun is safe to shoot, can do this myself or should I take it to qualified gunsmith? I have many guns but none as old as this one.
2nd. does having the gun profesionally refinished affect the value? I seen a place on web called " Ted's Luger Strawing Service".

Any time you alter the original condition of a Luger , you take the chance of loosing some of its value. The decision is yours as it is your pistol. I would advise against it, unless the piece is a total wash out of finish and matching parts.

Hi Bill,

Welcome to the forum. Ted is a longtime member here, and one of the top at Luger restoration. Do a search for "Thor".

If your 1917 has the original finish, and is in good condition? Refinishing it will definitely effect the value for the negative, and depending on the original condition, possibly by hundreds of dollars, and in some rare instances by a thousand $$ or more. Collectors look for everything "original".

As far as being safe to shoot? It's a toss-up. If you take it to a qualified and reliable gunsmith, be sure they are Luger knowledgable first. Many general gunsmiths know very little about Lugers.

Even then, shooting a 90+ year old gun is always a gamble. Breaking an original matching numbered part will also greatly effect the value.

Post some photos, if possible.

If you do decide to shoot it, first clean the inside the firing pin, inside the breech block, and under the extractor. Places a lot of collectors miss.

FN

Bill, welcome to the forum, I moved this to the new collector area.


Ed

Bill, if you decide to shoot it, don't use hi-velocity ammunition...get some Wal-Mart white box Winchester Target/Range 115gr FMJ cartridges...No hollow points, no frangible stuff...A Mec-Gar magazine is a good idea as well...

Don't worry too much if your Luger magazine doesn't feed reliably...

Welcome to the forum. I look forward to seeing photos of your Luger, if you chose to post any. Have you broken down your Luger and given it a good cleaning? If you remove the grips, be VERY careful with removing the left grip, so as not to break it near the thumb safety.

again welcome to the forum

1917 DWM, Thanks
 

:Thank you to every one that replied, you were very helpful. As soon as I get my camera back from my daughter I wiil post pictures.
Thanks again,
Bill

Can't wait to see it! +1 about Thor if you decide to have it re-done you have to see his work its more art then gunsmithing.

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have a Luger similar to mine which is also a 1917 DWN serial # 9242 (pics here http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=28102 )

I've had the same struggle with myself about whether to shoot mine or not. I've been told by a gunsmith and the gun expert who sold it to me that it is safe to shoot but still I'm not sure if I want to risk it!

Looking forward to seeing pics of yours!

From my own experience, I have shot a few collectable Lugers with good results, but then have also had an original ( meaning contemporary aged ) part on a non-matching Luger break. Think, parts are around 70 to 110 years old. Even 'though they might be strong as new, still 'can break unexpectedly, just like when they were new. But a matching part is hard to replace, if not impossible. ( Roughly 1% of identical and contemporary correct parts will have the same two-digit number .)
I recommend you find a mixed gun, either an almost all-matching and good looking example, for a "shooter". If there is one part that is not working properly, or breaks, it is no further loss to replace it with a working part, all of which are available, either original used or many new copies.

It's a hard decission to make, i have fired all of mine , then i got to thinking, maybe to not to and find a good shooter, which i have. Good luck to you.

1917 dwm
 

Thanks to all who answered. I have decided not to shoot it, since all numbers match includung the magazine. I am looking for shooter now. I am so into this gun more than all my others. I will try to figure out how add a picture.
I purchased this gun on an online auction. I have purchased other guns online but I hve never paid the high fees like this one. Buyer's premium, mother auction buyers premium,shipping, material, insurance, live bidding fee, for a total of $257.46. I received a phone call call from the auction asking if I wanted a cataloge for then next auction. I told them that I will not be bidding on their auctions any more because of all the added fees. that other auctions do not have. If anyone wants the name of the auctions email me and I will sent them.:banghead:

Very nice gun. If you get the chance please photo the serial number in front of the trigger on the frame AND photo the nunmbers on the magazine base. That helps us a lot in looking for skulduggery.
Congrats!
dju

My wife is out with the camera now. Here are some pic. that I have in the computer. The sn inside the wood grips and on the wood mag. end peice will be hard to photograph. They are very light. I need a magnifiying glass to see them. the sn is 832. In the one picture you can see a partial view of the sn and other stampings on the barrel,
Bill

By "in front of the trigger" I meant on the very front of the frame under the barrel base.

I understand. The front of the frame has 832 as does the barrel.
Bill

1917 dwm
 

Hi David, Here are some more pictures. Bill

And now the base of the magazine, showing numbers and letter.

I will try. the stamping in the wood base worn so thin that I need a magnafying glass to see them.

Bill,
I am glad you decided not to shoot it. You have acquired a very nice and very collectable Luger. It is all original finish...do not under any circumstance consider having it refinished, you would destroy its collector value and reduce it to a $400 shooter.

The serial number of your Luger is 832g, the small letter under the serial number is actually part of the serial number. A mismatched magazine is of no consequence, in fact I am usually highly skeptical of Lugers with "matching" magazines unless I examine them very closely...many are faked.

Congratulations on your purchase. It may have been a bit painful with all the added fees and costs, but you got a nice gun.

1917 Dwm
 

Hi Ron, Many thanks for the info. I did not know what the value of the gun was. Now I have a better understanding of it. I am trying to read as much as possible about lugers. Many of the books are quite expensive. I have been trying to find them in E Book form. I was able to get one, "The Standard Luger Catalogue" by Aarron Davis. Many years ago I purchased "The World of Lugers" for about $$40. I see them on the internet now for more than $300. That book disapeared on our move to Florida. I also have "lugers at Random" by Charles Kenyon Jr.
Thanks again, Bill

Aaron Davis' book is an absolute gem for the "flow chart" that helps to identify the model of Luger. Once you get to the detailed information for a particular model the wheels fall off. There is far to much "cut and paste" information that does not apply to the individual models, and the values are not reliable (and also out of date). Charlie's "Lugers at Random" is the best basic primer for new collectors. The photos are not the best and a lot of the information has been superceded by research since it was published. But it still remains my favorite recommendation for the new collector for a broad view of Luger categories. I would highly recommend purchasing Jan Still's "Central Powers Pistols" for under $100. It is the most "bang for the buck" currently on the market.

Now that I re-read the earlier posts stating that this gun is not with matching mag, please disregard my request for mag. bottom photos. That is no longer relevant. For what it is worth, you have a very nice early Luger.
dju

It is not generally regarded as of any increased significance, but one, two, and three-digit serial numbers are more interesting to me, compared to the most prevalent four-digit serial numbered guns. Maybe because they did not put zeros in front, as would a modern scheme do, to maintain a four digit number.

I have a two-digit Luger, 48 in the l block, ( lower case L ), but I have never seen a single-digit serial Luger. Unless my math is taking a senior moment, there would only be 243 of them max per year, per maker. ( 9x27 ) ... Is that so ?

The entire alphabet was never used in one year. Mauser produced the largest number of Lugers in one year by a single maker in 1940. According to 'The Mauser Parabellum' estimated production was 137,612. That would account for only 126 single digit serial #'s.

Thanks again, Ron. I will be looking for those books.