1913 DWM with accessories
 

So, my local shop in Renton, WA called me back in November. They said they had something they wished to offer me before they put it out for general perusal and knew I was a Luger and Webley man.

Well, they asked if I was interested at $1200 (if memory serves that was after tax). It's all matching numbers inside and out (including numbered grips), faint hints of strawing, and there was a million dollar chip on the left grip but, otherwise, I was in to say 'Yes' and put it on layaway. S/N 4226.

Well, it has now come home. It came with a WWI era holster (marked KBAG 1916 with some imprinted information that's a bit hard to read but a manufacturer name located in Berlin, 1916)) and the back was marked with a little skull symbol. CoE, TNKS, 25th D, AEF, 7/6/18. Two wood based magazines came with it (one with a serial number but not matched to the gun) and a loading tool.

No unit markings on the gun, though. Here are some mediocre photos from my phone camera. I'll try and get better ones in the morning with natural light.

Can't tell much from the photos, but it seems like, if all checks out, you have snuck up on this one.
Is the finish "even" over the entire gun? Or is the barrel of a different finish?
Congratulations!
dju

The finish is even over the entire gun, this damned camera flash can't really be disabled and I was too excited about sharing to wait until tomorrow. :)

I wish it didn't have the million dollar chip but she's a beautiful gun otherwise and I wasn't expecting to sneak up on this one like that. I've checked all the numbers with a thorough takedown, too. The first thing I did when I came home (and then I cleaned and oiled the pistol).

Thanks, DJU!

Appears to have no stock lug, an early 1913. Good catch. Too bad about the chip, I just bought one this week with the same issue.

Thanks, SteveM. I thought it was a minor imperfection I could live with and it's an otherwise nice gun.

The chip can be fixed by Hugh, our local grip expert.

is the breech blck bent to the sideways?

Michael,

Nice find. I don't see a number on the take down lever or safety bar in the photos. I am interested because I have a 1913 DWM all matching but no number on the safety bar.
KFS

very nice, excellent find!

Ed

Karl, no, I see no numbers there, either. // Ed, pity I don't have any story from the veteran to share. I'd love to know what the markings meant and what his story was.

"I'd love to know what the markings meant and what his story was."
Micheal,
My guess would be that "CoE, TNKS, 25th D, AEF, 7/6/18" is Company E, Tanks?, 25th Division, American Expeditionary Force, July 6, 1918. Perhaps the local gun shop could pass a message to the seller stating that you are interested in tracing the history.
KFS

At the risk of diverging too far from the OP, I have a 1911 Erfurt that's all matching except for the safety lever, like your 1913 DWM.

Michael,
Your "favorite shop" now has a DWM 1906 Navy first issue, Altered with a commercial marking on the barrel in quite nice shape, and also a 1918 DWM artillery also in nice shape..... It is hard not to start drooling when Diana or Thor pull something like that out and start off with "What can you tell me about this...." :-)

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JD,

I know, and Chris and I get chatting about Webleys. I wasn't trying to be secretive but at the same time I don't want to come off a shill for one of my favourite shops! They showed me those two before Christmas when they first came in and before they went out into the displays.

That artillery...but no...I splurged in there on the Interarms Luger, finished this one, and bought a gun safe and some reloading supplies. ...and now a friend talked me into bidding on a Shansei .45 ACP Broom.

It's like a bloody candy shop... I think 2015 will see me return to my 'cheaper' vices like fountain pens and Roman coins.

Michael,

No, don't become like Chris and start buying up strange and unusable firearms!!!!!!!

It took me a little while to track down exactly what the 1906 Navy was for Diana, but it is a really neat gun. Out of my price range at the moment though.

For others reading, the gun shop that we are referring to is Pinto's Guns in Renton Wa. They get some very nice vintage stuff in at times, including the occasional luger. Another plus is that they are extremely nice people too......

Question in picture:

JD - Too late, I have two Webley and Scott .455 semi-auto pistols and a French Model 1892 revolver though I haven't yet gotten as esoteric as Chris' guns...

I will echo JD's comments that they are great people and fellow gun enthusiasts.

Alvin - My, good eye. It is a Rolex, a gift from my father when I went to undergraduate (my father's a peasant farmer from Mainland China and he always wanted one and that was his watch after he came to the US and opened his own business). When I went to university he gave it to me as a lucky charm and as a memento and it followed me from Idaho, with my BA to London with my MA and PhD. I speak to my father every week still and, as much as I love these guns, that watch (though inexpensive for a Rolex) is something I will treasure more than my collection of pistols. Sorry, bit sappy, but my father stood behind me my entire life and, though he didn't understand it, defended my choice of Roman history as a PhD to my mum!

Regarding watches... we visited Las Vegas back a few weeks ago. One day, we walked long time tired, sitting in a mall rest a moment, taking a breath, drinking water etc. Across hallway was a luxury watch shop. There were many watches in the display window, Breguet, Original G something, I forgot the names, all European brand names. Had nothing to do, we walked in front of the window taking a look, she said, "those must be expensive, no price tag?" I answered, "this type of store, three year receiving a single business, and on a single business they can live three years :) all 5-digit items. Waiting casino winners". "Ah? are you sure." She's surprised. I dared not tell her that many C&R pistols also cost that much :)

Totally off topic... unbelievably amount of people in China are querying Rolex in the US, and want to buy one -- due to authorized dealers in China charge much higher (I heard 30% higher?) for the same brand same model. Its price is relatively lower in the US. And they trust US dealers more than they trust local dealers.

Rolex watches used to be part of the qualifications for Special Forces.

Along with a Star Sapphire Ring, a demo knife, a sports car and a divorce.
Other minor sundries, as well.
I got a GMT Master's I bought in the Air Force BX in Taipei in 1969 for $190.
Still ticking.
Lots of guys bought Sub-Mariners or the solid gold versions.
Funny to go to the conventions and see dozens of them.

My gold college ring has the Purdue crest on one side and NROTC logo on the other and fraternity letter inbedded in the gold in the stone. Unfortunately, I rarely wear it any more. Tom

Accompanied a friend and visited a jewelry store yesterday. A friend in China want her to buy a "Submariner with Green Dial" in next trip. Just noticed this watch raised a lot in price. Regular steel cased model was $3k or $4k back 10-15 years ago, now at least doubled. Not sure it's because USD dropped in value, or Swiss currency raised in value, or import tax rate changed. And, there was not much bargain room. She told me the same model is currently over $10k in Beijing.

While standing there, I was thinking... those German well-made C&Rs should still have some room to grow in future... at least, Submariner's volume is unlimited, but those nice German C&R's volume is fixed.

The Swiss Franc recently went up in value approximately 16-20% versus the US Dollar, (after they wisely divorced themselves from the Euro last month).

The simple reality is that the Green Submariner's volume is NOT unlimited. Rolex makes sure it isn't as a marketing ploy. It is common for Rolex to introduce watches and offer a very limited quantity, in order to create demand. As you point out, Rolex watches have nearly doubled in price over the last ten years.

Got a green one for friend. It took the dealer four days to move it to the local store due to the bad weather. Since she's leaving next day, no time left for shopping around. So, whatever dealer wants, plus tax $9615. For this price, probably can buy a rare 6-Shot conehammer in the US. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), C&R guns could not be exported to China. Otherwise, C96 should not be in today's price level.

I heard this particular model in green color is currently hot in China, which is a few thousand dollars more expensive there. Now, it's already there. Pretty stuff.

But change the printing on the face from"Rolex" to "Timex" and it would be the same thing, to me at least. Guess I'm cursed to be a meat and potatoes kind of guy...
dju

That's exactly right. It's a myth. Fake rolex only sells $50 in China. Those high-end fake Rolex probably sells $150. Why do people pay so much on a watch, I never understand. Its resale value is far lower than MSRP.

But people buying fake rolex does not buy genuine rolex, and people buying genuine rolex does not buy fake. Two separate markets. One reason they buy from a US dealer -- too many fakes in China, although Rolex authorized dealer over there won't carry fake, but outside just across the street there are people selling fakes, 20 times cheaper, buyer's feeling is not good. That receipt of from a US authorized dealer probably let buyer feel safer to spend money. "American dealers won't sell fakes"... see, they trust American dealerships.

It's not unlike Luger or C96 market. Most people buying Navy Arms TU-711 C96 won't buy Mauser C96 because its price, and most people buying Mauser won't never bother a Navy Arms.. although it's much cheaper. These two markets usually do not interfere with each other. And discussion topics are also mostly disjointed. Probably same for Luger? But Luger does not many 100% fake samples, at most being reblued mismatched :)