New to the forum
 

Hi and thanks for the add. I have just purchased a heavily engraved and nickel plated DWM serial no. 3945. It is cased with a label on the back of the case that reads: Replica Products, 610 57th Street, Vienna, West Virginia 26105, (304) 295-7239.
I haven't got the Pistol home yet so I can't put up any photos yet, but I would appreciate any help identifying it as I'm new to Lugers. Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
Cheers Bruce

I look forward to photos of your luger and please post some of the case too. Replica Products was owned and operated by Roger Crowley out of his home in Vienna, WV. He specialized in old west books and memorabilia and at one time, made nice wooden cases for various pistols. I lived a block away from him and got to know him as a teenager in the 1970s. He'd 'subcontract' with some of us neighborhood kids to help make some of the internal parts for his pistol cases that he'd sell via mail order and at gun shows. I still have one of his nice walnut ones with a french fit red velvet interior that I keep one of my lugers in. Roger was a real nice guy.

While waiting for your pistol be sure to read the FAQ, lots of great information.

Welcome to the forum Bruce.

Hi Bruce and welcome to the forum.

For your direct reference, the FAQ documents are at:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=13121

You'll find quite a bit of reference information and background knowledge with numerous illustrations.

Many thanks for all your replies. Still working my way around this site, how do I thank individual posters, but I'll put my old brain to work and I'll get there. I can see I'll be doing a lot of reading. FAQ has surprised me with the amount of information you guys have put together there. Very helpfull. I'm new to collecting and started with Webley revolvers that has led me to WW1 guns. I have a couple Mauser Broomhandles and this is my first Luger. I believe it's a commercial and not military issue but still very different with the engraving. I'll post some photos as soon as I can but for now I'll clean my glasses and get to reading. Once again many thanks.
Cheers Bruce

Also read read past posts
 

I have found a lot of info just from reading past posts. A lot of said posts contain info not in the FAQ sections.

Hi Bruce welcome to our Luger forum, I hope to see some close up pictures of your Luger soon.

I'll try to attach some photos

Another one

Another

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Thanks for all the help and welcomes. I hope these photos will give you an idea of the Luger. Tell me if you want any more or different ones and I'll see what I can do. Outlaw 6 I'll get some of the case next time for you but if you can help with any info on Roger Crowley I would appreciate it very much. Trying to trace the history of these guns has got me addicted.
Cheers Bruce

I'm speechless...
dju

Imo the engraving looks wonderful. That’s an absolutely gorgeous looking pistol. No idea what the price for that type of gun would be but man I could stare at those pictures all day.

Hi Bruce, that's a heck of a fancy Luger! If you google 'Roger Crowley vienna wv' you should get some links. Looks like he's 78 now and still living in the same house he always did. He's on Facebook too, looks like he's written a couple of western film history books he's selling...do a FB search on his name...he's the one with the John Wayne picture. All the best!

Replica Products was just the maker of the wood case, not the pistol. Possibly engraved in Europe post WW2 by a hungry engraver, for a GI, who then had it nickel plated. Tom

Welcome, Bruce. Just click on the little 'thumbs up" at the bottom, right of any post.

I can't find any signs of who the engravers are. From what I've seen and read it's not a factory job, but that's why I'm asking here. You people would know more than me and someone must know something about it.
Cheers Bruce

[QUOTE=Lugerdoc;320487]Replica Products was just the maker of the wood case, not the pistol

Many thanks for that lead. I will put up some photos of the case latter on and I will definitely follow up on Roger Crowley. Sounds like he could be a very interesting bloke.
Cheers Bruce

Here are some photos of the case

Nice old case of Roger's...pics bring back some memories...40+ years ago I used to trim and glue the material on partitions, got paid piece rate, maybe even helped on yours. That's a real nice pistol and case set!

That is probably the most elaborately engraved firearm of any type I've seen. Not that I focus on engraved guns, or know much about them.

The style of work and it's depth is particularly striking. Also the use of stippling and the design may be a visual signature of an individual engraver.

Anyone recognize the style, or where it was likely done? European with the oak leaves?

I don't see numbering in places you'd expect to find a military Luger marked, so it's possible that this started out as a commercial Luger. Is it in .30 Luger caliber or 9mm?

It is definitely 9mm and I'm hoping that someone does recognise the style of engaging as well. From the very little I know it appears that anywhere numbers or marks should be have been engraved over except for the serial number, 3945, and DWM. I think they are on the original level and nearly everywhere else has been deeply engraved. If someone recognises the style we might be able to put something together.

I see a matching, commercial numbering style, take down lever-I think, hard to make out the number. It also looks like the bottom of the side plate is numbered in commercial style but I cant make out what number is on it at all.

Your right. The numbers are 45, last two numbers of the serial number 3945.

What is the caliber and barrel length?

9mm and 4" barrel
Cheers Bruce

Sometimes engravers will sign or at least initial their work on the firearm somewhere. Most will be fairly discrete(usually in the engraved area itself) in nature.

Deep relief cut engraving is almost a lost art due to a lot of things. Takes a keen eye with magnification to tell what is there from a quality point of view.

One of the most deeply engraved pistols that I have ever touched was a factory engraved automag in 44amp. Engraving was deep enough to mark my hands after gripping the pistol. No idea of who did such, but probably on the net somewhere. The only other firearm that I have handled was a 40x with deep scroll, I thought sure it was European done, but the owner introduced me to the engraver at that gunshow, the engraver was Vietnamese..............he knew the work, a fine set of scrolls he did.

When I get the time I'll sit down and go over it with a magnifying glass and see if I can pick up anything. Initially I haven't found anything.
Cheers Bruce

Well. Seems to have the makings of an alphabet commercial but one with a 9mm and 4” barrel (most common versions have 3 5/8 or so barrel and .30 caliber based on the wonderful list compiled on this forum). Looks very nice, enjoy it.

Hi, well from what I can find there are no markings to indicate who the engraver is but I still have another book to go through to see if I can identify the style. I believe the gun is a DWM alphabet commercial, suffix Q. Does that make it around 1927?.
I have been in touch with Roger Crowley, thanks Outlaw 6, and he said he would have built the case sometime in the 1980s but has no info on the gun. He said his Luger cases were his most popular. I know it is very difficult to do so, but with the knowledge on this forum, and it is not for sale but would anyone have an idea on the value. I still have a lot more reading and research to do when I can get the time but the wealth of information on this site is a credit to you all. I'll put up another couple of photos trying to identify the gun. Thanks for all your help
Cheers Bruce

Can anyone verify that I have read the Q suffix correctly? And does that make it around 1927?
Cheers Bruce

Confusion say,,disappear!