Erfurt Artillery Luger
 

Hi. I have just received my second Artillery Luger and would appreciate your comments.
It has an interesting number on the string just below the trigger guard - 48.A.
This one with a holster and shoulder stock. The holster puzzles me a little. As you can see it is an open holster, and has a long strap which I am not sure what it is for.

Nice gun Alan1 ... I love all Lugers but Artillery's are my soft spot.
I have a few questions regarding the gun however and wonder if you could post some HI-Res images of the stamps and markings.
Being an Erfurt they should be everywhere.

The holster is not original to this gun but rather modified to fit this rig.
It appears to be a modified 1100 Series Snap Off Belt Holster or similar.
The long strap is simply for holding the gun in the holster.
https://www.huntercompany.com/produc...rs-1100-series.

The '48.A.' is possibly a unit marking like the 48th Artillery unit etc but normally unit marks contain much more information.
I have never seen a similar marking but I'm sure someone here will be able to nail it down.

The serial number is on the front of the frame. It looks like 5800 with no suffix. It also looks like it's been buffed, so it may be re-blued.

Does the stock fit the lug on the pistol ?

Thank you for your comments, greatly appreciated.
There are plenty of marking which I have tried to get good shots of.
Another interesting number "8.82" is just behind the serial number on the underside of the barrel?

There is no suffix with the serial number on the frame.
The stock fits perfectly though there is no number on the stock. Are they normally numbered?
From what I have learnt on this forum it does not look to me as if it has been re-blued. There is, however, quite a bit of holster wear at certain points and I now understand why the holster is a tight fit. It does look like this holster has been with the luger for a long time.

Your artie has the unusual script W below the trigger guard. See Still, Central Powers Pistols, Table 9.

KFS

Thanks for the additional photos Alan.

8.82 is the gauge marking or the distance between the barrel lands.
Lands are the raised portion between groves. Groves are the lowered portion in between lands.
The distance between the groves is 9mm, the distance between the lands is 8.82mm.
https://i.imgur.com/WfMqAoQ.jpg

A guns stock is normally numbered to the gun but like magazines the chaos of war usually makes this marriage lasting unlikely.

Like Mac Cat says the gun does appear to be buffed in places and is likely at least partially re-blued .
Maybe just cold blue touch ups ... hard to say without literally seeing the gun.
The lack of a 'suffix' to your serial number means your Arty was amongst the 1st 10,000 made.
I have a 1914 Erfurt Artillery as well, 6051 w/no suffix.

Bottom line Alan is your gun is beautiful and I would be proud to own it as I'm sure you are. :thumbup:

Thanks for the better pictures - that's one of the challenges !

Hi Karl
I also took notice of the 'W' script below the trigger guard.
I have no idea what it's significance is ??
I have seen it before... sadly I do not have a copy of Still's Central Powers Pistols.
Can you tell us please what this mark is ??
Thanks :)

Spangy,

The meaning of the mark is unknown. Still suggests that it may indicate subcontractor work. It is interesting that the two of the three such marks recorded on Erfurt lugers are on LP08s.

KFS

As has been said, it is difficult to evaluate without gun in hand, but I would be very reluctant at this point to say it has been refinished or touched up in any way. Looks good to me.
Ron

Could the marking of 48.A. on the front strap be the beginning of a unit marking, but not completed?

I am pretty sure that I am seeing halos on the numbers of the barrel.

The gun is in South Africa.... So marking could be totally different than folks are used to.

Also, many 'interim" markings are like this, a letter or two and a couple of numbers. As an example, in a smaller unit, they all know that the GQ.36 (or whatever) is for that unit and no other.
The long unit markings are to get the gun back to a unit in a war time setting, i.e. lots of units involved in the action.

Wow. Thank you all

Just pulled my 1914 Erfurt out of the safe. No W mark under the trigger guard. Although mine has the RC marking.
https://i.imgur.com/WvIEMAe.jpg

The "48.A." unit marking would be correct if this was assigned to the staff of that regiment. However, you would expect to see a "waffen number" at the end of this marking. Having said that, seems to me we have had a few unit markings without this "final number".

This is a very interesting pistol.......congrats.

Ron