Luger Cottage Gunsmiths
 

During the 1920s and early 1930s there were German gunsmith jobbers that assembled Lugers for the commercial market. Some of these jobbers include Vono, Anschutz, Frankenschloss and Fritz Kless. Is there much known about any of these gunsmith jobbers or their Lugers?

For me, nothing more than stories and a comment or two....

I would love to hear more information - as I assume that they were the ones that did some of the refurbished WW1 models that came to the USA but thats conjecture on my part.

I didn't know that! Thank you

Great question Dick, perhaps Mauro and VLIM might have some information from their research on their book?

Over the years, I've seen a few of these non-factory reworked (assembled) lugers with the name of gunsmith and German federal E/J and E/N marked on the bottom of the barrel. TH

There are many configurations of Luger pistols assembled with mismatched early war components. Some of these mismatched pistols have the country of origin GERMANY stamps. Is it possible that these type pistols could have been assembled in Germany by cottage type gunsmiths for export?

Dick, I am unsure which book I read it in, but its an older one, where it was stated that a lot more lugers were refurbished and put together by a lot more independent shops than you usually hear about. Its always thought that all the 'germany' export marked were by DWM, but I've been told and sure I've read that others did so.
Money was tight to non-existent, so it had to happen.

I agree with Ed, any "legal" import to the US would have had the "Germany" or it would not have been allowed- no matter who "made" it.

I would add that many or some of these small shop or large shop (with trademark) assembled lugers could and likely were "liberated" by GIs in WWII- those would not have the "Germany" mark.

The DWM lugers were already "trademarked" on the mid toggle link.

I dabble in "guild built" German rifles that are basically military rifles sporterized by local gunsmith's. I often wonder if those gunsmiths were not also involved in the repair of Lugers for sale to the GI's, as times were hard and any work was good work. But I've never actually seen a reference tying guild riflesmiths to Lugers.
dju