Missing hold-open - how rare?
 

Gentlemen,

As mentioned in a previous thread (which I would link to if I only knew how), I have a 1911 DWM Luger without the hold-open feature. I'm under the impression that this is fairly uncommon since most of them were modified with the hold-open feature prior to WW1. I finally received Walter's "The Luger Story" which had been on back order from Amazon for months; he also refers to finding these Lugers as "occasional". Is it possible to be more exact, does anybody know how many Lugers escaped conversion? Mine has the unit markings of a Bavarian regiment which seems to be the case with several unmodified Lugers.

Thanks!

Balder

Balder, it is not that uncommon as one might expect to find all Bavarian issued pistols, private (officer) purchase pistols, and overseas use pistols without the hold open. What is the unit marking of your pistol?

George,

Earlier on, you kindly identified the B8 R5 13 inscription on my gun to be Bavarian eighth regiment, fifth company, gun number 13. Jan C. Still states that this regiment fought in the battle of Verdun in 1916.

Claven2 on this forum was the first to point out to me that the absence of the hold-open was somewhat rare

Regards,

Balder

As George has indicated, for Bavarian issue Lugers, lack of a holdopen on an '08 pattern is the rule rather than the excetion.