Toggle pins serial number
 

Were the rear toggle pins always serialized on Lugers?

If not, when did serialization start?


http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload..._pin_copy1.jpg

No, they were not:

Some pistols have 1 or 2 serial numbers on the whole gun, but Lugers have so many serial numbers.

As modern manufacturing methods dictate the interchangability of parts for efficiency, what was the purpose of the Lugers to have so many parts serialized?


It's great for collectors as we can tell if our Lugers are original, but why so many serial numbers?

Hi,

Because luger production was rather complex and many small parts need minor fitting before they function properly. In army circumstances, when a complete outfit is field stripping and cleaning guns, the mix-up of small parts can lead to malfunctions when you really don't want them.

An example, while cleaning my 1913 Dutch luger, I accidentally installed the wrong firing pin. Because of slightly smaller dimensions of the firing pin extension which should catch the sear bar, the pistol went full-auto.

I believe John Walter once described a situation where an allied soldier during WW1, unarmed, found himself against a German armed with a luger. The German pulled the trigger and nothing happend. The allied soldier took out the German with his shovel. He kept the gun as a souvenir. When the pistol was examined years later, it had the wrong side plate installed, which led to the malfunction.

The moral of Gerben's story is: "Always keep a shovel handy if you have a mismatched Luger."

Don

That was good.

:D

I believe the trench shovel, sharpened on one side, was one of the favorite tools in WW1 trench warfare. Sort of an improvises battle axe.

All Mauser military PO8 will numbered rear axel and most earlier lugers reworked for the military after 1931 will have had them numbered. TH