Test Luger Instruction Manuals
 

I was wondering whether any manuals or instruction booklets were destributed along with the Test piece. I ask because, Manuals for every country have appeared in every country that at least tested a marked piece.. What a find, indeed. My reasoning issupported by that most wonderful site 'LAND OF BORCHARDT' Doe anyone sell duplicates, of those manuals, as an original does seem to pop up on ME_PAY! I bet Pete knows, My Hero!!

I know of no specific manual issued with the US Test lugers, but knowing a bit about the US military's procedures, I SUSPECT that someone in charge did have the commerical DWM manual of the period and issued a detailed directive of some sort. A copy is probably buried in the Archives and would be interesting reading, should one of your researchers be able to find it. TH

I agree with Tom. In fact, when you asked this question in an earlier thread, this was my reply"

"Eric,
I am not aware of any specific guide provided with the 1900 Test Luger. I would think that if any were provided, they would have been the same as any contemporary 1900 Commercial manual.

I forgot that I had asked before. I thought I had asked about the ammunition. It seems the accessories cost more than the gun like an original lanyard or an original box of dwm luger ammunition.

Very interesting thought. The thought that continues to haunt me, is if this test were conducted today, certainly a record of each serial number would be recorded and documented to show to whom the pistol was issued. One wonders if such a document does exist that links each test Luger to a certain soldier or outfit. I would love to know who was packing mine and what kind of testing it went though.

Mike

Mike, I have thought about this subject a lot. I bet they had records, just like you said. problem is, local records, i.e. local camp or post records would be destroyed a few years after their usefulness was gone. Even 10 years later, they'd just be destroyed. Most local records would never be sent to a central collection point, unless requested. As luger collectors, we center on these "test lugers", but there were lots of test guns from before 1900 until adoption in 1911 of the Colt.


Ed

Ed,
You would think they would have put them on a permanent record like a cd or dvd.

Mike

The 20 years i was in the army, all military files were destroyed after 6 months of leaving service or duty station. Every now and then certain files would be kept and then they would be burned onto a camels hide with microfiesch waffenampts

In other words, doubtfull anything survived...

I was wondering where Reese got all his information, includind serial numbers and correspondence. Somewhere more specific records and serial numbers had to be accounted for. You were in the service, did you have to sign a receipt for any firearm, given you, maybe a bm-59?

History has taught, anything is possible, what more, proboble, If a copy of the Declation of Independence can suface 200 years later in the back of a twenty dollar painting at a yard sale in Maryland, Im sure the copies will someday surface along with, the Holy Grail!!

As I recall, Mike Reese mentioned that most of the documents copied in this book, came from careful digging thru records at the National Archives. TH

I love treasure hunting, You never know what you may dig up!