M-23 Finnish Lugers?
 

My 7mm which I thought was a commercial looks like its import marking says M-23.
Somoene told me that meant it was part of a Finnish order. Would this have been bough in 1923? Or is that too easy?

7mm?

Jeff,

Waaaaay too easy. What is the full serial number, with letter suffix if present? What are the proof marks? What is the caliber really? How long is the barrel, what does the frong sight look like, is there a T within a triangle stamped on the barrel? Is there a SA inside a box stamped on the receiver? What does the import marking actually say?

Any pictures to post?

--Dwight

7.65mm.
Serial number is #4433 o
I have been doing some reading on Finnish Lugers since my first post so now I am curious to see if it is a DWM barrel or a Finnish so I will measure it when I get home. The matching serial number is on the barrel & the gun is fairly accurate.

The import mark starts off with M-23, but I will double check it too.

The proof marks have been removed so that must mean it is ex-military?

1. Finn lugers came in 5 and 4 inch

2. Isn't M23 what the finns called their luger? Although it doesn't matter, it sounds like the importer assigned what they thought the "model" was

3. Never heard this before... At times old proof and acceptance were removed when the luger was refurbished in Germany to sell as a commercial, but I have not heard that the finns removed any markings....


Ed

Jeff,
Do you see evidence of proofs on the right side of the receiver, that were there before, and have been removed? If so, it is an ex-military receiver, but with a 7.65 mm barrel possibly added later.
Mike C.

Jeff,

There is no reason for the Finns to have removed military proof marks from one of their Lugers. Your serial number suggests that this is an Alphabet Commercia Luger. Look for a crown-over-N proof on the left breechblock. If you do not see a T within a triangle on the barrel (the hallmark of Tikkakoski Oy, the usual source for Finn Luger barrels) it is probably original--particularlyl if it also has a c/N proof mark.