Please help identify my Luger
 

Collector or Shooter?

I inherited a nice Luger many years ago. I have never fired it but would like to know more about it before I do. It is a 7.65 NOT a 9mm. I think it is in very nice condition. Can anyone help?

Since I have had such a nice response, could someone tell me whether it would be a Collector or a Shooter?

Well, I have very little to contribute, but it is a very nice commercial DWM pistol. Enjoy it.

James,
Your Luger is a DWM Alphabet commercial. Serial# 34n, made in 1924. The (C/N) (crown over N) stamp under the barrel and on the left side of the receiver, are commercial proofs. Many thousands were imported into the US in the 1920s. The (GERMANY) export stamp on the right side of the receiver is the country of origin, which is on all imports into the US.

Does it have a value? Being an import to the US, does that deminish the value?

This the good kind of import, very correct and collectable, value is not deminished in the least, worth 1,600 to 1,800 in todays market.....very nice

Back east it is still collectable, but value is closer to $1200-$1400 for a commericial in 7.65mm I think in todays market?

Ed

Your right Ed, the market is a bit soft, but still holding well, and this is a very clean example....

True, it is a very nice one, I think I sold one last year that was almost as nice and price was close to that.

ed

Should it be classified a Collector or Shooter? As far as I can tell, all numbers match.

DWM alphabet is one of my favorites. I love commercial guns. A little bit background from Ezell:

"In his book, John Walter has tried to unravel the production story of DWM/BKIW for the years after the war and before the disposal of the production tooling to Mauser in 1930. By comparing his figure with the level of wartime production, the decline in DWM's production can be fully appreciated. In the decade from 1920 to 1930, this Germany firm build around 35,000 Parabellums, a yearly average of 3,500, but during World War I they turned out 170,000 each year. In other words, DWM could have produced 3,500 pistols in only five days; after the war they had to stretch out one week's work to fill up an entire year."

A painful decade.

James,
The gun was made for the US market and stamped GERMANY at the factory... Export stamp, NOT import stamped which would be a negative. It is a collector (all #s match and in very nice condition), although many people shoot them because they are not rare. If you break a numbered part though, it's a shooter and worth less than half.

I could understand why many people do that -- they have a bunch of nice Lugers. Pick up fixed few to shoot occasionally, big deal? I have only a couple of Lugers, very cherished, money is always a concern, but not the only concern.

Moderator- Would it be easier if this post was moved to Commercial?

You have a very nice 20 commercial. In my country (Montana) they are a slow seller. If I were selling it I would offer it first on this Forum. Then probably Gun Brokers. I feel that $1200 is the top end. Generally there seems to be a stigma on 20 Commercials. The last couple years this seems to be changing. Three years ago I sold a 20 Commercial in very good condition for $750. Today I feel it would sell for $1000+. Welcome to the Forum. Bill

Thanks for the information, I don't want to sound like a child with question after question, but can anyone give me an idea of the Bluing Grade? Or are my pictures not bright enough?

Questions are how we learn. Percent of bluing is very difficult and very subjective. I for one would never make an estimate without the firearm in hand. And even then I am sure several would not agree. From the pictures it appears to be a very nice luger. It seems that diversity in estimating bluing varies more the better condition the firearm. I have very little problem with 80% or less. But between 90% and 98% the fun begins. I think it was Ron Smith who had some good guidelines on bluing. Maybe he will respond to this. Bill

Anyone care to estimate the value of a 100% pristine mint condition example of this pistol?