Imperial Lugers in WWII
 

Were Imperial Lugers commonly used by German soldiers during WWII? If so, how were these guns pressed back into service by the Wermacht? The story behind my 1918 DWM was that it was brought home by a returning GI after WWII. My gun appears to have been reblued many years ago along with the strawed parts. Too bad as it is all matching except for the period correct magazine. Thanks for any info.

yes, very common, several ways it was done.

Many just stayed in service
Many were stored / hidden away until needed
Officers and senior NCO's usually owned their own, many had either served in WW1 or their father , uncle, etc had

If refurbished by the gov't, it would have been correctly strawed, although unsure what they did for refurbs after 1937 (when the making of lugers switched from strawed to all blued)

Look on the inside where the feed ramp is, is the bluing there too? Thats a definate sign of a non-factory / armory reblue....

Ed

I have a 1918 DWM that was captured by the Red Army.

My 1909 was in German sevice in Danmark in late WWII were it ended in the hands of the Danish resistance in the last days of the German ocupation there.
The German who carried it did not live to tell the story.

There were millions of good, serviceable Lugers left over from the Imperial Army after the end of WW I. Most were put into storage, a number issued to the "new" Reichswehr Army, some were exported as surplus to the US and other countries, a "few" were converted to .30 cal, others issued to or seized by para military organizations, others were just taken home by the returning military men.

New ones were manufactured by DWM during the 1920s, some with chamber dates and others without. Simson also made a relatively small number of new Lugers.

These pistols were incorperated into the massive German military effort during WW II. In 1940 your Imperial 1918 was only 22 years old and was still probably in excellent condition,as it was a well made firearm, that obiviously saw limited military service as the Big War ended shorly after it was made.

Most of the Imperial dated Lugers (non import marked) were brought into the US by the returning GIs at the end of WW II. The Dough Boys did bring some home after 1918, but nowhere the quantity.

So the story of the GI coming home with your Luger stuffed in his duffel bag is probably accurate. Too bad it was reblued, but who knew then how valuable these pistols would one day become. It is still a nice matched Luger.

Joe

Thanks to Ed, Ingvarg and Joe for their insight and response to my inquiry about Imperial lugers in WWII. My luger is blued on the inside near the feed ramp which (per Ed Tinker) would indicate a non-factory or arsenal reblue. Not a problem as the gun looks good, is all matching and the price was right at $450.

Dave...