Left hand side grip take down...
 

I am going to need a bit of a help here. I have just received my DWM Luger and would like to strip it down for detail clean and inspection. I am a bit worry about taking down the left hand side grip where I might hit the million dollar jackpot. Is there any special instruction in pictures or video how to do this safely without hitting the jackpot?

Simply remove the screw and then put your finger in the magazine hole and carefully push on the inside of the grip to remove it from the bottom first, and then be very careful when manipulating the grip for removal of the top part of the grip around the safety. You should be fine.

and you can always get the chip, even when being careful.

if it sticks, then work it loose very carefully...

Agree with all of the above. But when I get the bottom out, I rotate the grip bottom forward, or towards the trigger guard, clearing the safety lever, then down and out.

Push the safety to the forward position before attempting to remove the grip.

The grips that came on the gun are in unbelievable condition because I can hardly find any fault to it. Until I strip them down and inspect them there is no way I can tell whether they are original or not. Do they look right to you? They are on my DWM 1917.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture131.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture129.jpg

Why would you "strip them down"? They look perfectly good to me. If all you want to do is confirm serial numbering just take the right grip off thus you can examine both grips.

I was going to take them down to confirm match number and to give the gun a good clean, including the inside. I think it is a good idea George just to take the right grip off only. Thanks.

Also attached some pics of the grips under daylight conditions.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...f/IMG_5125.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...f/IMG_5129.jpg

Finally managed to take down the grips on both side and took some pictures. It's also a match. But it simply stamped '13' on both side and an 'H' underneath it. Is this typical 1917 DWM's stamping? I can't seem to find any other mark on the grips.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture023.jpg

vernonsmith -

These look like good original grips to me too. It appears you can see the last two digits of a serial number "81" or "91" (?) in your pictures too. (I'm not sure how you got a "13" out of those numbers unless you were looking at them upside down.) I did not see where you listed the serial number of this Luger; however, if the last two digits are the same as the two digits on these grips, that means they match the gun too.

George Anderson is right - please don't "strip them down" (or clean them) or you will ruin them. They are just fine exactly the way they are. (in my opinion)

I'm sorry, I can't see any pictures? In the future, can you post them here? Pictures posted / hosted on the outside of the forum can not be seen by many folks who are at work or behind a firewall.


Ed

Argh... bugger...sorry yes they are number 31! My DWM serial is 7031. I must be watching too much Friday the 13th!

Hi Ed, I will try to learn how to post them using the forum in future. Would love to have your invaluable opinions too.

Thanks.

Is it normal to have a letter 'H' under the serial number on the back of the grips? The suffix on my gun is an 'a' so could this mean the grips, eventhough matched numbers, is actually from an 'H' block Luger?

the letters you see, rarely match the gun, they are ususally makers marks, i.e. the guys who did the work and the work was approved by them or a supervisor.

Suffixes were not put on grips.


Ed

I see Ed, thanks. That's what I thought too as the letter is in upper case 'H' rather then 'h' so I was suspecting it must have been something else but wasn't sure.