Frame mark; Can't ID.
 

Enclosed a fairly accurate rendering of a front-frame mark under the serial number. Gun has comm'l features, 4", 9mm,
upright left-side proof,etc. Mark looks similar to a Navy mark found in one of my books....?
Thanx in advance for any info.
Be back at this 'puter on Wed.
Charlie

Hi Charlie,

It is a crown stamped over the suffix of an Alphabet DWM - probably an "s" or "t." There are a number of these out there, particularly on police pistols. I have not been able to figure out what these overstamps mean.

Does this pistol have any police markings or a sear and/or mag safety?

Hey Don...
Thanx for the reply. The gun has no police features. I had a nice collection of double-dates and police Lugers, so I'm familiar with front strap markings, etc. It just looks like a commercial
Luger in 9mm with a 4" barrel. Just another gun-mystery for all the experts to solve, eh?
Regards, Charlie.

One of many! :confused:

I think this crown stamping, made over the letter suffix to obliterate it, was an attempt of the factory to "commercialize" the gun as it is known commercial guns do not gerneally have a letter suffix (some 1920 era commecials excepted).

If a military Luger is reworked into a commercial, why couldn't they just remove the suffix letter when all the military markings and numbering were removed during the restoration ?

It's just a guess since I wasn't there, but it seems easier to just overstamp a letter than file it down and have to re rust blue it.

I don't think "commercialization" was the reason for the overstamping. There are many, many examples of commercial 30-cal. and 9-mm Lugers with suffixes that were manufactured from 1921 through 1929. This overstamp is found on Lugers with a variety of police markings making me believe it was done either at the factory (for reasons I can't imagine) or by someone after the war. I have seen it only on 29 DWMs.

Yeah Don....
I agree. Just like that tiny eagle that is stamped on trigger guard webs of ac43 and ac44
P-38's. Had several of those when I collected P-38's back in the 1970's, and still today no one knows their significance.
Anyway, thanx to all for inputs.
Charlie.