Serial number 10,000!
 

Discussions on this and the other Luger Forum have, from time to time (this being one of them), have been directed towards the military numbering system. Speculation has it that the numbering started at "1" and ended at "9999" before going back again to "1" with an "a" suffix, and so forth. Some folks have insisted that the number ended at 10,000 and not 9999, but until now, no photograph proof was offered. Though this discussion started referring to Imperial lugers, I suppose that ANY period luger with a 10,000 serial number would be an interesting item of proof for the 10,000 believers. On page 263 of Hallock and Van de Kant's "The Mauser Parabellum", the recently published but now iconic work on the subject, is pictured 42-byf #10,000 "c" in all its splendor! Though this does not prove that such Imperial lugers exist, one would tend to think that the serial numbering system was carried over from DWM to Mauser.

Doc, I once owned a P38 #10000e. I noted that that the 0000 was machine stamped and a "1" added in front. I suspect that the Luger serialization was similar. TH

I once owed P-38 mag 10000c.

Joachim Görtz, Die Pistole 08, Page 83.
Serial number 10,000g, photo courtesy Dr. Geoffrey L. Sturgess :)