VOPO Luger Stamp
 

Guys, I need to know what this stamp is beneath the serial number on the frame of this VOPO Luger.....

It's a W and it is part of the serial number: 3037W

The pistols were numbered in series of 10,000. Each series (after the first one) got a letter of the alphabet in order to avoid doubles.

A commercial barrel on a VOPO??? Is it 30 cal or 9mm???

Eh. Most VoPo's had their barrels replaced as part of a refurbishing programme.

The barrels were replaced with newly made East-German barrels which were proofed in Suhl (DDR). Suhl reverted to the Weimar crown/N marking. So nothing uncommon.

So, would this mark have been added when the gun was refurbished post war or was it part of the original serial number? Comments as far as to the origin of all the different parts/rebuild process etc. are extremely welcome.

Also, who would have made the receiver? Would 1918 make it DWM?

No

It was made by DWM in 1918, at the same time, Erfurt was making lugers.

Your marking is not a marking, it is a suffix letter. please read what Vlim wrote, this 10k of each set of guns was standard procedure. I believe it is discussed in the FAQ.

The barrel isn't a standard commercial. It's an East German replacement. They used a very similar Nitro proof, but the font and crown are a slightly different configuration.

Thank you Ron for expounding upon that, I did not explain well, and Bob, apologize if I sounded short :)


Ed

The frame looks like a Mauser frame (Mauser hump)
The toggle and receiver are DWM (former LP08 receiver)
The barrel is 1950s DDR (Ernst Thälmann Werke in Suhl)
The side plate is also 1950s DDR production
The grips are 1950s DDR production
The number 2 spare magazine is also 1950s DDR production.

If the loading tool has horizontal ribs at the finger lip, it is also a DDR made tool.

The first magazine (with the black bottom) looks like a post-war 1970s Mauser Parabellum magazine. It probably has the Mauser banner on the bottom of the spine.

The number 1 magazine is a pre-1945 magazine that was reused by the East-Germans (numbered to match the pistol).'

All in all a pretty consistent DDR VoPo rig. It only needs a holster :)

I'm looking......I like those pebble grain ones.....

Thanks Vlim for this appraisal of the components.

Ed, no worries. I can see how it could have looked like I wasn't tracking on the earlier response.