Odd Ser #, "Diamonds", Rare?
 

Saw what I believe to be a .30 cal. commercial Luger yesterday that had an odd style of serial number proceeding and ending with stylized diamond symbols().


On the left front receiver, just below the C/N commercial proof was the serial # C11 6309 . The same ser # appeared on the back of the frame between the lanyard loop and the bottom of the rear toggle. Small parts appeared to be #'d in the commercial fashion. The front frame had the usual odd gothic lower case letter. As near as I could make out, this one was "i".


Does anyone know the significance of the diamond symbols before and after the serial #'s?


Thanks

Re: Odd Ser #, "Diamonds", Rare?
 

I don't understand what the C11 is preceding the serial number? Lugers never had a letter preceding the serial number that I know of, and 116309 is too high a number even for a commercial Luger. Maybe one of the experts could enlighten me.


Dok

Not Rare
 

You are talking about a pistol that had the numbers removed at some time.


Later, the police got involved and the gun went to the California state agency [Sacramento] which numbered it with the next number and the CII.


They probably tried to 'raise' the original numbers..not always possible! could not return an gun without a number ..... so..........


I think the Agency is CALIF INVESTIGATION AND IDENTIFICATION or something similar?


If you need, I can get you the correct agency name and address?


Orv Reichert

Thanks Orv! (EOM)
 

Question Response
 

Orv,

All the #'s match. Why would some agency go to the trouble of stamping a new ser # on both the frame and the receiver and do so with the new Ser #'s last two digits matching the other #'d parts?

response
 

All I know is that the CII who does the forensic work for the State of Calif. use that CII prefix and a number with the before and after when they apply a number to a gun.[I used to work for a Police Dept in California]


Perhaps the numbers had all been altered..in that case,they would apply the CII number to each location. Naturally, they would not number a gun that had numbers unless they had been altered or obliterated.


I once owned a Mod HP that had been through that process. They renumbered the frame with that exact procedure/marks. We could read the original numbers through the blue on the two other locations [with the proper lighting]


Buxton comments on that procedure in California and other states in his P38 book.


Orv Reichert

Re: response
 

Hi Orv,


Sounds like you have the mystery solved.


Thanks,


JPD