Questions on my Navy Luger
 

Hi together,

I'm new here in this very interesting forum and would like to ask you some questions on a naval Luger I received from my father some time ago. For me, the condition of the piece is quiet well. Manufactor was DWM. All numbers (also inside the grips) are same. The gun is "Crown N" marked and farther with "Germany" (also on magazine). Caliber is 9mm. I suppose it's a commercial Navy Luger? Am I right? Did something like that exist? Is a Navy Luger a Navy Luger without military markings? When was the gun made?
Thank you alreadey before for all informations.

With kind regards from Switzerland

Remo

P. S. Sorry about my english. Not so used in it :-)

Beautiful commercial Navy!!

Your magazine has a cracked base and should not be loaded with ammunition until it is repaired. Even then, if you ever decide to fire your pistol, do so with a modern replacement magazine and not the original.

Welcome to the Forum! Your Luger is beautiful!

WOW!
dju

I'm not really an "expert" on Navy Lugers, but to me it looks breathtakingly beautiful.
Congratulations ideed.

Sergio

Hi Remo, Welcome to the forum! You are correct, you have an early Commercial Navy. The condition looks very nice in your photos but I suspect it may not be original. It may just be your photo but the small vertical pin in the rear toggle should be "in the white". Could you disassemble the gun and post the view below?
Regards, Norm

Remo. I have to agree with Norme, that there are many standard '20 commercial lugers that have been modified into Navy commericals with the addition of a 6"x9mm Sarco repro Navy barrel and repro 2 position rear sight, so inspect yours carefully. I don't recall the original Navy front sight bases being set so far back on the barrel. TH

Welcome Remo,

Your Navy is exquisite, and even if it turns out to be an old refinish or an assembled example, as above, it presents very well! Call it a Navy because of its configuration.

Thank you for your postings and ideas. Here are a few more pictures of the Luger. Not so shure if reblued or not. What do yout think? Possible to localize a value?
Thank you. Kind regards,
Remo

At this point, I'm thinking re-blue 1) toggle axle retaining pin, already mentioned 2) bluing appears to be over the damage on the trigger guard 3) not a hint of a halo in sight on the barrel, which 4) looks shinier than the rest of the pistol.

Check with a 10x loupe to see if there are a bazillion little peen marks absolutely everywhere, which would be a sign it has been bead blasted.

But no halos on Norme's example either. Didn't someone tell us that those guns were numbered prior to bluing?
Definitely a thick coating of oil or grease that we are looking thru...
But a beauty to be sure.
dju

I would agree with the opinion of an expert non-buffed reblue but this Navy looks original otherwise. The fakers who converted a 1920 commercial had short frames, this has the 1906 long frame. Also the fakers would have considerably more trouble with the grip safety configuration.

I may be way off, in over my pay grade here, but aren't we looking at an unaltered gun, thereby securing its place as an authentic Navy? (By "unaltered", I mean bass-ackwards safety...)
dju

I would agree. The gun's interior seems to be properly in the white and things like the toggle pin and damage to the trigger guard would have naturally darkened with age and handling. Every part of the gun, grips, strawed parts, magazine, etc. all show a consistent condition and nothing stands out to me as having been altered from factory original.

I think the pistol is original and not a "put together" commercial Navy. I also lean towards thinking it has been reblued at some point, but would have to see it in my hand before I formed a firm opinion.

It is a very nice looking commercial Navy.