RIF contract?
 

Hello!

Anybody ever heard of Rif Contract Lugers?

I assume, it´s about the Rif conflict in the 20´s in northern Africa?

TIA, Hermann

There's some luger for the german African colonies wich were lost post WWI because Versailles treaty but for RIF , I don't know , sorry

Here's a link you can use for starters: http://luger.gunboards.com/showthrea...WM-BKIW-Lugers. For more info, you can search for "Riff" on this and Jan Still's forum.

The Riff contract was meant for a group living in the Riff mountains in Morocco. The contract was never finalized and the pistols, without DWM marking on the toggle, were subsequently sold to the German police.

Rif War
 

Are we collectors guilty of mis-spelling "Rif/Riff?"

"Das gute an der Sache war das dieser Kontrakt von der DWM
nicht mehr ausgeliefert werden konnte , weil der besagte Berberfürst als die Waffen zur Auslieferung bereit gewesen wären bereits einen Kopf kürzer war .....
Daher gingen die meisten dieser Waffen aus diesem Nummernkreis an die Weimarer Polizei oder in den privaten Handel.

Diese Waffen wurden zur Vorsicht von der DWM nach den Versailler Abkommen gefertigt: Lauf ist 98 mm und Kal. 7.65 mm Para, alles andere war ja verboten ."

in short:

the pistols were bought by an Emir / Sheik, but couldn´t be delivered, as he lived not long enough to receive them ...

sigh ... those were the days ... :rolleyes:

Pistols were sold to Citizens or Weimar Police.

slightly less than 4" bbl, to be on the safe side, over 4" was forbidden by Versailles treaty.

What would such a gun without extras in nice condition ( strawing fine ) be worth?

Hermann

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...13917p2ug7.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...13916p9ukl.jpg

buy?

What is the source of this quote?

[QUOTE=Arminius;261647 buy?[/QUOTE]

Not enough info. Need to know if it has a blank toggle, serial number, 9mm or .30 cal.? The side plate looks odd. "Conventional wisdom" is that all the Riff guns were sold to the German police, the commercial database tends to bear this out, although a couple of reports lack the details to be conclusive. No sear safety on this example.

--Dwight

Info is from the seller.

Yes, the seller is very reluctant to send Pictures.

It´s in 7.65 mm Parabellum.

He wants 2 K. I think, I´ll skip it.

Hermann

NO
I like wiki, but I take everything there with a grain of salt...

and the webpage they refer to, which says RIF then states, and it is spelled RIFF

It's interesting that this blank toggle Luger is 7.65 cal. While I haven't specifically studied it, it is my impression that the observed blank toggles are in 9 mm, which is consistent with their police service. It would also seem that the pistols clandestinely manufactured for the Riff contract would be 9 mm since they were intended for military service. Obviously, DWM was being "sneaky" in manufacturing these so I expect they would have ignored the IMKK limitations and manufactured these in 9 mm. If so, why is this one 7.65?

Seriously:

I do not know this.

But why not in 7.65 mm?

It was the Swiss Army´s round until 1947.

And the Red Army´s 7,62 x 25 was only slightly more potent, and used until much later.

But I am VERY sure, that all RIF contract were the same caliber initially. And even if they made them in 9 mm, sales to Police and private persons was limited to 7.65 mm.

I DO NOT KNOW, but would rather suspect that pistols were rebarreled up to 9 mm after the weapons ban was ignored by the Nazis

Again: I do not know, just guessing!

Hermann