DWM commercial bith year
 

I have a nice DWM commercial luger in cal. 30 luger. Serial #4694m. I was told it was made in 1920, but, I have doubts with that. Would someone give me the correct date?
I thank you

Not sure about actual date made, but the early postwar commercial lugers had 5 digit serial numbers at first IIRC (I have one of the 5 digit ones) and those were made in 1919-20 and into early 1921. After awhile they switched back to the military style lettering like yours, these commercials are sometimes referred to as “Alphabet Lugers”. Unfortunately, since the alphabet lettering block reset every year, it’s difficult to discern when yours would have been made. Could have been any year from 1921-30/1 when the DWM inventory was finally exhausted and it was absorbed into Mauser.

I'd "pick" 1925, as "m" falls about mid way from "i" to "u"; but that is just a SWAG.

I own an "i" series Luger made in 1921. With the "m" series, I would estimate 1924-25. As Don stated, about in the middle of the run.

oh, and as an FYI, although during the war years the suffix started over each year, the alphabet lugers did not.

lots of odd ducks out there, military numbering (and suffixes), the commercial series, the contract lugers (DWM and Mauser) - so no easy answers....