Two Lugers - Thoughts on Which?
 

New to the forum and have found it a huge asset and wealth of knowledge. I have owned a couple Lugers in the past but it has been a couple decades. I would like to get another now.

I have two I have looked at locally and had in hand, both do interest me but I am having a somewhat difficult time deciding which may be the better one to try and pick up. I know that condition is a major factor, I get that. I know it is difficult to weigh in without pics, I am not looking for an idea on value, but rather an idea on which might be the more desirable one to add.

First one is a “double date” DWM, it is 1912 and 1920 dated, it is RR unit marked, all the numbers on the gun match and the magazine is period correct (from what I am told) but not numbered at all. I would estimate that the finish is probably 50 to 60% or so original bluing left, it has some obvious pitting on it, straw is poor, condition of the grips matches the rest of the gun in that they are original but also show a lot of use. A long-time friend has it and I trust him and what he says on it, so I am certain it is all original and I am not worried about it being messed with. It has just a lot of honest wear. Price is around $1300.

Second one is a DWM Commercial, 9mm, all the numbers match except the magazine, it is also unit marked. Straw is decent, probably 50%, bluing is original and I would say 75%, I was told that the seller thought it was a 1923 made gun, it has a four digit serial number with letter. Grips are decent and the wear on them matches the wear on the gun. It’s a nice looking gun. The price is somewhere around $1100 to $1200.

With that, what do you think?

I think you can beat both by checking the forums . For the condition I feel both are overpriced. Bill

Second one is a DWM Commercial, 9mm, all the numbers match except the magazine, it is also unit marked.

What is the unit mark?

I would agree - the first one i like, but condition sounds pretty poor, that is shooter condition and price should be $700-$800

The second is not bad, except its a bit too high for 75%

Unit mark is 104.R.7

Hi Mike,
Welcome to the forum! The second gun sounds interesting, can you post photos?
Regards, Norm

I will try and get it back in hand and see what I can get for pics. Might be a few days tho.

DWM Commercial, 9mm, unit marked. Sounds like an interesting pistol..

The second description has several "features" not commonly found together, how about some pictures so we can see what you really are looking at?

The second pistol sounds like a 1908 first military.

Yes,
if the OP had left out the "1923" and the "commercial" - would have made sense.

But this is like that story of blind folks describing an elephant after touching just one "area". :eek:

So today I picked up this one.

Pics

Additional

A few more

Last pics

Mr. Anderson, thanks for your post on it possibly being a 1908 First Military. I believe you were right.

I had sort of thought I would pass on it initially, but your post was the info I needed to figure out what it actually was. A 1908 first military is, to me, too interesting to not grab, so I bought it.

Some net searching and reviewing my growing Luger reference library, verified for me that was indeed what it was.

The initial info that it was a 1923 Commercial was what the dealer had, as told to him by a local “expert”. Sorry for the red herring!

Hi Mike,
You're a lucky fellow, you have a DWM 1st Issue made in 1909. This was the first year that the German Army was issued Lugers. All subsequent years, 1910 onward, had dated chambers. Yours is a very collectible gun.
Norm

Also, it does have a hold open, which if I read right in my books, was a feature added in like 1913.