Barrel lenth of a 7.65 DWM cAlphabe Commercial
 

A plumber found this during Prohibition behind a toilet in an apartment in Saint Paul where Chicago gangs went when it got too hot IN Chicago. He gave it to my Dad and I inherited it in 1954. Dad never fired it and I only began firing it a couple of years ago, perhaps 200 rounds. It is 7.65, GESICHERT, DWM, 1303 n, GERMANY on left rail, Cr N on barrel and frame, all parts match except magazines. Buttstock lug, no grip safety. Mechanically perfect, no pitting inside or outside, 98% original blue, wood grips are clean but very dark brown. Curiously, it has a 3.75" barrel which I haven't seen on any Alphabet Commercial 7.65. Comments?

That is a normal length for alphabet commercial Lugers, 3.75” to 3 and 7/8 inches. I have a 5 digit post war gun (before they went to alphabet numbering) with a 3 7/8” barrel. Yours looks very nice!

Serial number 1303 n, which puts the manufacturing date around 1924.
DMW stopped using 5 digit serial numbers for commercial Lugers around 1921 and changed to the 4-digit military style with a suffix for each batch of 10,000 pistols.

Nice luger!
Cool story

I have an "r" block (1928 I think) and it has a 3-7/8 (97mm) barrel.

Not trying to steal this thread, but, Chicago gangsters of the 20's and 30's also came to Burlington, IA. They lodged on Big Island till the 'heat' died down. My Grandfather knew quite a few of them. Grandpa also made 'bootleg' booze back then in a field behind his house on North Garfield St.

I thought this was a 'For Sale' site

Oh, the way it was phrased made me think he was asking for information. My apologies to the mods for not paying better attention to the sub-forum and starting Conversation. I’ll eat and own up to any infractions as needed.

Last I knew, the posting for an item for sale requires a price, etc. I think this thread belongs elsewhere.

Moved it to the correct thread.

The Allies forbid the Germans from manufacturing pistols with barrels longer than 100mm and the standard for Alphabet commercial Lugers such as the OP's seems to have been 98mm or 3.86 inches. I recall reading somewhere that some barrels of 95mm were used but I can't find a reference for that. 95mm would be 3.74 inches so perhaps someone measured 3 3/4 inches and converted it to mm.

But a 6 inch barrel is so elegant

I only have one, but it's a very early Swiss Alphabet (2049i).
It's 98mm

But, I also remember reading that they were supposed to be 95mm