1916 DWM arty rework
 

Hey All- I am new to this board,but I look forward to learning more about Lugers here. Here's my first question.
I own a DWM 1916 artillery model rebarreled to 4" IAW Treaty of Versailles handgun restrictions for the Army of the Reichswehr. It has no export marks or excess proofs. It has the standard three proofs and the spread imperial eagle on the right side of the reciever. No "Germany" stamping anywhere. I am wondering if it were ever issued into Reichwehr service due to the lack of the 1920 date. Is it possible it was sold for commercial use in Germany,or did it sit in an arsenal depot until it was taken as a war trophy and brought here? These are a couple of my thoughts on it. Anyone with a likely theory would be welcome to clue me in. I love a mystery.

Hi Commanche,
Welcome to the forum.
You have a pistol that reminds one of the Sherlock Holmes tale of the dog that did not bark.

Based on your description, your gun is exactly what it appears to be. How it spent the years between 1916 and the present can be nothing but speculative. However, the fact that it DOES NOT have a 1920 stamp is pretty strong evidence that it was not a service piece in the Weimar Reichwehr.

My guess, and I emphasize guess, is that your pistol was one of the hundreds of thousands of W.W.I Lugers that were modified IAW the Versailles Treaty and subsequently taken into Heer stores until mobilization for the Rhineland operation. Following this, the stores were isued to the Wehrmacht and Kreigsmarine and a contract was let by the Luftwaffe to Kreighoff as successors to Simpson.

The bottom line is that your pistol was most likely isued from reserve stocks after 1938.

Double your money back if this theory is wrong!
Tom A.

Tom-COOL-I figured I was on the right track on this one,although I never would have guessed at the reissue post 1938 due to the lack of any NAZI proofing. I have owned several Lugers over the years. They always seem to get sold or traded off for whatever reason. This one I will keep,though. I can't figure out why someone along the way wanted it chromed,but it looks like a hood ornament right noe. I am looking for a plating-deplating service that can take the offending material off without etching or further damage to the bore. I will then do a light resurfacing of the pistol and rust blue it myself. I does shoot real good like it is now,though. Maybe I'd better leave wel enough alone. Later,Commanche.

Hello Commanche,
In my opinion the first thing you need to do is tell us what markings are on the barrel. Since it has a new barrel it will have some kind of proofing. These markings will give us a time frame of when the rework took place and for whom. Secondly, does it have a sear safety? This will tell us a lot. Thanks -- Bill

Bill-There are no marks on the barrel other than the bore dimension-8.84. There is no sear safety or evidence that one was ever installed which would preclude polizei use. Pistol is dated 1916. sn33XX.Proofs on reciever,right side forward are:crown over H:crown over S:Crown over S: Imperial spread eagle. Imperial eagle also on breech block @ forward toggle pivot. Das ist alles. Commanche.

As an addendum fellas,the rear toggle with sight IS numbered to the pistol. Must have been a very thourough modification program.

I recommend these guys for chrome or nickel removals. I have seen some after pictures of a Luger that was done and the proofs were very sharp. Metal Stripper shop

Hi Commanche,
Not all police Lugers had a sear safety as it was not required until I believe 1933 and then not all police districts accepted it.

The chrome must have covered up the replacement barrel markings as they did not just put a blank barrel on. It would have some sort of proofing.

Go to Weimar Lugers by Jan Still and look at page 46 as not all Weimar Army Lugers were marked with a 1920 property stamp.

The 8 inch barrel was removed to comply with restrictions and the Luger was more than likely issued to the army at the time of rework. When the artillery barrel was replaced, the toggle, or rear sight of the toggle was always replaced and numbered to match as that is the only way you'd have a rear sight. -- Bill

Thor, Thanks for the link. I read the whole site and it was very educational. Sounds like they know what they are talking about and the prices are reasonable. I couldn't quite come up with a price to strip a pistol of chrome...Do you know what it is exactly? Jerry Burney

David, kind of funny, you posting your 1916 LP08, as today I received one very much like yours from a friend.
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/...191620smal.jpg
Mine started life as a 1916 DWM Lange Pistol, then was reworked by the Weimar government and issued to the police. It is all matching, with matching holster, originally an LP08 holster (commonly called an Artillery holster).

According to Still in Imperial Lugers, 1991, there were 140,000 DWM 1916 pistols made, with another 20,000 made into the Long P.08.

This shows the barrel has been re-barreled at one point, as evidenced by the cut in the receiver above, for the rear sight.
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/1916comparasion.jpg
This gives a good example of the differences in the P.08 and the LP08, both of the other pictures are from Jan Still's Imperial Lugers, with my 1916 on the bottom right.

Mine is 1920 Reichwehr marked, but others have said, not all were, it states in Weimar Lugers, that many "missed" this stamping.

I would imagine the barrel would have some kind of Weimar marking, mine is fairly light and a bit hard to see, but is here:
http://boards.rennlist.com/lfupload/...rkonbarrel.jpg
It should be located almost on top of the barrel, mine is slightly to the right.

Well, now that I have looked more closely with a loupe, I do find a number 6 with something stamped very faintly into the barrel steel on the top near the reciever. Is it possible it is some sort of stick eagle? I thought it was a flaw in the finish,but it's not; definitely a mark stamped there. Commanche.

Hi commanche,
Only a line to highlight that not all LP08s were rebarreled according to Versailles treaty. Several LP08 with 8 inch and 1920 stamp were used by German Navy after 1920.
Ciao