DWM Luger
 

Hello all, need some help...acquired DWM Com'l. Serial number 85xx i in 30 cal., original rust blue & straw,all matching #'s,plated unnumbered wood bottom mag,"Gesichert" under safety lever,"Geladen" extractor,unfluted firing pin, no stock lug,C/N on left side of barrel extension and the forward link,3-3/4" barrel and a grip safety.Any comments as to what I should call it? Sorry, no pics..,no digital camera, got a scanner, I can e-mail to anyone interested. Best regards, Daniel <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Sounds like a rework of a Pre 1913 DWM Luger turned into a 1920 Commercial or Alphabet Luger.
The "i" suffix and the crown N and the barrel length and caliber indicate this.

Thor, with no stock lug and a grip safety?

I do believe that is what you have. Most earlier 30 Lugers would have a 4 3/4" barrel and would not have the upright crown N. The Crown N proof in the upright position was only used after 1918 and at that time they were adding the stock lug, so I would think your frame w/o stock lug was made prior to 1912 and the 30 Luger barrel added in the 1920s and reproofed. I do believe it is a 1920 Commercial 30 Luger. Many of these were Imperial Lugers that were reworked as is the case of your Luger IMO.

Daniel, can you lay it on your scanner and scan her in and post the picture, or send me a picture and I will post it for you?

Both sides?

Scan on it's way.......I hope

http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/danielDWM2.jpg

added by ebt, sorry it took so long

Your short frame 7.65mm Luger with grip safety is of the 1906 style, but the "i" suffix serial indicates production or rework after 1919. So I would call it a M06/20 variation. These are discussed in Kenynon's "Lugers at Random" on page 180. These grip safety commericals were popular with the Swiss (see page 192) and other non-German customers (see page 198). Tom H.

Tom, I noticed that the variation shown in Lugers at Random has a swiss cross, the safety marking removed and the stock lug ground off. Wonder if his has any of these features. I did notice that the Luger shown on this page did fall in the "i" block as does the Luger we are discussing......interesting!!

Thanks all, Daniel <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Thor, These "i" block commerical lugers were the first new production (possibly using some left over WW1 parts) DWM commericals after the 5 digit serial numbers reached 99999, then DWM switch to the military style serialization starting with the i block. Many in this range went to Kreighoff for commerical sale in Germany, to the Swiss as you mentioned and to others: eg Abercrombie & Fitch el al. Tom