Advice needed: 1917 DWM Refurb?
 

I am new to Lugers. I have been looking at a 1917 DWM. It was supposed to be "all Matching". The frame # matches the clip and most of the smaller parts. There is a different 4 digit serial # on the Receiver. I think it may be a police or military post war refurb. The chamber is not double dated. I have downloaded the proof marks info from this fine site. They will help when I check the gun again. Could someone suggest anything else that I should be looking for? This piece comes with a very nice holster marked "KernKlause

New ULM

1915"


Only the trigger is strawed. The rest of the parts are blued. Overall blue finish is about 95% and is an even color. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Re: Advice needed: 1917 DWM Refurb?
 

Mace, welcome to the forum. From the information you provided, your pistol is definately not matched and it has been reblued. The frame and receiver numbers should be the same and the frame may have a script letter below the numbers. The frame should just have the numbers. The trigger, takedown lever, magazine release button, safety lever and ejector should all be straw or golden colored (or maybe silver if it is a degraded strawed part). I will make a guess that the magazine bottom is aluminum with the 4 digit number stamped into it. The bottom should be wooden. Further the magazine has a blue tube, it should be a nickel plate and if your magazine is stamped 2/1001 it is East German. All this being said you probably have a very nice shooting weapon. If you can provide more information, perhaps we can give you more data.

Re: Advice needed: 1917 DWM Refurb?
 

Thanks Frank for the information. Clip has a wooden bottom,is nickled. Serial # on wood matches rec. #. Gun is not an east german VOPO rework. I already have 2 of those.

:^)


Some guys have all the luck. The person that has this was called out of the blue from a guy he hadn't seen in 20 years. Guy wants to know if he would like to buy 2 lugers. His dad bought them 30 years ago in California. One of them was this DWM. The other Luger is a mint S/42, 2 matching clips in a WW2 holster. After the deal was done, the guy with the lugers for sale tossed in 2 Randle made fighting knives for next to nothing. Then my wife asks me why I am losing my hair. I NEVER get deals like this.


Best regards, Mace

Yes, I would like some luck like that !!
 

Enjoy your Luger. I have several shooters and while they don't have the same value as my "collectables", they sure are more fun, because I get to use them.

Re: Advice needed: 1917 DWM Refurb?
 

Interesting topic. I would agree that the mismatched frame and receiver is not typical of German re-work characteristics. I will also state that the re-working of Lugers and other military weapons (all) by the German Military and Police is a fact and a very mis-understood one at that...by most collectors. This aspect of Luger use has not been well documented in most references and often seems to be dismissed by many collectors. One must understand that re-work or re-furbishment occured at many different echelons and each level of repair had different degrees of work and quality of repair that they were authorized and capable of performing. For example, at the higher levels (arsenal, depot, and factory) replacement parts and mis-matched original parts would be re-stamped to match the weapons main serial number ( the frame on a Luger). However at the unit level ( say regiment and lower) the serial numbers for replacement parts could not easily be re-stamped. Collectors should realize that huge quantities of rifles, pistols, MGs and even bayonets were salvaged on the battlefields. This was true in both World Wars and of all armies. Often these weapons were rusted and or damaged. The characteristics that I have noted include blueing over pitted metal and replacement of parts. One problem that I admit exist is that "re-work" is often used to try and explain a post-war "gunsmith" clean-up of a German weapon. I should also add that depending on the echelon of where the work was done, additional proof type markings may or may not have been added. This is a controversial area but nevertheless a legit one IMO.

Re: Advice needed: 1917 DWM Refurb?
 

I assume you know, but in case you don't - the Randall made knives could be worth as much as one of the Lugers and maybe more. Randall has a web site and will appraise them for you or even refurbish them which omly improves their value.