Serial Numbers
 

Can anyone tell me when a Luger with a serial number of 70427 would have been made? The 20's?

Roughly 1913. It should still have the horizontal or "lazy" Crown/N nitro proof on the left side of the receiver.

No actually, the markings i see and the best way to that I can show you is on www.lugerforum.com general informationthen proof page 1, number 11 is the only proof i see except the very last proof is on the barrel and on a remote place on the toggle action. This is my friends first luger and he does not have a computer. Anyone with any info. would be very helpful.

My date estimate is still OK at late 1913 or very early 1914, and your friend is very fortunate. With that proof, it is one of the relatively few 1908 Commercial Lugers that were routed to the military to make up for a shortfall in military production. The number produced is extimated at only 450 (Jan Still's "Imperial Lugers" page 25). It is known as a "1908 Commercial Army". The C/X C/X C/X and Army Test Proof (eagle) is only found on this variation and on the "1914 Commercial Army", which was rerouted from 1914 commercial production for the same reason, but that variation has a stock lug. Congratulate your friend for me.

P.S. This is a very good example of why it is important to provide as much information as possible about a Luger when attempting to determine an identification. Thanks for your persistence.

This luger has a stock lug. The eagle proof is on the barrel and on the breechlock, I've talked to Thor and he says about the same about the luger, only that it is weird for the stock lug to be there, Thor also asked about the rear sight(fixed sight, dovetail front).

P.S: there is TWO numbers that have been engraved on TWO different parts, a 27 near the rear sight on the left side of the Luger not the part right below the rear sight, and the part thats near the little safty lever that comes up when u secure the luger, i will post pictures soon

OK, now you have added one more piece of information - it has a stock lug. Recapping: it has C/X C/X C/X Eagle proofs, it has a stock lug and it is serial numbered 70427. If you look, it also has a 27 on the bottom of the takedown lever and the bottom of the side plate(unless the sear bar was shortened after the 1916 directive, in which case these parts may have been renumbered in the military exposed style - which I strongly suspect since the "little safety lever" is numbered). With the stock lug it now can be identified as the "1914 Commercial Army" per my previous post.

P.S. The 1914 Commercial Army is even more scarce than the 1908 Commercial Army. The estimated production is 100.

Wow, thanks Ron, I have been talking to this young man early today, and I had arrived at the 1908 model you mentioned until he told me it had a stock lug then I knew the frame was made later! Thanks for helping identify it! I TOLD HIM RON WOOD WOULD KNOW!!! This is great!

Thank you Ted for the vote of confidence.

Brew_Ha_Ha,
Please see your private messages which can be found by clicking the "my profile" label at the top of the page.

You got to be kidding me.

I'm not sure what you mean about kidding?

No - Really! Brew_Ha_Ha,

Many new members are not aware of it...You have a Private Message mailbox... check your profile...

this allows private communications between members that don't know each other without revealing actual email addresses in public...

There is a limit of 60 private messages for storage per member... if you have that many, your mailbox will not receive any more messages until you delete some...

Maybe he was simply expressing amazement at the speed and accuracy of the identification of his pistol? Or perhaps at the rarity of the gun... I know I was impressed when you folks had mine figured out in just a few posts =)

Yes,that is what I mean the possible rarity astounds me.

Whenever I see Ron Wood using the Private Message feature, I suspect another luger is changing ownership hands... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> :D

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

Not really Pete. This is Brew_Ha_Ha's first Luger and it is very special to him. I will admit that I was interested, but I remember how much my first Luger excited me.