Navy or Police?
 

It just occurred to me that the crossed out marking on my 1920/1918 DWM PO8 (S.B.W.III.1.76.) might stand for 3rd See Battalion Wilemhaven rather than Schutz Polizi Berlin. If so, certainly a strange format. I'm thrown by the "W". Any opinions? TH

Does the Luger have and other features that a police gun would have...sear/mag safety...proofs marks of a police nature????

Tom,

As the III Seebattalion was based in Tsingsao (And destroyed there in 1915, there is no reason IMHO, to believe a Willelmshaven connection.

Tom A.

Tom, I agree any Naval connection is a stretch, but the pistol has no definate police rework features, ie no mag or sear safety. Since probably police markings, can anyone explain or confirm the S.B.W. (particularly the W) marking? TH

Tom,
If I were a betting man, I'd wager a dollar or two that the W stood for the district of Wilmersdorf, south of Charlottenberg.

Tom A.

Darned if I can find a reference and "old-timers" syndrome clouds my recollection, but it seems to me I have seen somewhere that since the Berlin police districts were the largest in existance, they had separate divisions for Ost(East) and West that were then broken out by districts. So your Luger might be for the Schutzpolizei Berlin, West Division, District III, 1st Precinct, Weapon 76? Just a WAG on what I vaguely remember. I'm probably way off base.

Ron,
* Right on the money, Ron. You've nailed it cold.
* Pg.93 of Gortz/Byrans German Small Arms Markings yields the 1922 Prussian Police directive giving this grip marking.
Respectfully,
Bob

Thanks to all for your assistance. TH