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Pete Ebbink · 11-28-2006, 12:46 PM

With thousands of lugers being boosted and peddled by the Luger Mafia in the USA and abroad each year, one needs to be somewhat cynical.

Maybe I have just become "bent", but I look at those rare and/or mint guns assuming they are boosted until shown otherwise.

You guys are welcomed to call me "Paranoid Pete"...but at least the well known peddlers of boosted wares do not get my money, anymore...and I do not take certain luger authors' writings for granted, either.

Regarding these Weiss Baby lugers, one cannot ignore :

1. That they have all seemingly appeared only in the USA. Similarly to the Spandau lugers. Would one not expect a Weiss Baby to have originally surfaced in Europe ?

2. Old timer stories of the Carl Wilson Baby being fabricated in the USA and then Weiss being paid to write a testimonial letter.

3. Initial writings that Weiss first reported up to only 4 Baby lugers being made and then follow-up reports that Weiss recalled up to 12 Baby lugers being made. Is it just possible the "number" changed to make room for more Baby lugers to appear on the American scene ???

Oops...my paranoia is showing again...

Technically...I was trying to learn in the Patrons-Only section discussion about some of the subtle machining differences I noticed in the No. 1 Baby that was showcased by its current Owner with other photos of Baby lugers shown in various books and web sites.

Specifically, the length of the receiver "flutes" is longer than the portion remaining along the receiver between the flute and the front edge of the side plate...on some Baby lugers while it is just the opposite on other Baby Lugers.

Here is what I saw :

1. No. 1 Baby (from the deleted posting ) : Flute shorter in length than the remaining section of receiver flat.

2. Wilson Baby (numbered either No. 3 or No. 4...I am not sure) ; Flute is longer in length that the remaining section of the receiver flat. (Kenyon states, in LAR on page 194-195, the Wilson gun is No. 4.)

3. An un-numbered 32 cal "prototype" in Ralph Shattuck's little book on page 25 : Flute is just a bit longer in length than the remaining section of receiver flat. Maybe this one is one of the Mel Torme lugers (???); as the book caption states a "Hollywood entertainer"...

4. Krause modern-day creations : Flute is shorter in length than the remaining section of receiver flat.

In Datig's revised edition of his book "The Luger Pistol" on page 137,, of the 1962 reprinting; he mentions another Baby in .32 cal with DWM on the toggle and it being reported as a No. 8 serial. No photo is shown, unfortunately.

If I am not mistaken, I think the No. 1 current Owner mentioned his gun was used by Krause for reverse engineering drawings and measurements.

Here are two photo scans of the Wilson Baby luger :

Here is the Baby in the Shattuck book :

11-28-2006, 12:46 PM	#14
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	With thousands of lugers being boosted and peddled by the Luger Mafia in the USA and abroad each year, one needs to be somewhat cynical. Maybe I have just become "bent", but I look at those rare and/or mint guns assuming they are boosted until shown otherwise. You guys are welcomed to call me "Paranoid Pete"...but at least the well known peddlers of boosted wares do not get my money, anymore...and I do not take certain luger authors' writings for granted, either. Regarding these Weiss Baby lugers, one cannot ignore : 1. That they have all seemingly appeared only in the USA. Similarly to the Spandau lugers. Would one not expect a Weiss Baby to have originally surfaced in Europe ? 2. Old timer stories of the Carl Wilson Baby being fabricated in the USA and then Weiss being paid to write a testimonial letter. 3. Initial writings that Weiss first reported up to only 4 Baby lugers being made and then follow-up reports that Weiss recalled up to 12 Baby lugers being made. Is it just possible the "number" changed to make room for more Baby lugers to appear on the American scene ??? Oops...my paranoia is showing again... Technically...I was trying to learn in the Patrons-Only section discussion about some of the subtle machining differences I noticed in the No. 1 Baby that was showcased by its current Owner with other photos of Baby lugers shown in various books and web sites. Specifically, the length of the receiver "flutes" is longer than the portion remaining along the receiver between the flute and the front edge of the side plate...on some Baby lugers while it is just the opposite on other Baby Lugers. Here is what I saw : 1. No. 1 Baby (from the deleted posting ) : Flute shorter in length than the remaining section of receiver flat. 2. Wilson Baby (numbered either No. 3 or No. 4...I am not sure) ; Flute is longer in length that the remaining section of the receiver flat. (Kenyon states, in LAR on page 194-195, the Wilson gun is No. 4.) 3. An un-numbered 32 cal "prototype" in Ralph Shattuck's little book on page 25 : Flute is just a bit longer in length than the remaining section of receiver flat. Maybe this one is one of the Mel Torme lugers (???); as the book caption states a "Hollywood entertainer"... 4. Krause modern-day creations : Flute is shorter in length than the remaining section of receiver flat. In Datig's revised edition of his book "The Luger Pistol" on page 137,, of the 1962 reprinting; he mentions another Baby in .32 cal with DWM on the toggle and it being reported as a No. 8 serial. No photo is shown, unfortunately. If I am not mistaken, I think the No. 1 current Owner mentioned his gun was used by Krause for reverse engineering drawings and measurements. Here are two photo scans of the Wilson Baby luger : Here is the Baby in the Shattuck book :