Ed,
Of course you are right. My initial comment (using the word "rank" when I meant something more akin to "status") was an insufficient attempt to suggest an attitudinal difference between the Germans and Allied military forces which colors the perception of who carries the sidearm, and which may inform the American presumption that the Luger was an officer's pistol.
I was going to carry this line of thought out a bit, but if I do I'm afraid that I may just get into more trouble. Hmmm, maybe I already have. Best to just leave it at that.
--Dwight
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