The book I have was published in 1962 and is the "Enlarged Revised Edition" pages 14-15.
I reread it a couple of times and I think he was trying to say that if you ignore the year code and manufacturers code there were 250-300 pistols with the same serial numbers over the course of WW I & WW II. That is 250-300 with S/N 0001 a, 250-300 with S/N 0002 a. etc.
If I read what he is saying correctly, Dartig is saying that in one year during WW I the numbering cycle was repeated 48 times. His total production numbers may be correct but the tables I have seen do not support 480,000 in one year.
His point was that you make sure you record the whole Luger S/N with supporting info (year made / Manufacture code) so if someone trys to say yours is a stolen Luger you have a complete S/N to prove ownership.
As far as I know there was never a year where one company produced over 260,000 guns and had to start the numbering cycle over.
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seeking "Trigger Sideplate"for 1916 DWM with 04 SN
Allen Michler
AW1, USNR-R (10 yrs)
LTC, TC, USAR (29 yrs)
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