Thread: 1902 Carbine
View Single Post
Unread 01-17-2008, 02:30 PM   #24
Imperial Arms
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Malta, EU
Posts: 579
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Default

I agree with Tom that a M1902 Luger Carbine in 9 mm Parabellum is likely re-barreled. If the DWM factory would have made the Luger Carbine in 9 mm Parabellum, I would expect a higher survival rate instead of 3-5 carbines reported to this day. How could customers know about the availability of a Luger Carbine in 9 mm if no dealer advertisements listed such a carbine? Special order from Hans Tauscher? - I don't think so. The Hans Tauscher brochures only offer the carbine in 7,65 mm Parabellum.

It is possible that a company such as Pacific Arms could have modified a Luger Carbine into 9 mm Parabellum, but I highly doubt that the DWM factory would have sold such a carbine. I never encountered in Europe a Luger Carbine in 9 mm, only one carbine in the US which did not convince me that it was factory genuine. Furthermore, if DWM would have made a carbine in 9 mm, I am nearly certain that they would have made an indication by means of a marking on the carbine. I know for a fact that the Mauser factory produced carbines in different calibers such as 7,63 mm, 9 mm Mauser Export (9x25), and the M1922 Test (Army) Carbine in 9 mm Parabellum. There is also one commercial Mauser carbine in 9 mm Parabellum which is absolutely genuine. We need to understand that Mauser and DWM had different marketing strategies where Mauser was more flexible in their marketing champaign, whereas when DWM started to mass produce a firearm, they did not change the gun's feature in a significant way.

I am not a technical genius, but I would imagine that some manufacturing adjustments would also be required for a Luger carbine to fire a 9 mm cartridge such as changing the old extractor to the new extractor and possibly the recoil spring. It is also possible that a '9 mm +P' cartridge would have also been required bearing in mind that the 9 mm bullet is heavier than compared to a 7,65 mm cartridge.

I am aware of four different types of DWM 480 cartridges (A-D), and only two were produced in quantity by DWM. One is the standard 480C cartridge (9 mm Parabellum) and the other cartridge was mainly for the Mauser M1912/14 pistol. If I am correct, the rim at the neck of the casing had a few very tiny slits which had something to do with maintaining pressure.

Based on the data I have extensively researched, I am still suspicious of a Luger Carbine in 9 mm Carbine.

Albert
Imperial Arms is offline   Reply With Quote