Alvin,
Commercial Luger numbering is in an essentially unbroken sequence, but with a change in enumeration.
Numbering started, putatively with serial number 1, in 1900; and continued into the five digit range. By 1921 the numbers had reached 90000.
There is no knowing the actual reason for the change which occurred that year, but a rapidly approaching six-digit number begins to become impractical in the space available on the front of a Luger frame. At approximately sn 92000 DWM shifted over to the military-style numbering system, and continued with sn 2000i. In the numbering system 1-9999, 1a-9999a, 1b-9999b.....etc., 2000i is the numeric equivalent to 92000.
The changeover date is deduced from the observation that there are both five-digit and i suffix commercial Lugers dated 1921. It is true also, that there are very sporadic commercial guns reported between sn 92000-96000 and with an i suffix before sn 2000; there is no good explanation for the discrepancy.
--Dwight
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