Bob,
IMHO, the date stamp on the receiver ring, and proof/inspection marks on the right forward part of the receiver have been removed from this DWM Luger. I don't think it is "unmarked" or a "sneak"... just modified, possibly to disguise it's origin, and likely a long time ago from the condition of the finish...
Without a date, it would be pretty hard to identify its actual time of manufacture.
Why do I think this?
In the
first photo, there is a finish change from point B to point A that includes swirl marks from a sanding operation. The color of the finish distinctly changes (at least in the photo from "blue" to more of a "gray" color, and then potentially cold or rust blued to mask the changes... but as you can see the color doesn't match uniformly to the rest of the upper receiver.
The lines of the forward bevels on the receiver ring have been softened, rather than show the same sharpness of the other manufacturing lines on the gun.
It appears that the receiver ring notch (indicated by my crude arrow drawn in Microsoft Paint), that would be present for use in an artillery luger barrel configuration has been partially removed. It appears also that the very top of the barrel flange may have been touched during the sanding operation.
In the
second photo, the front profile of the receiver is dramatically
non-symetrical because the sanding was done by an lesser experienced mechanic... On the right side of the photo you can distinctly see the beveling of the lines on the ring, but on the left there is virtually no beveling apparent from the front.
This gun MAY have left the factory in a lunchbox, but IMHO it originally had a date stamp and proof marks. It is numbered in the military style.
I hope my narrative has been helpful... Unfortunately, I only have crude image editing available to me at the present time because of my location.
Comments are invited on my long distance half baked forensic photo analysis....
