[Ron Wood]

Albert,

I think you are exactly correct about the probable origin of Mr. Salopuroâ??s Luger. Thank you for the listing of known 10000 range (without the B suffix) Lugers. It is interesting that Janneâ??s Luger fills in the gap of known pieces:
10003 - Observed in a UK auction by Mr. Salopuro
10004 â?? Finland
10005 â?? England
10006 â?? Finland (Salopuro)
10007 â?? Fixed sight model (Is this the one in Kenyonâ??s â??Luger: The Multi-National Pistolâ??)

Kenyon postulates that the range of these Lugers is 10,000-10,050. Bob Simpson had one of the 10000 series for sale for some time that came with a reproduction â??push-buttonâ? stock. I do not know if he still has it. As I understand it, these early Lugers will not fit an artillery, navy or later carbine style stock. The stock lug grooves of the 10000-series Lugers are machined differently and the dwell, or notch, in the lug that is engaged by the stock iron cam is either very shallow or totally absent. I think that the attribution of these early pieces to a South American market is that the provinance, according to Kenyon, of some of these pieces originated in South America, and the existence of a factory manual for the 7â?/Push-button stock Luger that is written in Spanish.

I am still taken with the modifications to Janneâ??s Luger, since it sounds so much like the Dutch prototypes. It does not necessarily mean that it was a Dutch piece (I have modified a 1900 frame to adapt the coil mainspring myself) but given the era of the piece, it is a possibility. I really want to see pictures of the gun!