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Dwight Gruber · 08-17-2018, 04:41 AM

In addition to the K being stamped over the serial letter suffix being non-standard, serial letter suffixes are lower case in a particular German script. The K on this pistol is Roman, upper case.

All of the pertinent characteristics shown in the photos indicate this is indeed original post-war manufacture. Particularly noteworthy is the un-chamfered left front frame rail.

The "halo" phenomenon is characteristic of metal stamping after it has been blued. It is much easier for a clever refinisher to re-create the halo effect after bluing, rather than going to the trouble of working around it. This is one of the reasons it is important to see closeups of the barrel and frame stamps.

The three-digit serial number is fully characteristic of DWM's serial number methodology. Pistols in this serial range are numbered from 1 to 9999 with a letter suffix, then the numbering is started over again at 1 with the next alphabet letter. The so called "Alphabet commercial" range, in which this gun is numbered, utilize the letters i through v (the letter j is omitted). The letter suffix is legally part of the serial number.

The GERMANY stamp on the frame indicates the pistol was exported to the US, in accordance with the McKinley Tariff Act of 1891, requiring the identity of the country of manufacture. It would be a bit of an overstatement to say that this pistol was explicitly made for sale in the US. DWM sold their pistols commercially worldwide, and there was no difference in their manufacture. The pistols selected from production stock to send to the US were simply stamped GERMANY to satisfy the US legal requirement.

--Dwight

08-17-2018, 04:41 AM	#13
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	In addition to the K being stamped over the serial letter suffix being non-standard, serial letter suffixes are lower case in a particular German script. The K on this pistol is Roman, upper case. All of the pertinent characteristics shown in the photos indicate this is indeed original post-war manufacture. Particularly noteworthy is the un-chamfered left front frame rail. The "halo" phenomenon is characteristic of metal stamping after it has been blued. It is much easier for a clever refinisher to re-create the halo effect after bluing, rather than going to the trouble of working around it. This is one of the reasons it is important to see closeups of the barrel and frame stamps. The three-digit serial number is fully characteristic of DWM's serial number methodology. Pistols in this serial range are numbered from 1 to 9999 with a letter suffix, then the numbering is started over again at 1 with the next alphabet letter. The so called "Alphabet commercial" range, in which this gun is numbered, utilize the letters i through v (the letter j is omitted). The letter suffix is legally part of the serial number. The GERMANY stamp on the frame indicates the pistol was exported to the US, in accordance with the McKinley Tariff Act of 1891, requiring the identity of the country of manufacture. It would be a bit of an overstatement to say that this pistol was explicitly made for sale in the US. DWM sold their pistols commercially worldwide, and there was no difference in their manufacture. The pistols selected from production stock to send to the US were simply stamped GERMANY to satisfy the US legal requirement. --Dwight Last edited by Dwight Gruber; 08-17-2018 at 01:08 PM.