Quote:
Originally Posted by briskspirit
Standard Catalog of Luger by Aarron Davis
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Davis's "Standard Catalog" is full of misinformation and errors, and cannot be trusted by someone without Luger knowledge.
The serial number range quoted is approximately correct, although there are other variations witnin that range.
DWM's production archives are not to be found. Any estimate of commercial variation production is meaningless guesswork.
The c/B, c/U, c/G proof information is in wrong. This proof suite was in use from the beginning of Parabellum production in 1900 to 1912, when it was replaced by the c/N nitro proof. c/B and c/U are always found stamped sideways on the left receiver. They are also found stamped on the breechblock. c/G without question indicates a rifled barrel, and is always found there with the other two marks. This protocol was established by the German proof law of 1891.
My estimation of date of production--and it is assuredly only an estimate--is based on extensive serial number reporting of New Model variations correlated with the date of the German army's acceptance of the P08 and its subsequent commercial production.
The comprehensive Luger library approaches 50 volumes. I recommend two books to you: "The Luger Book" by John Walter; and "Lugers At Random" by Charles Kenyon. Walters's book is fairly encyclopedic, and succeeds where Davis fails. Kenyon's book is over forty years old (and is therefore obsolete in some details), but it is still the only single-volume overview of Luger collector variations.
The best, most up-to-date information on everything Luger is to be found in this forum and Jan Still's Luger Forum
https://luger.gunboards.com/activity.php.
--Dwight