Welcome to the forum and your Erfurt is a good first Luger.
More detailed pictures are required to tell much about your Erfurt Luger. The fact that the date has been scrubbed and the partly missing letters in "ERFURT" on the toggle strongly suggests that it was reworked after WW1.
Note also that the right "leg" of the crown shows a separation which was caused by a broken die. Only the years 1916, 1917 and 1918 show that fault and then only some of them were stamped with the broken die meaning that others made those years will not show the fault.
In April, 1916, the sear bar was changed to a shorter bar recessed farther from the safety. Many earlier sear bars were modified and yours appears to have been replaced as the number looks to be 16.
In November of 1916, a military directive required that all receivers be notched so that the rear sight of an Artillery barrel seated properly. Erfurt complied although some 1917 receivers escaped the notch and receivers made before the directive in 1916 were not notched. Your receiver does not appear to have the notch. DWM did not comply and only notched those receivers used to make Artillery Lugers.
So, were I inclined to guess at a date for your Erfurt, the best guess would be 1916. If there is a letter suffix under the serial number on the frame, it may give a better indication of a date but it most definitely is not a 1913.
|