To MarkC: All that have examined the 10000 K date and the 10000f cyq P.38 feel that the numbering machine had only 4 digits and went from 9999 to 0000, then the 1 was added. On both examples the "0"'s are stamped a consistent depth and the "1" is stamped slightly deeper.
To your question about all of the Lugers produced with only 1 10000 example, another reply mentions a 1937 10000 numbered Luger and it is pictured in Kenyon's book. My question to you is, with the "millions and millions" of Lugers and P.38's made, have you seen many serial # 1's? How about serial # 2's?
For Walther P.38 production they started the numbering over from 1 every year. That means there should be a lot more # 1 Walther P.38's than # 1 P.38's or Lugers made by Mauser or Spreewerke but I have only heard of one # 1 gun, a Walther 480 code P.38. There are 3 or possibly 4 known 10000 examples. In Buxton Vol. II he pictures a svw45 P.38 with a serial number of 10000e. If that gun is honest that makes 4.
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