This is an interesting find that I came across. A friend of mine received an e-mail and was told about a Luger, in the discussion he found out that it more than likely was a Weimar Police and he kindly put me in touch with him. Then I "tried" to give him some advice, and he offered me the Luger, which I â??madeâ? myself afford and now it has made a place in my collection.
It is a 1921 DWM Commercial, there are several things about it that make me wonder, but it was seemingly "untouched" when I got it. Bore was full of years of grime and the grips had spots of rust under them, although with some freckling and spots of rust that cleaned up nicely.
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921leftsidesmaller.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921leftsidesmaller.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921date.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921date.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
Here are the oddities of this gun:
It seemingly is a five digit commercial, its numbering is in line with the year (1921), however, and this is something that could be a manufacturing error (?) or is it possible that the gun started as imperial parts and became a "commercial"
The serial number is marked on the left in the commercial fashion and also at the front of the trigger guard. HOWEVER, under the commercial serial number is an "a" and on the barrel it is marked with the last FOUR and a suffix "a".
The toggle pin was broken, but I am not overly worried about that, although it is a shame and it is tight unless you take it out. It did not come out easy and I believe it had not been out for many years.
It has a sear safety but no magazine safety was ever installed. The sear has been stamped with what is believed to be a repair stamping.
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921searstamping.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921searstamping.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921searcloseupstamping.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921searcloseupstamping.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
In addition to having a sear safety, it is police (unit) marked O.P.M. 274 on the front grip strap, I could not find a correlation in my book for this marking?
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921unitpolicemarking.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921unitpolicemarking.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
The magazine is not matching, but is stamped as a police with the serial number and the number 1.
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921magazine1.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921magazine1.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
And Dwight, the witness marking is straight on and appears to be original.
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921witnessmarks.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921witnessmarks.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>
Here is a close up of the left side, the sideplate looks a bit odd, possibly force matched by a police armory, it is crown B stamped, again "probably" a repair stamping.
http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfuploa...decloseup1.jpg
<a href="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921rightsidesmaller.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1921rightsidesmaller.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>