To Randy and fellow members,
Without the intention of degrading the originality of the carbine in question, I just do not feel that it was a DWM factory option to add a thread for a maxim type silencer. The DWM factory made the M1902 Luger carbine for sporting and hunting purposes and not to be fitted with a silencer. Furthermore, none of my early catalogs listing/retailing a M1902 Luger carbine mention the availability of a silencer. Based on the various literature I own or I have read, it is only Pacific Arms Company which promoted these types of 'fancy' combination Lugers using equipment such as silencers, telescopes and high capacity magazines (100 rds).
It is most likely that the threaded barrel extension or entire barrel was fitted in the US by a company such as Pacific Arms after 1920. The information provided by trigger643 gives good reason/evidence that the addition/modification was done in the US and not at the DWM factory. If you carefully read the Pacific Arms catalog, you will note that they can convert any Luger to any configuration for a customer. I would even venture to say that fitting a silencer to a Luger Carbine would only allow single shots because plenty of energy would be lost through the silencer which would leave insufficient power to cycle the action.
Besides the comments which have been mentioned, your carbine appears to be in fine condition according to the image. Maybe you will be lucky to find a collector in the market who is desparate to buy a Luger Carbine for $20k which is threaded for a silencer.
Albert
|