LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post

Johnny Peppers · 06-09-2002, 08:09 PM

Jim,
If you have any interest in the pistols manufactured immediately after WWI I would suggest Jan Still's "Weimar Lugers". It gives new insight into the commercial models, and is probably the most up to date information from some of the most knowledgeable Luger collectors around.
There has been discussion for years about the term 1920 and 1923 Commercial. It is know at about what serial number the commercial Lugers ceased production in WWI, and it is also know about where they started again. DWM simply started production where they left off in WWI at approximately serial number 75,000. After WWI production started at approximately this serial number. Upon approching serial number 100,000 DWM apparently decided to go to the letter suffix rather than use a six digit serial number. The 1920 and 1921 chamber dated DWM's were probably made at the same time the five digit DWM's were made, as they are found only in the ns, a, and b letter suffix ranges. When DWM went to the letter suffix serial number, they started at letter suffix i. By starting at i, the serial numbers picked up right where the normal sequence of serial numbers would have been had the letter suffix been used all along. The letter i is the 9th letter of the alphabet, and DWM would have been in the 9th letter suffix had they been using the letter suffix all along. Except for the 1920 and 1921 chamber dated commercials, there are no DWM commercials in the ns, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h letter suffix range.
I have never seen a valid explaination of where the early authors arrived at the 1920 or 1923 Commercial, but it is in Fred Datig's book of 1955 and continues to this day. In discussions with dealers they indicate they continue to use it for the sake of simplicity. Everyone is use to accepting a 1920 Commercial as a letter suffix pistol, and a 1923 as a five digit commercial.

06-09-2002, 08:09 PM	#11
Johnny Peppers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Calion, Arkansas Posts: 1,042 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Jim, If you have any interest in the pistols manufactured immediately after WWI I would suggest Jan Still's "Weimar Lugers". It gives new insight into the commercial models, and is probably the most up to date information from some of the most knowledgeable Luger collectors around. There has been discussion for years about the term 1920 and 1923 Commercial. It is know at about what serial number the commercial Lugers ceased production in WWI, and it is also know about where they started again. DWM simply started production where they left off in WWI at approximately serial number 75,000. After WWI production started at approximately this serial number. Upon approching serial number 100,000 DWM apparently decided to go to the letter suffix rather than use a six digit serial number. The 1920 and 1921 chamber dated DWM's were probably made at the same time the five digit DWM's were made, as they are found only in the ns, a, and b letter suffix ranges. When DWM went to the letter suffix serial number, they started at letter suffix i. By starting at i, the serial numbers picked up right where the normal sequence of serial numbers would have been had the letter suffix been used all along. The letter i is the 9th letter of the alphabet, and DWM would have been in the 9th letter suffix had they been using the letter suffix all along. Except for the 1920 and 1921 chamber dated commercials, there are no DWM commercials in the ns, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h letter suffix range. I have never seen a valid explaination of where the early authors arrived at the 1920 or 1923 Commercial, but it is in Fred Datig's book of 1955 and continues to this day. In discussions with dealers they indicate they continue to use it for the sake of simplicity. Everyone is use to accepting a 1920 Commercial as a letter suffix pistol, and a 1923 as a five digit commercial.