[quote]Originally posted by Herb:
<strong>Doubs, pretty good. If the information you have has any authenticity, then my chances of finding a matching mag has increased, not that it is important, the two I want are for referbs one of which has been 'sporterized'. I tend to disagree on one point, the numbering by year. Example, DWM is given a contract in 1912 for 22,000 Lugers, serial nembered 10,000a thru 10,000b sufixes plus the 2,000 without suffixes. Regardless of which letters weren't used they would continue the consecutive numbering until the end of the contract, without regard to the year of completion, perhaps 1914. I don't see how else this could have been managed by the procurement office. They surely didn't just let each company pick their own numbers, the would have to have been assigned. While I know of no comprehensive serial number listing, there are aparently records of who got a contract for how many at what point in time, DWM, Mauser, Erfurt etc., to make it more confusing there are the special contracts, Navy, Police, and others scattered around in there.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Herb, my information has been extracted primarily from the books by Still, Kenyon and Jones. I also have Luger books by half a dozen, or more, other authors. I can't afford as many Lugers as I'd like so books by those who have done the research are the best option. While I bought my books by Still and a few others new, I was lucky enough to pick up books by some authorities second hand.
While I've stayed primarily with the military style of serial numbering, there's no question that production figures and the different types of serial numbering can throw a monkey wrench into the works. Jones, on page 45 of his book "Luger Variations", explains the military serial numbering system exactly as I said in my last post. However, I would agree with you that it likely wasn't as cut and dried as the system makes it seem. If there were 1914 receivers remaining at the end of the year, it's probable that they were finished and numbered as if done in the year 1914. I suppose it depends upon how far in advance the date was stamped on the receiver. If little lead time was given there would be minimal trouble finishing a year on time and beginning the new year with newly dated receivers.
Commercial and foreign contract guns supposedly had their own serial number ranges apart from military guns. Production could continue from one year to another without a problem or disrupting the serial number sequence. Domestic military production serial numbers, according to Jones, ran as I said; the first pistol of any new year was number 1 without a suffix number. It would appear that military contracts didn't call for specific serial numbers but were accepted according to the system being used. I believe the serial numbering system was by military directive as all military guns by all manufacturers used the exact same system. It wasn't devised by Erfurt or DWM or Mauser but they all had to use it. I believe German military rifle production also used the same system.
I would like to correct the figures I gave for DWM production. 588,000 total did not include 155,000 Artillery models or commercial and contract Lugers made before 1908. The total figure for DWM from 1900 through 1919 should have been between 911,000 and 914,000 depending upon the source. Erfurt production of all Lugers is estimated at 519,000.
You are absolutely correct about one thing: The military numbering system improved the chances of finding a mag with a number/letter to match your Imperial Luger. What a fascinating hobby!
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