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Pete Ebbink · 08-30-2004, 09:39 AM

Hi Bob,

Thanks for taking the time to post photos of a really nice Swiss M1900.

According to the serial number tables in the V. Bobba book on page 206, your pistol was one of a batch of 1055 pistols made for the Swiss in the 1904 timeframe with a serial number run from 2501 to 3555.

I am certainly not a Swiss expert, but offer the following opinions regarding the refinish work :

1. It looks to be a nice quality rework.

2. My guess (WAG) would be that is was probably not an arsenal refinish, though, of your Ordnance-issued pistol. If reworked at Bern, I would wager a guess that the "polished" area under the thumb safety would have been restored "in the white"...to meet Ordnance/military specifications. Since the polished area was a visual tool to let the shooter know the "safe" status of the pistol, I cannot imagine it would have been left over-blued by the Bern arsenal or a Swiss authorized local rework arsenal.

The magazine that would be correct for a Swiss Ordnance M1900 would be the "insert" type of wooden magazine with the metal disks inserted into the "buttons" of the magazine bottom...and which were un-numbered to the gun. I have been able to pick up several of the insert magazines on e-Bay and gun shows in the price range of $ 150-200 for a vg condition piece.

The flaming bomb proofmark is reported in many of the DWM M1900 and even some M1906 lugers...not just AE lugers.

I think the misc. stampings under the receiver/barrel are just misc. inspection/inspector markings at DWM or possibly Bern...but I do not recall any "cataloguing" research, done, that would further identify these.

Congratulations on a nice Swiss M1900 !

Regards,

Pete...

08-30-2004, 09:39 AM	#3
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Hi Bob, Thanks for taking the time to post photos of a really nice Swiss M1900. According to the serial number tables in the V. Bobba book on page 206, your pistol was one of a batch of 1055 pistols made for the Swiss in the 1904 timeframe with a serial number run from 2501 to 3555. I am certainly not a Swiss expert, but offer the following opinions regarding the refinish work : 1. It looks to be a nice quality rework. 2. My guess (WAG) would be that is was probably not an arsenal refinish, though, of your Ordnance-issued pistol. If reworked at Bern, I would wager a guess that the "polished" area under the thumb safety would have been restored "in the white"...to meet Ordnance/military specifications. Since the polished area was a visual tool to let the shooter know the "safe" status of the pistol, I cannot imagine it would have been left over-blued by the Bern arsenal or a Swiss authorized local rework arsenal. The magazine that would be correct for a Swiss Ordnance M1900 would be the "insert" type of wooden magazine with the metal disks inserted into the "buttons" of the magazine bottom...and which were un-numbered to the gun. I have been able to pick up several of the insert magazines on e-Bay and gun shows in the price range of $ 150-200 for a vg condition piece. The flaming bomb proofmark is reported in many of the DWM M1900 and even some M1906 lugers...not just AE lugers. I think the misc. stampings under the receiver/barrel are just misc. inspection/inspector markings at DWM or possibly Bern...but I do not recall any "cataloguing" research, done, that would further identify these. Congratulations on a nice Swiss M1900 ! Regards, Pete...