LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Other Borchardt-Luger Pistols...?

Imperial Arms · 02-01-2003, 03:59 PM

Hello Pete,

I cannot tell you much about serial #1-#4, but there are four pistols (serial #V1-#V7) in the Bern Museum which contain upper receivers from the 1899 Test Lugers serial #11-#29. These V-suffix Lugers, reaching the final weight of approximately 850g, probably reflect the serial range of the 20 pistols that were used in the second trails of 1899. One of the Lugers which was in the same serial range is serial #19 which used to be in the Thun Museum until it 'disappeared'.

These 20 1899 Lugers still had the square toggle link in the same manner as the two 1898 Borchardt-Lugers, but it was reinforced just behind the toggle.

If we were to wonder if there were any other B-L before serial #5, I would take a wild guess and assume that serial #4 could exist. I imagine that serial #1-#3 could have been in-house DWM prototypes (in the white) that were heavily tested and discarded, or maybe a member of the Loewe family (who actually owned the DWM and Mauser factories) was given one by Georg Luger before serial #5 and #6 went to Switzerland for Trials.

Let us dream on and hope that one of these genuine Lugers would surface in the future!

Cheers,
Albert

02-01-2003, 03:59 PM	#4
Imperial Arms Banned Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Malta, EU Posts: 579 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	Hello Pete, I cannot tell you much about serial #1-#4, but there are four pistols (serial #V1-#V7) in the Bern Museum which contain upper receivers from the 1899 Test Lugers serial #11-#29. These V-suffix Lugers, reaching the final weight of approximately 850g, probably reflect the serial range of the 20 pistols that were used in the second trails of 1899. One of the Lugers which was in the same serial range is serial #19 which used to be in the Thun Museum until it 'disappeared'. These 20 1899 Lugers still had the square toggle link in the same manner as the two 1898 Borchardt-Lugers, but it was reinforced just behind the toggle. If we were to wonder if there were any other B-L before serial #5, I would take a wild guess and assume that serial #4 could exist. I imagine that serial #1-#3 could have been in-house DWM prototypes (in the white) that were heavily tested and discarded, or maybe a member of the Loewe family (who actually owned the DWM and Mauser factories) was given one by Georg Luger before serial #5 and #6 went to Switzerland for Trials. Let us dream on and hope that one of these genuine Lugers would surface in the future! Cheers, Albert