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Johnny Peppers · 07-11-2001, 08:48 PM

The out of sequence date name for the 1920 and 1923 Commercial can be attributed to Harry Jones. Kenyon merely picked it up when he came out with his book some ten years later and perpetuated the error. What Harry named the 1923 Commercial was merely a continuation of the 1914 Commercial after WWI. Commercial production ceased in WWI with serial numbers in the mid 70,000 range. After production resumed after WWI, DWM picked right back up where the serial numbering had ended during the war around 75,000. Upon approaching a six digit serial number, DWM decided to use a suffix serial number as had previously been used on the military pistols. As the serial number range was in the 90,000 range, DWM started with a i suffix to keep the progression of serial numbers correct for record. The i being the 9th letter in the alphabet, would have been the correct suffix if that numbering system had started with the Model 1900.

Harry Jones also started the story of the post WWI DWM commercial pistols being made from reclaimed WWI pistols, and again Kenyon continued the story. If you look at the page on the Erfurt LP08 in Harry Jone's book, you will also learn that the LP08 Erfurt was made from 1914 thru 1918. There is an unsubstantiated report of a 1915 dated Erfurt LP08, but certainly none dated after that. The only explaination was that Harry saw the Erfurt frames with the clearance cut for the tangent sight and assumed that these were reworked LP08's. Very little substantiated information was available when Harry wrote his book, and he went on a lot of assumptions. I certainly respect what Harry Jones and Charles Kenyon have done for the Luger collector, but there is a world of new information out there. It is not my opinion, but the opinions of some of the most knowledgeable Luger experts out there.

There is a misconception that any Luger with the export stamp GERMANY is a commercial gun. It may have been sold through commercial channels, but any DWM or Erfurt military Luger remains a military pistol no matter which channel it was sold through. During the 50's and 60's many M1 Rifles and 1911A1 pistols were brought back from England through commercial channels and these weapons have British commercial proofs, but these weapons remain 100% military issue.

07-11-2001, 08:48 PM	#6
Johnny Peppers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Calion, Arkansas Posts: 1,042 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: 1920 Commercial Lugers The out of sequence date name for the 1920 and 1923 Commercial can be attributed to Harry Jones. Kenyon merely picked it up when he came out with his book some ten years later and perpetuated the error. What Harry named the 1923 Commercial was merely a continuation of the 1914 Commercial after WWI. Commercial production ceased in WWI with serial numbers in the mid 70,000 range. After production resumed after WWI, DWM picked right back up where the serial numbering had ended during the war around 75,000. Upon approaching a six digit serial number, DWM decided to use a suffix serial number as had previously been used on the military pistols. As the serial number range was in the 90,000 range, DWM started with a i suffix to keep the progression of serial numbers correct for record. The i being the 9th letter in the alphabet, would have been the correct suffix if that numbering system had started with the Model 1900. Harry Jones also started the story of the post WWI DWM commercial pistols being made from reclaimed WWI pistols, and again Kenyon continued the story. If you look at the page on the Erfurt LP08 in Harry Jone's book, you will also learn that the LP08 Erfurt was made from 1914 thru 1918. There is an unsubstantiated report of a 1915 dated Erfurt LP08, but certainly none dated after that. The only explaination was that Harry saw the Erfurt frames with the clearance cut for the tangent sight and assumed that these were reworked LP08's. Very little substantiated information was available when Harry wrote his book, and he went on a lot of assumptions. I certainly respect what Harry Jones and Charles Kenyon have done for the Luger collector, but there is a world of new information out there. It is not my opinion, but the opinions of some of the most knowledgeable Luger experts out there. There is a misconception that any Luger with the export stamp GERMANY is a commercial gun. It may have been sold through commercial channels, but any DWM or Erfurt military Luger remains a military pistol no matter which channel it was sold through. During the 50's and 60's many M1 Rifles and 1911A1 pistols were brought back from England through commercial channels and these weapons have British commercial proofs, but these weapons remain 100% military issue.