Yep...Mike and I were right (thanks for email)...same serial number..
So...this was a real gun from the Springfield armory...and was serialized to match a 1900 luger that SPINGFILED Armoury already had on hand...for whatever reason.
Remember the 1901 SA document (paper) states that 2 commercial lugers were procured from "Mr Tauscher" (German importer for DWM in 1901 era.
One was destroyed in a rust test. The other was given hammer blows to see if it would fire if dropped from a horse. 5673, below, has about 14 large hammer blows on the toggle...and with bright light turn brown with patena.
They did not want to lose the small grips and stock...and tried to stamp a serial number on it..to try to keep it together. Even the mag was serialized in period sheriffs!
And the fact that the stock was separated long ago enforces my thesis that its not a recent fake...but long separated from the gun.
Glad I held on to it...glad I believed in it. I never lost faith.
Thanks again to Ron who got us all together again after 120 years.
This is what makes a luger forum so great..to bring together the history of the luger.
I added photos of the wood base...see how old that wood stamp is????...new stamps look totally different...the wood has actually swelled (raised!) around the 1902 era stamping..also note flaming "bomb" German zodiac proof found on all test era lugers.
The German proof was made just a few months before the Springfield army proof....same color and patina!
Would like Ron to take a look at that cool photo of the wood base!
Imperial (and navy) collectors! We all can spot a real imperial number mag bottom...compared to a mag bottom stamped recently...right? tells me a lot.
There should be a celebration...and no bad feelings. I knew there was more to the story.
Some day...someone will find more evidence ..hopefully, a document.
Peace and love and joy of the new year!
Last edited by whitehat; 01-10-2021 at 05:37 PM.
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