LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - DWM Commercial Survey--call for data

Sam Steele · 06-02-2010, 08:11 AM

Hi Mike,

Bobba's book is superb. While it deals primarily with the Swiss variation of the Luger, it does delve into the DWM side of things as well.

My gun would fall into what he describes as the "eighth variation". He describes it as thus:

".....a final variation of this model, the 8th, which is composed of commercial pistols which were produced in those years by DWM for the civil market (not only Swiss). All these pistols have the tight trigger of the first variation, while the safety grip and the manual safety lever vary from weapon to weapon, according to the period in which production is placed....The serial number could have been composed of 3, 4 or even 5 numbers, and the highest known numbers are round about no '22000'.......These commercial Model 1900 pistols, excluding those that were destined to go overseas, bear the German proofmarks (the so-called 'BUG').......The long interval in which this numeration falls highlights the fact that they were produced together with other models (commercial or not) during a period of several years."

So....at the top end of serial number 22000, that would be in the region of the Model 1900/06 commercial pistol. Bobba shows my serial number 4129 , "SUPPLIED (my capitals) between 1905 and 1906". That's quite a spurt of manufacturing in such a short period. While I couldn't immediately find his remarks on production, I take that to mean that guns were assembled /supplied much more readily if parts were already on hand - thus the variation of first series, first variation parts. As an 8th variation, it appears that DWM were literally "sweeping up" old stock parts and assembling pistols from them, finally applying the serial number at the time of assembly.

I hope that this helps.

Cheers,

Bill

06-02-2010, 08:11 AM	#32
Sam Steele User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: CANADA Posts: 38 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Hi Mike, Bobba's book is superb. While it deals primarily with the Swiss variation of the Luger, it does delve into the DWM side of things as well. My gun would fall into what he describes as the "eighth variation". He describes it as thus: ".....a final variation of this model, the 8th, which is composed of commercial pistols which were produced in those years by DWM for the civil market (not only Swiss). All these pistols have the tight trigger of the first variation, while the safety grip and the manual safety lever vary from weapon to weapon, according to the period in which production is placed....The serial number could have been composed of 3, 4 or even 5 numbers, and the highest known numbers are round about no '22000'.......These commercial Model 1900 pistols, excluding those that were destined to go overseas, bear the German proofmarks (the so-called 'BUG').......The long interval in which this numeration falls highlights the fact that they were produced together with other models (commercial or not) during a period of several years." So....at the top end of serial number 22000, that would be in the region of the Model 1900/06 commercial pistol. Bobba shows my serial number 4129 , "SUPPLIED (my capitals) between 1905 and 1906". That's quite a spurt of manufacturing in such a short period. While I couldn't immediately find his remarks on production, I take that to mean that guns were assembled /supplied much more readily if parts were already on hand - thus the variation of first series, first variation parts. As an 8th variation, it appears that DWM were literally "sweeping up" old stock parts and assembling pistols from them, finally applying the serial number at the time of assembly. I hope that this helps. Cheers, Bill __________________ "Be not afraid of any man, no matter what his size. When trouble threatens call on me, and I will equalise."