DWM 1908 Commercial 399XX -> production year?

kaimi72 · 08-25-2019, 05:26 PM

Hi all,

a friend gave me a DWM 1908 commercial, serial number 399XX.

Now I try to find out, which year it was manufactured, with no success.

Any help appreciated! Where could I look it up?

Thank you
Kai

Dwight Gruber · 08-25-2019, 10:47 PM

On these Forums, if you are looking for information on a particular gun, we urge you to report the full serial number.

--Dwight

kaimi72 · 08-26-2019, 04:42 PM

Sorry, didn't know that Dwight.

The serial number is 39908.

Kai

Dwight Gruber · 08-26-2019, 05:12 PM

Your pistol was made in 1909. The German army contract for the P08 was concluded in late December 1908, which finalized the design details of the type; the pistol was not in production before that date, and production was not likely to have begun until the beginning of 1909. Commercial pistols of the type followed on from there. The earliest reported P08 commercial is sn 39063, so your pistol sn 39908 is among the first manufactured.

kaimi72 · 08-26-2019, 05:22 PM

That's awesome information! Thank you very much Dwight!!!

HerrKaiser · 08-26-2019, 06:27 PM

That's pretty neat to have such an early production example, congratulations on your acquisition and condolences to your friend for not having it in his/her possession any more.

If possible, do post some pictures of it. The fit and finish on the early guns, especially the commercials, is absolutely beautiful.

kaimi72 · 08-26-2019, 06:58 PM

Thanks alot Herr Kaiser!

The 1908 belonged to the grandpa of my friend...unfortunately (luckily for me) he has no license to own guns.

His grandpa carried this 1908 (together with the Mauser 1910/34) in WWII, in a 1940 leather holster. That explains why it has the wrong magazine.

Unfortunately the 1908 was stored in the leather holster so the finish suffered...

I wish it would be possible to post larger photos, I had to compress them alot. Hopefully they are not too small.

klaus 3338 · 08-27-2019, 07:26 AM

39317,39359,39514,39537,39578,39637,39721*,39724,39763,39797,39805,39826
40058,40127,40271,40440,40602,40848,40879,40886
41122,41137,41175,41572,41849,
42216
43084,43468,43541,
44790
49448,49804,
50935
51004,51072,51125,51191,51196,
52305,52328,52360,52579,52638,52771,52813,52929,52958,
53072,53341*
55802,55832,55842,
56378,56557,56599,56860*,56898,56927,56936,56948,56964,
57046,57054,57061,57096,57120,57127,57130,57140,57201,57204,57239,57247, 57273,57369,
57388,57705,57998
58179,58193,58317,58426*,58735,58739,58763,58806,58810,58813,58828,58847 ,58861*
59246,59346,59454,59621,59669,59698,59738,59955,
60310
That are the numbers of the Lugers which are noticed in the 1914 dated Landau list as private Lugers of the officers which should be added with the hold open and new front size.

08-25-2019, 05:26 PM	#1
kaimi72 New User Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 4 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post	DWM 1908 Commercial 399XX -> production year? Hi all, a friend gave me a DWM 1908 commercial, serial number 399XX. Now I try to find out, which year it was manufactured, with no success. Any help appreciated! Where could I look it up? Thank you Kai

08-26-2019, 06:27 PM	#6
HerrKaiser User Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: South Carolina Posts: 848 Thanks: 784 Thanked 861 Times in 411 Posts	That's pretty neat to have such an early production example, congratulations on your acquisition and condolences to your friend for not having it in his/her possession any more. If possible, do post some pictures of it. The fit and finish on the early guns, especially the commercials, is absolutely beautiful. __________________ -QM Looking for Mauser S/42 toggle train #22

08-26-2019, 06:58 PM	#7
kaimi72 New User Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 4 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post	Thanks alot Herr Kaiser! The 1908 belonged to the grandpa of my friend...unfortunately (luckily for me) he has no license to own guns. His grandpa carried this 1908 (together with the Mauser 1910/34) in WWII, in a 1940 leather holster. That explains why it has the wrong magazine. Unfortunately the 1908 was stored in the leather holster so the finish suffered... I wish it would be possible to post larger photos, I had to compress them alot. Hopefully they are not too small. Attached Thumbnails

08-25-2019, 10:47 PM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,902 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,317 Times in 431 Posts	On these Forums, if you are looking for information on a particular gun, we urge you to report the full serial number. --Dwight

08-26-2019, 04:42 PM	#3
kaimi72 New User Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 4 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post	Sorry, didn't know that Dwight. The serial number is 39908. Kai

08-26-2019, 05:12 PM	#4
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,902 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,317 Times in 431 Posts	Your pistol was made in 1909. The German army contract for the P08 was concluded in late December 1908, which finalized the design details of the type; the pistol was not in production before that date, and production was not likely to have begun until the beginning of 1909. Commercial pistols of the type followed on from there. The earliest reported P08 commercial is sn 39063, so your pistol sn 39908 is among the first manufactured.

08-26-2019, 05:22 PM	#5
kaimi72 New User Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 4 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post	That's awesome information! Thank you very much Dwight!!!

08-27-2019, 07:26 AM	#8
klaus 3338 User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 517 Thanks: 0 Thanked 411 Times in 160 Posts	39317,39359,39514,39537,39578,39637,39721,39724,39763,39797,39805,39826 40058,40127,40271,40440,40602,40848,40879,40886 41122,41137,41175,41572,41849, 42216 43084,43468,43541, 44790 49448,49804, 50935 51004,51072,51125,51191,51196, 52305,52328,52360,52579,52638,52771,52813,52929,52958, 53072,53341 55802,55832,55842, 56378,56557,56599,56860,56898,56927,56936,56948,56964, 57046,57054,57061,57096,57120,57127,57130,57140,57201,57204,57239,57247, 57273,57369, 57388,57705,57998 58179,58193,58317,58426,58735,58739,58763,58806,58810,58813,58828,58847 ,58861* 59246,59346,59454,59621,59669,59698,59738,59955, 60310 That are the numbers of the Lugers which are noticed in the 1914 dated Landau list as private Lugers of the officers which should be added with the hold open and new front size.