Weimar hold open

[Mike B]

Greetings,
I have an American Eagle Safe and Loaded (Alphabet Commercial) that has a hold open latch that is numbered to the pistol. I don't think this is correct. Can anyone comment on this?

Mike

[Edward Tinker]

Mike, I would expect it not to be numbered. Not sure if I have a blank one around to send you.



Ed

[Mike B]

Ed,
Many thanks for your generosity. The reason I am asking the question is that I just came into possession of an unmarked latch. I don't know whether or not I should swap. The marked latch is stamped "91" if anyone is interested.
Mike

[drbuster]

Where is it said that alphabet commercials do not have numbered hold open latches? I have seen them both ways on un-messed with lugers. Also goes for the grip panels.

[Mike B]

On page 34 of Mr. Charles Kenyon's book, "Lugers at Random", he states that the hold open latch on commercial Lugers should not be marked. However, I realize the Weimar era covers a large variety of Lugers. My Safe & Loaded American Eagle is certainly a commercial Luger produced in the Weimar era. That being said, other Lugers in that era and possibly mine as well, were made from left over military parts and thus have military style numbering. My Safe and Loaded does not have numbered grip panels. Therefore, as has been stated before, anything is possible in the Weimar era. My question then, I suppose, should be: Should we take, with a grain of salt, Mr. Kenyon's information about all commerical Lugers not having a stamped hold open latch? Does this opinion apply only to thoroughbred commercial Lugers and not to Weimar era commercials? After all this, I am going to leave it alone, as I am confindent that the Luger in question was built with the hold open that is in the pistol, otherwise why would it match. And the Luger is like new; it still has the original cosmoline in places.

Mike

[alvin]

Even if WWI made parts used in postwar gun, I would think it's still unnumbered at the assembly time. It's new old stock, and had not used in another gun before, why would it be numbered. Also, it did not make sense to search a pile of numbered parts in production -- not only it must function, and pre-existing number had to match the gun, that's extra work.

There should be other reasons. Maybe a gun did not pass quality check in factory, foreman found the hold open did not fit well, so a new hold open (a little bit customized) was installed, and it was numbered to the gun? Same guess may apply to grip panels.

[drbuster]

Any theory is plausible as no records on this matter (that I am aware of) exist. Mr. Kenyon recognized that there were inaccuracies in his iconic Lugers At Random and plans were made to bring out newer editions but such as not happened and probably never will due to many factors. Many military lugers were made new for the Weimar army and numbered parts could have found their way into comercial guns. I suppose we could have a data collection here on the Forum and ask members to post their findings. And Mike, I'm sure your commercial Weimar period luger in question is all original and I was not trying to say otherwise. I just hate when anyone makes categorical statements about things such as this, even if they may be Charles Kenyon, since they are usualy speaking from experience, but after all what percentage of a total production run could have been seen?

[alanint]

Let's not forget additional possibilities;

I previous owner either sought out a numbered part thinking this would make the gun "matching" or the number was outright faked and force matched to the gun for the same reason.

[Ron Wood]

All bets are off for 1920's Lugers. In my opinion, there is no "standard" configuration. The majority of a "type" may conform to a pattern, but exceptions constantly crop up and there is no way of telling whether they were made that way or were subsequently modified. If you have a nice gun and it looks right, don't worry about it. No one can prove conclusively if it is right or wrong.

[drbuster]

Ron always knows how to say it!