The little "Prototype" that wasn't

[StarOfTheWest]

Ok folks, here is one that left me wondering "what the heck is this gun about?"


From the family collection list here is the description:

Mfr: DWM on toggle

Caliber: 9mm

Grips: Smooth walnut, slotted for grip safety

Safe position: Thumb lever at top

Serial#: 10619, commercial style numbering, all small parts match. barrel not serialed.

Distinctive features: Serial in experimental 10,000 series, dished toggles with toggle lock, wide grip safety, no stock lug. Screw goes down through toggle top on the same side as the toggle lock. Thick barrel.

Chamber: American eagle

Barrel: E/623

Frame: "Germany" under serial# in front

Magazine: Nickel over tin, wood bottom with "Cal 9mm" in script.

Comments: This could very well be the first pistol to chamber the 9mm Luger cartridge. This Luger could be termed the "1902 Experimental" or "Experimental 9mm Luger".
The screw through the toggle was most likely the fix devised for the first two test samples with the 2,000 rounds of ammunition, that failed when the spring catch in the toggle joint came out and allowed the spring catch to be lost, (pg.65 Datig).
The "B" after the serial numbers of the prototypes listed in Jones variations could very well stand for "Bannerman" who purchased all the American eagles in the U.S. Armory for resale to the public after the U.S. tests.
This Luger could be a very rare and controversial piece.
Other "one of a kind" Lugers also have serial numbers in the 10,000 series, ref; page 182 of the 1969 Annual Guns and Ammunition article by Hans Tanner.
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Now that *I* have gotten to closely inspect this gun this morning, I noticed first off that it has been buffed and reblued, and of course has the after market smooth grips.

I cannot find a witness mark on the barrel underside, only on the frame, so of course it was rebarreled.
However, the Eagle 623 on the underside of the barrel sent me off to do a search on this board.
Ok, now I know that E/623 is *Nazi* era Steyr production.
Whole different game now.

A really bored yet skilled gunsmith must have got a hold of this one:
There is an extra vertical pin through the rear of the breechblock that appears to aid in retaining the firing pin.

And then there is the screw through the toggle top...
The additional screw is put in very professionally, not a backyard job at all; countersunk, well done work.
But for the love of Dog, WHY?

I must admit that after having read many of the threads here, I have become very skeptical of Lugers that seem to be "exceptional", or claiming to be "one of a kind".
This time with reason.
This is apparently a rebarreled, reblued 02 AE with a cobbled toggle repair and some weirdness added to the firing pin retainer.

So, sorry, guess it *isn't* a Prototype for a 9mm, as the list claimed, but I just checked it out in depth this morning myself.
Thanks to all the info here, the research went easy.
Must have been a lot harder to come up with answers back in the 60s when the list was written.
From now on, I will do all my own research and not accept anything as stated on the family list.
I love the Internet!

But I guess I should ask, is there *anything* legit about this poor gun?