1920 Luger Markings

[Robert McCrory]

My Luger has a lot of little marks I wonder if they have any significance. 3 tiny spread eagles with letters below on right flat below date, same eagle left side of bolt at toggle pin. Bottom of bbl near s/n script 'a' and tiny 883. Bbl muzzle sight boss 2 and N in a circle. Other info about this piece DWM, matching 22xx, 2 mags with gun same s/n, holster v.g. 1941 DLU, blue wear high points on trigger plate, rt muzl and at chamber otherwise 99%, straw left side intense, right 50%, grips checkering 100% with minor surface wear. Appreciate any and all info. Thanks

[saxman]

I'll take a whack at it since it's just like my '1920'. Check out the proofs shown in the Technical Section at the left side of the home page. You'll probably find that your receiver proofs (on RH side) are like #31, indicating a police or military rework. The 'a' under the serial number on the barrel is the SN suffix, and should also be on the front of the frame under the frame SN. The 8,83 on the barrel is the bore diameter verification - 8.83mm, land-to-land.
Look closely at the 1920 over the chamber - you should be able to detect that this area was ground down to remove a previous date. Look at the top of the chamber from the muzzle - you can tell that the steel is a little thinner on top. You can also feel how the curve was brought back in on both sides of the chamber. These were WWI guns that were reworked, many by Simpson, between the wars. The 1920 may be a property mark rather than a date.
Does yours have the sear safety or frame cut for the magazine safety? If so, it was a police rework. If not, probably military. These guns were re-blued at the time of rework, and most of them were rust-blued. This represents pretty much all I've learned about mine. If I have misstated anything, I'm sure there will be plenty of rebuttals, and we'll eventually nail it down. Anything new found out about yours will help me, too.

[Robert McCrory]

Saxman thanks, you pretty well nailed it. Script 'a' is on front of frame. I suspected 1920 marking as receiver is about one mm wider than bbl flange on sides and maybe quarter mm at top. 1920, same position and style as other mils, is a bit faint and fuzzy compared to DWM logo and other marks. Also had previously noted curve transition. Not sure about safety question, but seems same as three other pieces of various dates, IDs, etc, up on left side exposing Gesichert, linked to block the sear. Failed to mention before, Pw. B. mark below t.g. on grip strap, said ID for Polizeiwehr Bayern. Bore is exc. Mags aluminum base plugs with pistol s/n but with different size number dies. Deceased owner was in US army in WWII Germany. I know he had it in 1950s but not sure if he brought it back or got it in the US. Any thoughts as to present value? Thanks agn.

[saxman]

I would not speculate as to value, perhaps someone more knowledgable will. Most police Lugers were converted to have a sear safety, which has a rather obvious lever on the left side of the frame which works through a slot in the top of the sideplate. They also have a magazine safety which requires a short vertical cut on the left side of the frame. Yours is obviously a police Luger with that unit designation, but it doesn't necessarily have to have the safeties. I'm sure you can find some pics on this site of police Lugers.