Please identify this gun

Dirtyclinic · 06-19-2011, 11:47 AM

My father-in-law has this at his house. His brother brought it back from WWII. I was wondering the year, the rarity, and the approximate value of it. Is it pretty standard or special in any way? Is it 9mm? Thanks for the help.

Dirtyclinic · 06-19-2011, 11:49 AM

More pics

Ron Smith · 06-19-2011, 03:52 PM

Hi Mat,

It's a 1918 production DWM military issue Luger. The 1920 is a Gov't property mark applied after WWI to prevent theft and resale.

It was issued to a Police unit during the Weimar period (1919-1933) in the early 20's. Most likely Schutzpolizei(Municipal police) for the city of Kassel with the original deleted mark being a pre-reorganization mark for the same city. Kassel was spelled with both a C and a K at various times. The number in the unit marks are Police rack / inventory numbers. The Police unit marks appear to have been stamped over a scrubbed WWI military unit mark or an even older police mark, still slightly visible.

It was probaly used by the Kassel Police through WWII. It's also possible that it transitioned to the military late in the war, but impossible to know for certain. It's somewhat unusual, in that it escaped having a Police mandated sear safety installed.

Ron

Don M · 06-19-2011, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Smith

Kassel was spelled with both a C and a K at various times.

It's also possible that it transitioned to the military late in the war, but impossible to know for certain. It's somewhat unusual, in that it escaped having a Police mandated sear safety installed.

The spelling of Cassel was changed to Kassel in 1926 (HWIS p. 60).

Actually, it is virtually certain that this pistol was transferred from the police to the military because it was issued to the barracked Bereitschaftspolizei which was transferred to the Landespolizei and then to the military in 1934-36. The first marking is in the format specified in the 1922 for barracked Hundertschaften (later called Bereitschaften). The fact that the pistol does not have a sear or mag safety is further evidence of this since these militarized police units were exempted from the 1933 order to install these devices on Lugers (HWIS p. 36).

Ron Smith · 06-19-2011, 11:17 PM

Don,

Thanks for the clarification...You be the Police guy.

Ron

Dirtyclinic · 06-19-2011, 11:57 PM

Thanks so much for all the info, I did not imagine you could get some much info from looking at those pictures.

06-19-2011, 11:47 AM	#1
Dirtyclinic New User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Please identify this gun My father-in-law has this at his house. His brother brought it back from WWII. I was wondering the year, the rarity, and the approximate value of it. Is it pretty standard or special in any way? Is it 9mm? Thanks for the help. Attached Thumbnails

06-19-2011, 11:49 AM	#2
Dirtyclinic New User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	More pics Attached Thumbnails

06-19-2011, 03:52 PM	#3
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hi Mat, It's a 1918 production DWM military issue Luger. The 1920 is a Gov't property mark applied after WWI to prevent theft and resale. It was issued to a Police unit during the Weimar period (1919-1933) in the early 20's. Most likely Schutzpolizei(Municipal police) for the city of Kassel with the original deleted mark being a pre-reorganization mark for the same city. Kassel was spelled with both a C and a K at various times. The number in the unit marks are Police rack / inventory numbers. The Police unit marks appear to have been stamped over a scrubbed WWI military unit mark or an even older police mark, still slightly visible. It was probaly used by the Kassel Police through WWII. It's also possible that it transitioned to the military late in the war, but impossible to know for certain. It's somewhat unusual, in that it escaped having a Police mandated sear safety installed. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

06-19-2011, 11:17 PM	#5
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Don, Thanks for the clarification...You be the Police guy. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

06-19-2011, 11:57 PM	#6
Dirtyclinic New User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks so much for all the info, I did not imagine you could get some much info from looking at those pictures.