1914/1920 DWM....What to do???

[fayrcroft]

Just picked up a very nice, all matching double date from a fellow who says he purchased it from the vet who brought it home...I have no reason not to believe him....I have known him for some time. He says the vet packed it away in Germany during WWII and when he hit the docks at home in NYC, traded 2 packs of cigarettes to some fellows to have it nickel plated.....which it still is. Shows some wear here and there, but certainly looks like a very good, old plate job. Front grip strap marked "P. Fr. 195" Came with a beautiful 1941 marked holster, two wood bottom, unmarked clips and a tool marked byf 41. I paid $650 for the whole rig...maybe too much.... Now my questions.....

1. I think restoring it to factory (stripping the plating and re-bluing/strawing) is what I'd like to do. Thor and Bill Adair have great websites. Any thoughts on the pros/cons to restoring this gun?? I assume the gun's value is very low in it's current state.

2. Does the "cigarettes for trade" story sound plausible?...just curious.

3. Can't figure out all of the grip strap markings....any ideas?

Thanks!!

[Edward Tinker]

David, welcome to the forum!

1. You paid a good price, nickle guns go for less than many shooters, worth $400-$500, plus the holster $125-$175, tool another $50 maybe, magazines another $85 for one...

BUT, all depends on condition. a nickled gun can be "restored", but after restoration, maybe it is worth $700-$900, and the restore will cost $400, plus the de-plating costs around $100 with shipping (maybe more).

2. Yes, happened all the time, more likely it was nickled overseas to fit the two packs of cigs story, but I have heard this many times.

I think it is liable to be a police gun, do you have pictures? Lots of everything would be good.

Ed

[Dwight Gruber]

You have a nice Luger to shoot. G�¶rtz & Bryans have P.Fr. as the Frankenstein Police School.

--Dwight

[Ron Smith]

Too bad!! That is a neat marking, that I have been hoping to come across.


Ron

[Don M]

David,

I second the request for photos but would apppreciate knowing the serial number (& suffix) of this pistol and whether or not it has/had sear or mag safteties --- for my database of police unit marks. Thanks very much.

Don

[fayrcroft]

Thank you ALL for the input! I will attempt to to get some photos posted tomorrow or possibly the following.
Just my luck......my very first Luger and I buy a Frankenstein!!
David

[Don M]

David,

The police unit marks are very interesting. If you go to this post, it will refer you to a site containing an article I wrote on Weimar Police School Unit Marks: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...threadid=11898 You will see that marks PS11a and -b are the same as yours except the weapon number.

PS11 was a key example of the change during the 1920s in the designation for Prussian police schools (Polizeischulen) and yours is the second such example. The original mark on your pistol was P.N.195, Polizeischule Niederschlesien, weapon no. 195, in accordance with the Prussian marking order of 5 April 1922. This school was located in the city of Frankenstein. At some point, probably early in the 1920s, the police schools began to be referred to by the city in which they were located, rather than the Province (e.g., Niederschlesien) they apparently served. As a consequence the marking practice was changed to the format P.X., where "X." is an abbreviation for the city in which the school was located. As you will note, the weapon number remained the same.

The earlier mark was stamped in the reverse of the direction specified in the 1922 marking order suggesting it may have been applied before the order was issued. It appears from your photo that "P.N." was lined out when it was restamped, as it was on the other Luger.

You may have a Frankenstein but I certainly don't consider it a monster! Congratulations on owning a pistol that has history writ in steel.

[lugerholsterrepair]

David, Apparently Ed Tinker thinks a lot more of your holster than I do. It is a $35.00 fake.
I have reversed plated a nickled Luger like yours and had it reblued. On anything but a rare and valuble piece you soon reach the law of diminishing returns. It's expensive. Jerry Burney

[Aaron]

Nota horrendous price for a shooter, but forget about putting any effort or expense into refinishing. The surfaces have been so heavily buffed that the markings would look out of place after refinishing. Also, the holster strikes me as being a reproduction, but I will wait until we hear from Jerry Burney on this. The tool is definitely phonied up, as there are no authentic byf 41 tools. The mags are also a put together deal, with incorrect wood bottoms on blued bodies. By the way, does this thing have any kind of decent bore?

[fayrcroft]

Don, thank you so much for the information!! The detective work and knowledge that collectors like you have inspires me! It's the history behind the steel and wood we collect that is the true passion. David

[Edward Tinker]

Originally posted by lugerholsterrepair
David, Apparently Ed Tinker thinks a lot more of your holster than I do. It is a $35.00 fake.
I have reversed plated a nickled Luger like yours and had it reblued. On anything but a rare and valuble piece you soon reach the law of diminishing returns. It's expensive. Jerry Burney

I posted the pictures well after I posted my remarks, so had not seen the holster. My guess for price was for an original holster.