Swiss Commercial Markings

Dwight Gruber · 05-05-2015, 11:17 PM

The P (Privatized) stamp was added to Swiss military Lugers when the officers carrying them retained these pistols for personal use when they left military service. They are not properly considered "commercial" Lugers, and it would probably be misleading to consider them "surplus".

Swiss commercial Lugers--that is, Luger pistols destined for the Swiss commercial market--were proofed before export, following German civilian proof practice which was acceptable under Swiss proof law.

Swiss Old Model Parabellums have the crown/B, crown/U, crown/G civilian proof marks of the German proof law of 1891, as do New Model Parabellums made for the Swiss market before 1912. After 1912 these pistols have the lazy c/N proof mark. Postwar Swiss-market P08s and Alphabet Commercials all have the upright c/N proof.

--Dwight

05-05-2015, 11:17 PM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	The P (Privatized) stamp was added to Swiss military Lugers when the officers carrying them retained these pistols for personal use when they left military service. They are not properly considered "commercial" Lugers, and it would probably be misleading to consider them "surplus". Swiss commercial Lugers--that is, Luger pistols destined for the Swiss commercial market--were proofed before export, following German civilian proof practice which was acceptable under Swiss proof law. Swiss Old Model Parabellums have the crown/B, crown/U, crown/G civilian proof marks of the German proof law of 1891, as do New Model Parabellums made for the Swiss market before 1912. After 1912 these pistols have the lazy c/N proof mark. Postwar Swiss-market P08s and Alphabet Commercials all have the upright c/N proof. --Dwight