Simson Commercial Rework

Dwight Gruber · 03-15-2004, 03:52 AM

Part 1

The Story of Simson & Co., Suhl, is a very slim chapter in the epic saga of the Luger. In all the literature--Walter, Kenyon, Datig, Gibson, Reese, Costanzo, Still--there are but a handful of pages concerning this manufacturer, and the essential information can be stated briefly.

After WWI the manufacture of military pistols was severly curtailed by the Treaty of Versailles. This did not affect rework and assembly from parts (Gibson, 1980)--thus DWM's continued operation--but new manufacture was heavily controlled. Erfurt's production equipment was acquired by the Jewish firm of Simson & Co. in 1920, and on April 1,1924 Simson was awarded the exclusive contract to provide P-08s to the 100,000-man German Reichswehr (Ginsberg, vide Still, 1993).

Initial production was rework and assembly. Simson-produced guns bearing Simson-marked toggles were introduced in 1925, with chamber dates from 1925-1928 (1927 and 1928 dated guns are disputed); Blank chamber with Simson-marked toggles; and Blank chamber with S marked toggles. Most collectors regard the S as the beginning of the ordinance code system; however, the codes were not distributed until 1934, and the Simson S appeared before that. There is evidence (Ginsberg, ibid) that the S was applied to "Aryanize" the firm's name, to hide its ethnicity from its increasingly anti-Jewish customer base.

Simson's production contract expired on March 31, 1934, and the company was nationalized and its constituent facilities given to other manufacturers in 1934 or early 1935. Simson's production output is estimated to have been 12,000 guns.

No arms manufacturer could survive in cash-strapped, inflation-ridden Weimar Germany with a decade-long output of 12,000 guns. Simson engaged in the rework and commercial sale of Imperial military Lugers to keep up cash flow, as did DWM. All manner of variations can be found: some with chamber dates, some without; some with Simson-marked toggles and some with their original toggle markings; some with a variety of the distinctive Eagle over 6 Simson inspectors' stamps. There are Police Lugers with a circle-surrounding-S on their left breechblocks: most collectors assert that these are Simson reworks, although the documentation to confirm this is not forthcoming.

The Luger presented here is an example of this rework program. It is a P-08 First-Issue Military retaining all its Imperial markings (which is what initially attracted me to the gun), with an interesting array of other markings and characteristics.

03-15-2004, 03:52 AM	#1
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,902 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,317 Times in 431 Posts	Simson Commercial Rework Part 1 The Story of Simson & Co., Suhl, is a very slim chapter in the epic saga of the Luger. In all the literature--Walter, Kenyon, Datig, Gibson, Reese, Costanzo, Still--there are but a handful of pages concerning this manufacturer, and the essential information can be stated briefly. After WWI the manufacture of military pistols was severly curtailed by the Treaty of Versailles. This did not affect rework and assembly from parts (Gibson, 1980)--thus DWM's continued operation--but new manufacture was heavily controlled. Erfurt's production equipment was acquired by the Jewish firm of Simson & Co. in 1920, and on April 1,1924 Simson was awarded the exclusive contract to provide P-08s to the 100,000-man German Reichswehr (Ginsberg, vide Still, 1993). Initial production was rework and assembly. Simson-produced guns bearing Simson-marked toggles were introduced in 1925, with chamber dates from 1925-1928 (1927 and 1928 dated guns are disputed); Blank chamber with Simson-marked toggles; and Blank chamber with S marked toggles. Most collectors regard the S as the beginning of the ordinance code system; however, the codes were not distributed until 1934, and the Simson S appeared before that. There is evidence (Ginsberg, ibid) that the S was applied to "Aryanize" the firm's name, to hide its ethnicity from its increasingly anti-Jewish customer base. Simson's production contract expired on March 31, 1934, and the company was nationalized and its constituent facilities given to other manufacturers in 1934 or early 1935. Simson's production output is estimated to have been 12,000 guns. No arms manufacturer could survive in cash-strapped, inflation-ridden Weimar Germany with a decade-long output of 12,000 guns. Simson engaged in the rework and commercial sale of Imperial military Lugers to keep up cash flow, as did DWM. All manner of variations can be found: some with chamber dates, some without; some with Simson-marked toggles and some with their original toggle markings; some with a variety of the distinctive Eagle over 6 Simson inspectors' stamps. There are Police Lugers with a circle-surrounding-S on their left breechblocks: most collectors assert that these are Simson reworks, although the documentation to confirm this is not forthcoming. The Luger presented here is an example of this rework program. It is a P-08 First-Issue Military retaining all its Imperial markings (which is what initially attracted me to the gun), with an interesting array of other markings and characteristics.