Vickers Dutch East Indies Luger

Herb · 06-13-2005, 03:58 PM

VICKERS DUTCH LUGER

I thought I would post some picture of my newest acquisition, a Vickers Dutch East Indies Luger. As is common with these pieces it is in rather rough shape finish wise with some heavy pitting on the grip straps and the grips themselves are missing some pieces but they are the original ones serial numbered to the pistol. It has an original unnumbered Vickers magazine with the bottom piece release spring but it appears so rusted I'll probably not try to get it apart. The side plate is unnumbered but looking at the pictures in Martens and deVries 'The Dutch Luger' most of them are unnumbered also. Otherwise all the other numbers are matching. I have to assume that it has been partially arsenal refinished as the barrel has a different finish and is dated on the top '1931' According to the above reference the common practice at the time was to replace the barrels every 6 to 7 years due to the harsh climatic conditions of the area.
A little background on the East Indies Lugers. In December 1919 the Netherlands signed a contract for 6,000 M11 (the Dutch designation for the Luger) pistols to be produced by Vickers. These pistols were not ready for delivery until May of 1921. Most of them were delivered without the grip plates which were to be made at the Geweermakersschool in Batavia (Jakarta) probably to save a little money. These Javanese grips had much coarser checkering which detracted from the overall appearance. Exactly 6,000 Vickers Lugers were assembled for the Dutch East Indies Army for this contract. The serial numbers followed the pre-World War 1 deliveries by DWM so the Vickers pistols were numbered from 4182 to 10181 inclusive. These Lugers probably arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1922. My Vickers is serial numbered 4461 making it one of these pistols.
Most Vickers Lugers have a brass plate affixed to the left frame panel indicating the unit of assignment. As this one has no plate, nor any evidence of ever having one, it was probably one purchased by an officer. In 1942 the Dutch East Indies Army capitulated to the attacking Japanese Army and this Luger was in all probability captured by the Japanese. Where it has been and what stories it could tell before coming into my possession would be of great interest. Here is a web site with some good info on the Dutch East Indies Campaign of 1941-1942,..
http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/
Credit for the above information goes to Martens and de Vries from their book
The Dutch Luger.

In photo #7 is visible the cirlce GS emblem of the Dutch Geweermakersschool

06-13-2005, 03:58 PM	#1
Herb User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Utah, in the land of the Sleeping Rainbow Posts: 1,457 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Vickers Dutch East Indies Luger VICKERS DUTCH LUGER I thought I would post some picture of my newest acquisition, a Vickers Dutch East Indies Luger. As is common with these pieces it is in rather rough shape finish wise with some heavy pitting on the grip straps and the grips themselves are missing some pieces but they are the original ones serial numbered to the pistol. It has an original unnumbered Vickers magazine with the bottom piece release spring but it appears so rusted I'll probably not try to get it apart. The side plate is unnumbered but looking at the pictures in Martens and deVries 'The Dutch Luger' most of them are unnumbered also. Otherwise all the other numbers are matching. I have to assume that it has been partially arsenal refinished as the barrel has a different finish and is dated on the top '1931' According to the above reference the common practice at the time was to replace the barrels every 6 to 7 years due to the harsh climatic conditions of the area. A little background on the East Indies Lugers. In December 1919 the Netherlands signed a contract for 6,000 M11 (the Dutch designation for the Luger) pistols to be produced by Vickers. These pistols were not ready for delivery until May of 1921. Most of them were delivered without the grip plates which were to be made at the Geweermakersschool in Batavia (Jakarta) probably to save a little money. These Javanese grips had much coarser checkering which detracted from the overall appearance. Exactly 6,000 Vickers Lugers were assembled for the Dutch East Indies Army for this contract. The serial numbers followed the pre-World War 1 deliveries by DWM so the Vickers pistols were numbered from 4182 to 10181 inclusive. These Lugers probably arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1922. My Vickers is serial numbered 4461 making it one of these pistols. Most Vickers Lugers have a brass plate affixed to the left frame panel indicating the unit of assignment. As this one has no plate, nor any evidence of ever having one, it was probably one purchased by an officer. In 1942 the Dutch East Indies Army capitulated to the attacking Japanese Army and this Luger was in all probability captured by the Japanese. Where it has been and what stories it could tell before coming into my possession would be of great interest. Here is a web site with some good info on the Dutch East Indies Campaign of 1941-1942,.. http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/ Credit for the above information goes to Martens and de Vries from their book The Dutch Luger. In photo #7 is visible the cirlce GS emblem of the Dutch Geweermakersschool __________________ Utah, where gun control means a steady trigger pull