Luger chamber dates question

[Dwight Gruber]

Erfurt:
1911
1912
1913
1914 (including LP-08 Artillery models)
(There are no authentic 1915 dated Erfurts reported)
1916
1917
1918

There are two known Erfurts with chamber date 1910 whose provenance has convinced several leading Luger authorities that they are authentic.

DWM:
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1920
1921

1914-1918 includes LP-08 artillery models; 1916 and 1917 includes Navy models.

Simson:
1925
1926

Simson P-08s with chamber dates of 1927 and 1928 are considered to be forgeries.

Mauser:
K (1934)
G (1935)
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
41 (1941)
42 (1942)

Krieghoff:
G (1935)
S (1936)
36 (1936)
1936
1937
1938
(There are no authentic 1939 dated Krieghoffs reported.)
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945

The term "double-date" is a misnomer. the 1920 stamp does not represent a date, but a property mark. It was stamped over the chamber to signify that the pistol was owned by the government. It is found on DWM and Erfurt Imperial Army pistols of any date, and DWM 1920 and 1921 production. It also occasionally pops up on Lugers of later manufacture, but rarely.

The dated Lugers with the lowest production are DWM 1912 (10,000 guns est.); 1914 DWM Artillery (less than 5,000 guns est.); Erfurt 1911 (10,000 guns est.) and 1914 (7,000 guns est.); Mauser K date (1,100 guns est.); Mauser 42-code 41 (7,000 guns est.); and all Simson and Krieghoff.

--Dwight