early german luger, looking for info

[Ron Wood]

Originally Posted by speedydemon72

Thanks everyone for all the info but I'm still lost. So should I assume a good insurance value would be around 800.00 or would it be more or less. Thanks again for all your time and interest. Please keep posting with your suggestions.

I think that it would be wrong to go to the extent of declaring such a low value on this gun based on the well meaning comments posted to date. To my knowledge, Mauser produced relatively few grip safety guns and none that I know of with GESICHERT in the lower position. This frame has the earmarks of a first issue unaltered navy production.

I would be more inclined to attribute the tell-tale stock lug “dimples” to an erroneous cutter runout rather than considering the frame as being of Mauser origin. Perhaps it was this and/or other errors that precluded this particular gun from military acceptance (and the corresponding “proof” marks), and placed it in the parts bin to be later resurrected during the 1920s for commercial sales. The absence of proof marks does suggest that it was created somewhere other than Germany, but that is a suggestion not concrete proof.

The most troublesome detail is what really appears to be a scrubbed and restamped barrel serial number. The front of the frame also looks like it may have been treated in a similar manner. Hard to say when it was done, 1920 or last year.

I can’t assign a value but it seems to me to be more than $800.

[Norme]

Hi Randy, I agree with Ron, I don't believe the frame was manufactured by Mauser. We may never determine the when, where or who of this pistol, it is likely to remain an enigma. As to insurance value, Navy "shooters" start at around $1,500.00, and I would figure your gun somewhat more, say $2,000.00 to $2,500.00. I hope this helps. Regards, Norm