Help needed dating luger

[alanint]

Is the hole above the trigger guard drilled or corroded through?

[BCMike]

Originally Posted by alanint

Is the hole above the trigger guard drilled or corroded through?

Drilled. Looks like factory - trigger assembly connecting point?

[whcoyote]

Originally Posted by alanint

Is the hole above the trigger guard drilled or corroded through?

That's where the end of the trigger pin goes, if it had a trigger.

The DWM toggle and no date places it about 1908-09, made at Deutches Waffen and Munitionsfabrik, if it's miliotary - possibly later if it's a Commercial Luger. After 1909, military receivers were dated.
The numbers on the underside of the receiver lug are an indicator of the pistol's last two serial number digits. The absence of numbers on the frame puzzle me. The barrel is too corroded to have any numbers left.
So, probably a Commercial 1908 or a 1st Model Military.
Bob

[BCMike]

Originally Posted by whcoyote

That's where the end of the trigger pin goes, if it had a trigger.

The DWM toggle and no date places it about 1908-09, made at Deutches Waffen and Munitionsfabrik. After that the receivers were dated.
Bob

Thanks Bob, have you heard of any lugers that did not have a serial # on the frame under the barrel?

[whcoyote]

Originally Posted by BCMike

Thanks Bob, have you heard of any lugers that did not have a serial # on the frame under the barrel?

Mike:
I have never seen a Luger without a S/N on the nose of the frame. That's not to say that it never happened - just that I'm not aware of it. I collect only Imperial Military Lugers (1904-1918) so there may be some in other genres (?) that are not marked on the nose. I think this Luger was marked in the Commercial fashion: S/N on nose of frame and under barrel; last two digits of S/N under the takedown lever, under the lip of the side plate, on the left side of trigger, on rear of rear toggle link, sometimes on top edge of safety lever tab, bottom of receiver lug, underside of forward part of front toggle link (just behind the breech block). I have also seen Lugers that were commercially marked with the S/N on the safety bar and the sear bar although this is not a prescribed location.
Check all these parts and see if there are any remnants of the S/N anywhere.
Bob

[BCMike]

Originally Posted by whcoyote

Mike:
I have never seen a Luger without a S/N on the nose of the frame. That's not to say that it never happened - just that I'm not aware of it. I collect only Imperial Military Lugers (1904-1918) so there may be some in other genres (?) that are not marked on the nose. I think this Luger was marked in the Commercial fashion: S/N on nose of frame and under barrel; last two digits of S/N under the takedown lever, under the lip of the side plate, on the left side of trigger, on rear of rear toggle link, sometimes on top edge of safety lever tab, bottom of receiver lug, underside of forward part of front toggle link (just behind the breech block). I have also seen Lugers that were commercially marked with the S/N on the safety bar and the sear bar although this is not a prescribed location.
Check all these parts and see if there are any remnants of the S/N anywhere.
Bob

Thanks Bob. Please look at my post #16 showing the front of frame with no serial #. Even if worn a lot I'm sure it would be there at least faintly. Also there is a #1 underside of slide and I assume the last 2 dogits of a serial #--57 in a couple of places.

[whcoyote]

Yes Mike,I see "_7" on the bottom of the receiver lug - can't make out the first digit. So, that may be a clue as to the S/N of the piece. Still can't explain the blank frame nose. Maybe someone else can help with that, although I think everyone with good knowledge has said their piece - except for George and one or two others.
Bob

[alanint]

[QUOTE=whcoyote;183964]That's where the end of the trigger pin goes, if it had a trigger.

I'm aware of that. The following threads clarified that I was wondering if the hole had been enlarged by drilling or corrosion.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by whcoyote

The absence of numbers on the frame puzzle me.

I have a Russian capture P38 which has had the serial # at the base of the barrel ground away, very skilfully, very smoothly, and very flat. A new number was stamped very lightly in that space. The same number/font is also stamped very lightly on the left side of the slide, and more heavily and with different font on the right side of the frame.

Is it possible that their Lugers were marked similarly??? And a faint # corroded away???