Alphabety Commercial

[Doubs]

The designation "Alphabet Commercial" was coined, I believe, by Jan Still as a more accurate designation of the post-WW1 commercial Lugers with a suffix letter in the serial number. Why more accurate? Because they didn't begin production until mid-1921 and thus 1920 is inaccurate.

The reasons they are less popular as a collectable are 1., they were produced in greater numbers than any other variant are are thus the most commonly encountered and 2., the vast majority are in 7.65x21mm (.30 Luger) which isn't as easy or as cheap to find as 9mm. You may also add that as a commercial gun they have little to offer historically.

A few do have collector interest. Among those are the few made in 9mm, those that can be identified as police issue and the M23 Finnish contract military Lugers. Germany was in great need of hard cash so I believe that most of the Alphabet Commercial production was exported.

WRT the "frosted" bore, cleaning it with JB Bore Bright IAW the instructions should reduce the tendency to copper foul. Bore Bright is a polishing compound and will remove all current fouling in the bore and also polish it.

I've owned - still do - a number of Alphabet Commercial Lugers in 30 caliber and without exception they have been reliable and accurate. Below is a reduced size 50 foot target shot at 54 feet with an Alphabet Commercial Luger.

[Yakman]

Doubs, nice shooting and nice Luger. One of the best shooters I ever had was a pre-alphabet 5 digit commercia in 7.65. It wasn't much to look at, but it was accurate.

Jack

[Doubs]

Originally Posted by Yakman

Doubs, nice shooting and nice Luger. One of the best shooters I ever had was a pre-alphabet 5 digit commercia in 7.65. It wasn't much to look at, but it was accurate.

Jack

Thank you. I bought my first Alphabet Commercial from a pawn shop on 1st Avenue in Seattle in 1966 when I was stationed at McChord AFB. I shot it a lot and it was a tack driver. I paid $70 for it.

I've always liked the 30 Luger cartridge. The last 30 I bought is an all matching Swiss P'00/'06 in excellent condition made in 1910. I paid $2,000 for it. I shot one full magazine through it to see how it shot and I hit an 8 inch steel plate at 25 yards all 8 shots. It will remain unfired again for as long as I own it.

[Yakman]

I lived in Seattle for almost ten years in the 1970's. I'm sure I know that pawn shop you refer to. I can't remember the name, but it was very heavily into guns. They had knowledgeable people working here, too.

Jack

[Doubs]

Originally Posted by Yakman

I lived in Seattle for almost ten years in the 1970's. I'm sure I know that pawn shop you refer to. I can't remember the name, but it was very heavily into guns. They had knowledgeable people working here, too.

Jack

Jack, I wish I could recall the name but it's been too long. I later bought a 1916 DWM Luger from a pawn shop in Tacoma. Roughest Luger exterior wise that I ever owned but was 100% reliable and accurate. My wife and I left McChord on 1 June, 1968, for an assignment in KS.

Walker