Help Identifying German Proof Marks

mrerick · 05-10-2012, 06:24 PM

Hi Matthew, and welcome to the forum.

The "t" is part of the serial number of your pistol. Every 10,000 pistols, (as they went from 1 to 10000) the suffix letter changed. S/N 10000s was followed by S/N 1t.

The proof marks on the right side of the Luger's receiver are the result of proofing the Luger with a high pressure round and overall inspections by the Weimar military weapons inspection office accepting the pistol. The number "63" refers to a specific inspector.

Your Mauser manufactured pistol (made in 1937) has a frame with the Mauser "hump" at the rear. That hump was introduced progressively during that year.

There were military manuals published by the Germans during the war. You can find modern scans of Luger manuals online.

There are now good reference books that can tell you a great deal about your Luger. Look at the simpsonsltd.com website for books like "The Mauser Parabellum".

Your Luger looks collectable to me. How did you come by it? If it has all matching parts, it may not be a good idea to shoot it. Be very careful when you disassemble it. As mentioned earlier it's easy to break a grip or gall the grip screws...

Marc

05-10-2012, 06:24 PM	#6
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,920 Thanks: 1,377 Thanked 3,135 Times in 1,518 Posts	Hi Matthew, and welcome to the forum. The "t" is part of the serial number of your pistol. Every 10,000 pistols, (as they went from 1 to 10000) the suffix letter changed. S/N 10000s was followed by S/N 1t. The proof marks on the right side of the Luger's receiver are the result of proofing the Luger with a high pressure round and overall inspections by the Weimar military weapons inspection office accepting the pistol. The number "63" refers to a specific inspector. Your Mauser manufactured pistol (made in 1937) has a frame with the Mauser "hump" at the rear. That hump was introduced progressively during that year. There were military manuals published by the Germans during the war. You can find modern scans of Luger manuals online. There are now good reference books that can tell you a great deal about your Luger. Look at the simpsonsltd.com website for books like "The Mauser Parabellum". Your Luger looks collectable to me. How did you come by it? If it has all matching parts, it may not be a good idea to shoot it. Be very careful when you disassemble it. As mentioned earlier it's easy to break a grip or gall the grip screws... Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.