Railroad/police 1908?

Jim Keenan · 08-12-2003, 09:21 PM

Under the Versailles treaty, Germany was allowed a postal protection service, to guard the mail. Using this authority, Mauser Standard Modell (commercial) rifles were bought for the Deutsches Reichspost (DRP). Some were marked "DRP", but most were marked "DR".

The Germans used the loophole to issue these "postal" rifles to the Deutsches Reichsbahn, the Railway police, and also to the Reichswehr itself. The use of a marking that could be read in several ways was deliberate, to fool any curious Allied visitor to Mauser. The marking was stamped into the stock.

But there is no record of a DR or DRP marking such as appears on the Luger in question, and I am inclined to be highly suspicious unless some valid documentation is produced.

BTW, I have no doubt that if this one sells for big bucks, we will see a "cache of these rare Lugers" being found in some out of the way part of Germany like, maybe, California.

Jim

08-12-2003, 09:21 PM	#8
Jim Keenan User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 184 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Under the Versailles treaty, Germany was allowed a postal protection service, to guard the mail. Using this authority, Mauser Standard Modell (commercial) rifles were bought for the Deutsches Reichspost (DRP). Some were marked "DRP", but most were marked "DR". The Germans used the loophole to issue these "postal" rifles to the Deutsches Reichsbahn, the Railway police, and also to the Reichswehr itself. The use of a marking that could be read in several ways was deliberate, to fool any curious Allied visitor to Mauser. The marking was stamped into the stock. But there is no record of a DR or DRP marking such as appears on the Luger in question, and I am inclined to be highly suspicious unless some valid documentation is produced. BTW, I have no doubt that if this one sells for big bucks, we will see a "cache of these rare Lugers" being found in some out of the way part of Germany like, maybe, California. Jim