Help with a rare Navy

Buickman58 · 02-05-2018, 03:22 PM

Hello, and thank you for letting me join the forum. I have been working on a back burner project on identification for a rare Luger. My fathers friend, kindly let me see the gun. I have played down a few avenues with whom it could have belonged to but am hitting walls. My main guess is whom could have owned it from the initials on the gun. The grips are ivory and the gun has gold set in many areas. The emblem of the horse I think is a town emblem. I have a few avenues was trying to go down but hope someone has a better idea. Kind regards

Norme · 02-05-2018, 03:56 PM

Hi William,
Welcome to the forum! I can't help you with the origins of that Navy, but I would like to know the date stamped on the left frame rail and the serial number, with suffix if present, on the front of the frame.
Regards, Norm

George Anderson · 02-05-2018, 04:46 PM

William, the engraving appears to be American. The gold enhancements are also typically American.

snipershot1944 · 02-05-2018, 04:48 PM

My eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wlyon · 02-05-2018, 05:54 PM

Looks like something done in US. Took a nice Navy and plain ruined it. That is one awful looking luger. If you don't own it I would keep it that way. Bill

Buickman58 · 02-05-2018, 05:58 PM

Hello, I unfortunately only took a few pictures. I did not get the serial number. I don’t live close to my father’s friend, but I will ask if he can ask for a number. I focused on the initials and emblem on the handle as been trying to tie it to a person if possible. The history of the possible owner is where I was looking. I would assume it to have been a higher ranking officer that would have been presented with it.

DavidJayUden · 02-05-2018, 06:35 PM

I think, and suspect that it may well be the general opinion here, that that gun was not engraved for, or by, a German military officer or other German person of stature. But it was probably, instead, dolled up by a local gunsmith/engraver back here in the States for the local owner. And while that may have embellished the weapon for that local owner, it sort of killed it as a collectible Luger.
But good luck in your search and let us know if you determine for whom it was engraved.
That being said, if you can decipher those initials and also ID the symbolism of the horse with the war ax, you may get closer to the original owner. Also often noted engravers will sign their work somewhere and that may help your journey.
dju

lugerholsterrepair · 02-05-2018, 07:51 PM

William, The disc set into the grip looks poorly done for such a pistol. I suspect the grips may be something other than ivory, like bone? 2 Luger grips in actual elephant ivory would be something different to say the least. Horribly expensive and possibly illegal to own. Yes, if you can find out more about this pistol it would help with research and record keeping. Thanks for showing it!

DonVoigt · 02-05-2018, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norme

Hi William,
Welcome to the forum! I can't help you with the origins of that Navy, but I would like to know the date stamped on the left frame rail and the serial number, with suffix if present, on the font of the frame.
Regards, Norm

I can make out the date, 1917.

Buickman58 · 02-05-2018, 10:26 PM

Wow, thanks for the interesting ideas on the gun. The man whom owns the gun would never sell, and I don’t have that type of money for it anyway. He got the gun from a soldier he knew in WW2. His buddy found it in a safe in a bank in Germany. His friend passed away in the early 80s and before had wrote out and notarized that to go with the gun. The gun was supposed to have had two others in the safe as well. The grips are ivory. The amount of gold is surprising for me at least. I would think most would not do that to the gun unless it was period. I keep looking for that horse, as feel it is the key.

lugerholsterrepair · 02-05-2018, 10:57 PM

William, it's a long shot but...

https://www.google.com/search?client...TUmgRNMpWzklM:

Another sort of...

https://www.google.com/search?client...4Kb16Rfq5N2mM:

DonVoigt · 02-06-2018, 09:48 AM

" I would think most would not do that to the gun unless it was period. "

Then you would be wrong, there are many "pimped" up lugers with gold accents on the market, there has been an Erfurt on the marked for months or years that is all over gold plated.

I once had a gold plated trigger and side plate, took about 5 minutes on the wire wheel to get rid of the "gold".

02-05-2018, 03:22 PM	#1
Buickman58 New User Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Help with a rare Navy Hello, and thank you for letting me join the forum. I have been working on a back burner project on identification for a rare Luger. My fathers friend, kindly let me see the gun. I have played down a few avenues with whom it could have belonged to but am hitting walls. My main guess is whom could have owned it from the initials on the gun. The grips are ivory and the gun has gold set in many areas. The emblem of the horse I think is a town emblem. I have a few avenues was trying to go down but hope someone has a better idea. Kind regards Attached Thumbnails

02-05-2018, 05:54 PM	#5
wlyon Lifer 2X Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere in Montana Posts: 2,635 Thanks: 3,174 Thanked 2,556 Times in 954 Posts	Looks like something done in US. Took a nice Navy and plain ruined it. That is one awful looking luger. If you don't own it I would keep it that way. Bill __________________ Bill Lyon

02-05-2018, 07:51 PM	#8
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,933 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	William, The disc set into the grip looks poorly done for such a pistol. I suspect the grips may be something other than ivory, like bone? 2 Luger grips in actual elephant ivory would be something different to say the least. Horribly expensive and possibly illegal to own. Yes, if you can find out more about this pistol it would help with research and record keeping. Thanks for showing it! __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

02-05-2018, 10:57 PM	#11
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,933 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	William, it's a long shot but... https://www.google.com/search?client...TUmgRNMpWzklM: Another sort of... https://www.google.com/search?client...4Kb16Rfq5N2mM: __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

02-06-2018, 09:48 AM	#12
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,681 Thanks: 1,441 Thanked 4,350 Times in 2,040 Posts	" I would think most would not do that to the gun unless it was period. " Then you would be wrong, there are many "pimped" up lugers with gold accents on the market, there has been an Erfurt on the marked for months or years that is all over gold plated. I once had a gold plated trigger and side plate, took about 5 minutes on the wire wheel to get rid of the "gold". __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

02-05-2018, 03:56 PM	#2
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,603 Times in 933 Posts	Hi William, Welcome to the forum! I can't help you with the origins of that Navy, but I would like to know the date stamped on the left frame rail and the serial number, with suffix if present, on the front of the frame. Regards, Norm

02-05-2018, 04:46 PM	#3
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,529 Times in 787 Posts	William, the engraving appears to be American. The gold enhancements are also typically American.

02-05-2018, 04:48 PM	#4
snipershot1944 User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Virginia, part of the occupied Confederacy Posts: 299 Thanks: 15 Thanked 33 Times in 24 Posts	My eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

02-05-2018, 05:58 PM	#6
Buickman58 New User Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Hello, I unfortunately only took a few pictures. I did not get the serial number. I don’t live close to my father’s friend, but I will ask if he can ask for a number. I focused on the initials and emblem on the handle as been trying to tie it to a person if possible. The history of the possible owner is where I was looking. I would assume it to have been a higher ranking officer that would have been presented with it.

02-05-2018, 06:35 PM	#7
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I think, and suspect that it may well be the general opinion here, that that gun was not engraved for, or by, a German military officer or other German person of stature. But it was probably, instead, dolled up by a local gunsmith/engraver back here in the States for the local owner. And while that may have embellished the weapon for that local owner, it sort of killed it as a collectible Luger. But good luck in your search and let us know if you determine for whom it was engraved. That being said, if you can decipher those initials and also ID the symbolism of the horse with the war ax, you may get closer to the original owner. Also often noted engravers will sign their work somewhere and that may help your journey. dju

02-05-2018, 10:26 PM	#10
Buickman58 New User Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Wow, thanks for the interesting ideas on the gun. The man whom owns the gun would never sell, and I don’t have that type of money for it anyway. He got the gun from a soldier he knew in WW2. His buddy found it in a safe in a bank in Germany. His friend passed away in the early 80s and before had wrote out and notarized that to go with the gun. The gun was supposed to have had two others in the safe as well. The grips are ivory. The amount of gold is surprising for me at least. I would think most would not do that to the gun unless it was period. I keep looking for that horse, as feel it is the key.