1920 dwm

grantman · 04-25-2020, 08:35 PM

Fellows:

I have a 1920 marked DWM P08. Does the chamber dating automatically indicate military production, or did they date some commercial guns?

Doubs · 04-26-2020, 02:06 AM

The 1920 chamber date may be the date of production or a Weimar Republic property mark.

If it's a date then it was produced for the military or police. If it's a property mark it is also a military or police pistol.

So many guns were going missing from government stores after WW1 that all small arms were to be marked 1920 to show that they were government property. That led to many "double date" Lugers with the original date of manufacture (1915 for example) plus the 1920 property mark.

There are examples of undated first issue Lugers as well as commercial Lugers that also carry the 1920 property stamp.

Then there were new production Lugers with a 1920 date stamp.

Sometimes if the 1920 is the only mark, it's difficult to know if it's a date or property stamp. Most often the property stamp was done at unit level by an armorer and the numbers aren't even or the font will differ from a factory date stamp so it's reasonable easy to tell. Knowing the differences between early and later Lugers also helps.

Sharp, detailed pictures will help members here ID what you have.

DonVoigt · 04-26-2020, 09:55 AM

Grantman,
Just to make life interesting, there are even lugers with a 1920 production date and the "1920" property stamp of the Weimar Republic; further even a few 1921 dated pistols with the "1920" stamp!

A little more on the "1920" property stamp, there were already many military arms in civilian hands and a bounty was being paid for their surrender under the 1920 law "to Disarm the Public".

The "1920" property stamp did show government ownership when applied; it also prevented pistols coming in the front door and out the back to be surrendered again for more $$.

In addition all small arms in the Reichswehr inventory were to be marked with the "1920" PS; so one can find "1920" on pistols other than lugers, rifles, bayonets, and even on the board stocks used with lugers.

grantman · 04-26-2020, 06:12 PM

The serif-scripted 1920 is in the position where the manufacture date rather than the property mark, is found. I'm thinking it is one of the pistols produced for the military before military production was stopped at DWM. I'm still trying to figure out how to post pictures to the PP forum.

04-25-2020, 08:35 PM	#1
grantman User Join Date: May 2019 Location: Northern Idaho Posts: 84 Thanks: 2 Thanked 34 Times in 22 Posts	1920 dwm Fellows: I have a 1920 marked DWM P08. Does the chamber dating automatically indicate military production, or did they date some commercial guns?

04-26-2020, 09:55 AM	#3
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,681 Thanks: 1,441 Thanked 4,350 Times in 2,040 Posts	Grantman, Just to make life interesting, there are even lugers with a 1920 production date and the "1920" property stamp of the Weimar Republic; further even a few 1921 dated pistols with the "1920" stamp! A little more on the "1920" property stamp, there were already many military arms in civilian hands and a bounty was being paid for their surrender under the 1920 law "to Disarm the Public". The "1920" property stamp did show government ownership when applied; it also prevented pistols coming in the front door and out the back to be surrendered again for more $$. In addition all small arms in the Reichswehr inventory were to be marked with the "1920" PS; so one can find "1920" on pistols other than lugers, rifles, bayonets, and even on the board stocks used with lugers. __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

04-26-2020, 06:12 PM	#4
grantman User Join Date: May 2019 Location: Northern Idaho Posts: 84 Thanks: 2 Thanked 34 Times in 22 Posts	1920 dwm The serif-scripted 1920 is in the position where the manufacture date rather than the property mark, is found. I'm thinking it is one of the pistols produced for the military before military production was stopped at DWM. I'm still trying to figure out how to post pictures to the PP forum.

04-26-2020, 02:06 AM	#2
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,696 Thanks: 792 Thanked 1,679 Times in 552 Posts	The 1920 chamber date may be the date of production or a Weimar Republic property mark. If it's a date then it was produced for the military or police. If it's a property mark it is also a military or police pistol. So many guns were going missing from government stores after WW1 that all small arms were to be marked 1920 to show that they were government property. That led to many "double date" Lugers with the original date of manufacture (1915 for example) plus the 1920 property mark. There are examples of undated first issue Lugers as well as commercial Lugers that also carry the 1920 property stamp. Then there were new production Lugers with a 1920 date stamp. Sometimes if the 1920 is the only mark, it's difficult to know if it's a date or property stamp. Most often the property stamp was done at unit level by an armorer and the numbers aren't even or the font will differ from a factory date stamp so it's reasonable easy to tell. Knowing the differences between early and later Lugers also helps. Sharp, detailed pictures will help members here ID what you have.