Identify Swiss Luger

Dwight Gruber · 03-18-2021, 12:27 AM

This pistol bears most of the characteristics of a Swiss Alphabet Commercial. In the difficult case of this pistol, this is identified by the blocky appearance of the left frame rail, without chamfering, ahead of the the sideplate. Beyond that it is hard to know where to start. To begin with, the gun has been refinished. This is identified most clearly by the re-cutting of the polished safety indication.

Re-finishing would account for the anomalous fame-front serial number. The number itself relates to no recognized serial range. It appears that the front of the frame has been considerably ground back (note the difference in length of the receiver where it meets the frame front) necessitating re-stamping of the serial number. The number stamps themselves do not match period number style, and a letter suffix has not been retained. The suffix would probably be i (most likely), n, or l. There is no independent way to identify this, as the frame suffix appears nowhere else.

The serial number stamped on the left receiver is characteristic of Swiss Alphabet Commercials.

The c/N receiver proof is evidence that the pistol was completed at DWM (not all were). There does not appear to be a proof on the barrel above the serial number. The photo is a bad angle for determination; a straight-on photo of that area would be useful.

The barrel with front sight is characteristic of a particular DWM assembly for the Swiss market. It is uncommon. Absence of a proof suggests a re-barrel. It is highly unlikely this would have been done in Switzerland, as the Swiss overwhelmingly preferred the 4 3/4 inch "pencil" barrel. In addition, a Swiss applied barrel serial number would have been stamped along the bore axis, not across. The barrel remains mysterious.

The magazine with its metal grip discs is a Swiss military item. The original would have had a plain wood base.

--Dwight

03-18-2021, 12:27 AM	#4
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	This pistol bears most of the characteristics of a Swiss Alphabet Commercial. In the difficult case of this pistol, this is identified by the blocky appearance of the left frame rail, without chamfering, ahead of the the sideplate. Beyond that it is hard to know where to start. To begin with, the gun has been refinished. This is identified most clearly by the re-cutting of the polished safety indication. Re-finishing would account for the anomalous fame-front serial number. The number itself relates to no recognized serial range. It appears that the front of the frame has been considerably ground back (note the difference in length of the receiver where it meets the frame front) necessitating re-stamping of the serial number. The number stamps themselves do not match period number style, and a letter suffix has not been retained. The suffix would probably be i (most likely), n, or l. There is no independent way to identify this, as the frame suffix appears nowhere else. The serial number stamped on the left receiver is characteristic of Swiss Alphabet Commercials. The c/N receiver proof is evidence that the pistol was completed at DWM (not all were). There does not appear to be a proof on the barrel above the serial number. The photo is a bad angle for determination; a straight-on photo of that area would be useful. The barrel with front sight is characteristic of a particular DWM assembly for the Swiss market. It is uncommon. Absence of a proof suggests a re-barrel. It is highly unlikely this would have been done in Switzerland, as the Swiss overwhelmingly preferred the 4 3/4 inch "pencil" barrel. In addition, a Swiss applied barrel serial number would have been stamped along the bore axis, not across. The barrel remains mysterious. The magazine with its metal grip discs is a Swiss military item. The original would have had a plain wood base. --Dwight