Dating of commercials

[EdinFla]

The first New Model p08 serial is ~25000, the last ~98000.
Is it safe to assume that production began ~1908 and ended ~1918

What would be the date range of the alphabet commercials?

Thanks.

[Edward Tinker]

Its not as easy as that. A friend of mine is writing a book on commercial lugers.
Did you download Dwights Commercial luger pdf?

[Dwight Gruber]

The details behind your question are a bit more complicated than you suggest.

The earliest reported New Model (7,65/9mm, grip safety) is sn 25056, made not before 1906.

The earliest commercial P08 reported (9mm, 4in. barrel, no grip safety) is sn 39047, likely not made before 1910.

The New Model and commercial P08 were made concurrently; New Model production ceased in 1913. Commercial P08 production ceased in 1916 (Sturgess).

From the end of the war DWM manufactured pistols in 7,65mm, 3 3/4in. barrels on P08 frames (stock lug, no grip safety). DWM itself designated these pistols Parabellum.

In 1920-1921 DWM undertook P08 production under contract for the Reichswehr; an unknown number of commercial P08s were delivered in this contract. P08 contract production was halted by the IMKK. Parabellum production continued.

Parabellum serialization switched over from five digits to four digits/suffix in 1921 or early 1922. Conventional wisdom has the five digit range ending at sn 92000 and the Alphabet Commercial Parabellum range beginning at sn 2000i. There are reports of pistols with serial numbers greater than 92000 and lower than 2000i.

Circumstantial evidence indicates that DWM began manufacturing P08s (9mm, 4 inch barrels) concurrently with Parabellums after the IMKK left Germany in 1927, as early as the Alphabet Commercial late-r suffix range.

All DWM Luger production was concluded by the end of 1929, early in the v suffix range.

--Dwight

[mrerick]

With the IMKK out of Germany, does the continued need for the freedom to covertly manufacture P08 (military grade) Lugers explain the move of production from Charlottenburg near Berlin to Mauser in Oberndorf?

We have evidence in Mauser records of an interesting obfuscation committed by Mauser during the commission's "control" of military weapon manufacture. The committee kept track of sales records in Berlin, but production records were maintained at the Mauser factory in Oberndorf. Records show that Mauser was manufacturing "7.63mm model M1896 pistols" with 9mm barrels installed. The committee saw the consumer model pistols in sales records, and the satisfied customer received military caliber handguns.

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally Posted by mrerick

With the IMKK out of Germany, does the continued need for the freedom to covertly manufacture P08 (military grade) Lugers explain the move of production from Charlottenburg near Berlin to Mauser in Oberndorf?

Nope. Simple corporate decision to consolidate production resources. SPECULATION consolidation also cheaper.

There was no need for covert production considerations, DWM had been producing P08s openly for more than two years. Army coded P08 production did not begin until 1935.

--Dwight