1916 DWM Luger - Help Needed

[LugerNewby]

Originally Posted by Mac Cat

Thanks for sharing the photos.
I hope you can get some better images in better lighting - like outdoors on a dark background.

The grips look like they are in good shape - no cracks or chips.
They may not be numbered, either. Not a big deal.

The chamber looks like it has a mark on it, but can't see clearly.
Is it 1916?

The finish and bore condition isn't as important as all matching parts, in my opinion.
Rough bores are very common because of the ammunition they used.

I didn't like that the first 2 digits of the serial number are missing on the receiver left side ?

I'm also curious about the barrel, as it seems to have no muzzle wear, although the left side of the receiver and sideplate are clearly worn.

The barrel looks smooth and shiny in one picture, but from underneath it looks very rough.
I think that may be from over-exposing the image and it just looks grainy.

I always look at the strawed parts very carefully - they should have similar discoloration and condition.


Looking forward to more photos.

Thank you Mac! Yes - photos are not great - kind of dark in the store and with the glass top shelves, the background is miserable...sorry i could not do better with those.

Yes, the chamber had 1916 stamped on it, it looked fine (going by memory - as the ones I have seen online - larger font than the rest of the stamps)

The receiver left side has all four numbers but on this one photo the toggle is pulled back and locked, so I assume the last two digits are covered by the side plate. That was my concern as well until I saw some other a couple photos with the action closed...it shows the 4 digits there.

The barrel had muzzle wear, but mostly on the very front, and yes - not much on the sides (holstering marks). This is a great observation - I should inspect this area more closely. The hallo seems very prominent on the barrel, so I am looking at this as my most prominent sign of an original finish - am I being correct?

I see what may be some machining marks on the back of the frame, where the safety is - would that be another potential tell on the finish?

Thanks for the comment on the barrel - yes, I also think this is the angle of the picture and the flashlight I had on it for the hallo test...

As for the strawed parts - i just want to ensure they are in alike condition, right? I also watched a video that suggested i should not see circular buff marks on those but straight lines, as this is what the process was when those were heat treated, etc...?

Anything else I should look more carefully into? I am going tonight and if they let me keep it on hold for a couple of more days, i will make more picture to post here. If not, I may need to make a decision on the sport - will see...

Thank you again!
Slav