1914 DWM

JL · 08-28-2004, 09:00 PM

Wish I could but I can't do pics. Bought this pistol at auction for under $500. Except for some dark spots (slightly raised "freckles") on left of bbl and near number on side plate it is about 98% blue and equal straw. All matching. Has some pitting under front edge of grips and where left one touches side plate. Had to clean out a little dried grease before toggle would close on its own.
Pistol seems original except: Frame and bbl have small "a" under serial number that the barrel extension (wishbone?) does not. Right grip has initials F.W.B. burned in it. I have seen German rifles that were used post WW! that had E.W.B. branded on them but not F.W.B. Someone that wanted to personalize it's initials?
It is a great pistol with only slight wear on operating surfaces and seems to function smoothly after cleaning with kroil on a q-tip and rag.
Nobody seemed to want any of the military rifles at this auction unless they were U.S.
JL

George Anderson · 08-28-2004, 09:30 PM

JL, your FWB is probably an EWB. That would be a post WWI Bavarian militia type unit fighting the Reds. As for serial numbers, the barrel extension should not display the suffix so it seems you have a good matching pistol.

It seems to be a neat pistol. How about some photographs?

Dwight Gruber · 08-28-2004, 09:45 PM

JL,

Sounds like a terrific Luger, and I wish you could post photos. The letter suffix being present on the frame serial# and barrel number but not on the left receiver number is correct.

Lugers are known with EWB inletted or branded into their grips, this is the mark of the Einwohnerwehr Bayern (Resident's Defence Force, Bavaria). Einwohnerwehr were created on March 18, 1919, and abolished April 8, 1920. Are you sure that the mark on your Luger's grip doesn' just have a badly-applied E?

--Dwight

JL · 08-29-2004, 11:22 PM

Right, the bottom of the E is there. Had to get it in good light and put on my cheaters to see it as it is not black like the rest of the mark. JL

08-28-2004, 09:00 PM	#1
JL User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: nebraska Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	1914 DWM Wish I could but I can't do pics. Bought this pistol at auction for under $500. Except for some dark spots (slightly raised "freckles") on left of bbl and near number on side plate it is about 98% blue and equal straw. All matching. Has some pitting under front edge of grips and where left one touches side plate. Had to clean out a little dried grease before toggle would close on its own. Pistol seems original except: Frame and bbl have small "a" under serial number that the barrel extension (wishbone?) does not. Right grip has initials F.W.B. burned in it. I have seen German rifles that were used post WW! that had E.W.B. branded on them but not F.W.B. Someone that wanted to personalize it's initials? It is a great pistol with only slight wear on operating surfaces and seems to function smoothly after cleaning with kroil on a q-tip and rag. Nobody seemed to want any of the military rifles at this auction unless they were U.S. JL

08-28-2004, 09:30 PM	#2
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,772 Thanked 2,527 Times in 786 Posts	JL, your FWB is probably an EWB. That would be a post WWI Bavarian militia type unit fighting the Reds. As for serial numbers, the barrel extension should not display the suffix so it seems you have a good matching pistol. It seems to be a neat pistol. How about some photographs?

08-28-2004, 09:45 PM	#3
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,890 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,282 Times in 424 Posts	JL, Sounds like a terrific Luger, and I wish you could post photos. The letter suffix being present on the frame serial# and barrel number but not on the left receiver number is correct. Lugers are known with EWB inletted or branded into their grips, this is the mark of the Einwohnerwehr Bayern (Resident's Defence Force, Bavaria). Einwohnerwehr were created on March 18, 1919, and abolished April 8, 1920. Are you sure that the mark on your Luger's grip doesn' just have a badly-applied E? --Dwight

08-29-2004, 11:22 PM	#4
JL User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: nebraska Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Right, the bottom of the E is there. Had to get it in good light and put on my cheaters to see it as it is not black like the rest of the mark. JL