Eurfurt 1918

Dwight Gruber · 05-07-2004, 11:32 AM

I would have to guess that there was no chance involved, that some owner of this Luger needed to find a sideplate for it, and settled for the closest numbered sideplate he could find.

There are 100 identical small-part two number combinations in any 1,000-number serial# block, and at least 50 serial# blocks used during the course of Erfurt's production (Still, "Imperial Lugers, chart p.15). It is not surprising that, with 5,000 potential opportunities, someone found a sideplate one number off. It is rather more surprising that they didn't find the proper number.

Do you recall if there was an Erfurt Inspector's stamp on the sideplate? If not, then you expand the serial# calculation throughout the entire span of Luger producers over the time of their production and come up with an identical-number parts pool which is much, much higher.

This statisitcal serial# probability is what "force-matching" is all about.

Also, with the rigorous production and inspection methods the Germans used to producr P-08, you can be certain that the Luger you examined did not leave the factory that way.

--Dwight

05-07-2004, 11:32 AM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	I would have to guess that there was no chance involved, that some owner of this Luger needed to find a sideplate for it, and settled for the closest numbered sideplate he could find. There are 100 identical small-part two number combinations in any 1,000-number serial# block, and at least 50 serial# blocks used during the course of Erfurt's production (Still, "Imperial Lugers, chart p.15). It is not surprising that, with 5,000 potential opportunities, someone found a sideplate one number off. It is rather more surprising that they didn't find the proper number. Do you recall if there was an Erfurt Inspector's stamp on the sideplate? If not, then you expand the serial# calculation throughout the entire span of Luger producers over the time of their production and come up with an identical-number parts pool which is much, much higher. This statisitcal serial# probability is what "force-matching" is all about. Also, with the rigorous production and inspection methods the Germans used to producr P-08, you can be certain that the Luger you examined did not leave the factory that way. --Dwight