Help with proof marks

cckling · 02-28-2003, 09:20 AM

On a recently purchased luger, was told it was a 1920 commercial, I noted a scripted m on the barrel and on the receiver. On the underside of the barrel is the crown over n, serial number 1900, and the scripted m. On the receiver, serial number 1900, "GERMANY", and the scripted m. I cannot find the m on the proof page. Any ideas? Is my dating correct (1920)?

Thanx,

Dwight Gruber · 02-28-2003, 10:18 AM

The script m is actually part of the serial number. Military and inter-war commercial Lugers were numbered in blocks of four digits and a letter. Numbering started with 1, went to 9,999, and then went back to 1a (1 with a letter suffix) for the next 9,999 guns, and so on through the alphabet.

NOTE, that this letter, as part of the serial#, should be included in any records you keep or any licensing or registration you are required to obtain. You can see that, in the manufacturing range of inter-war Lugers, there are potentially 26 Lugers with serial# 1900, it is the letter suffix which differentiates them.

The crown/N stamp is the commercial nitro proof mark, and GERMANY is an export stamp.

The term "1920 Commercial" has been used for many years to categorize inter-war Lugers in general. Recently, many collectors have begun to identify these guns by different designations, which are a bit more useful in describing a Luger's origin.

Your gun is what is coming to be called an "Alphabet Commercial", that is, an inter-war Commercial Luger which is numbered in the Military manner (four digits and a letter suffix). Your serial number indicates that your Luger was probably manufactured in late 1923.

--Dwight

02-28-2003, 09:20 AM	#1
cckling New User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Help with proof marks On a recently purchased luger, was told it was a 1920 commercial, I noted a scripted m on the barrel and on the receiver. On the underside of the barrel is the crown over n, serial number 1900, and the scripted m. On the receiver, serial number 1900, "GERMANY", and the scripted m. I cannot find the m on the proof page. Any ideas? Is my dating correct (1920)? Thanx,

02-28-2003, 10:18 AM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,890 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,282 Times in 424 Posts	The script m is actually part of the serial number. Military and inter-war commercial Lugers were numbered in blocks of four digits and a letter. Numbering started with 1, went to 9,999, and then went back to 1a (1 with a letter suffix) for the next 9,999 guns, and so on through the alphabet. NOTE, that this letter, as part of the serial#, should be included in any records you keep or any licensing or registration you are required to obtain. You can see that, in the manufacturing range of inter-war Lugers, there are potentially 26 Lugers with serial# 1900, it is the letter suffix which differentiates them. The crown/N stamp is the commercial nitro proof mark, and GERMANY is an export stamp. The term "1920 Commercial" has been used for many years to categorize inter-war Lugers in general. Recently, many collectors have begun to identify these guns by different designations, which are a bit more useful in describing a Luger's origin. Your gun is what is coming to be called an "Alphabet Commercial", that is, an inter-war Commercial Luger which is numbered in the Military manner (four digits and a letter suffix). Your serial number indicates that your Luger was probably manufactured in late 1923. --Dwight