New to Lugers

[XTARHEEL]

Gentlemen, while I am new to Lugers and this forum, I have been a shooter and collector all of my adult life. Yesterday's acquisition has left me scratching my head.

I purchased a Luger at a collectors gun show in the Chicago area yesteday. Not being a Luger collecter but wanting a good representitive piece to add to my other significant handguns from the first half of the 20th century, I purchased a DWM marked 1920 with all matching numbers except the magazine. This pistol is in 9mm.

Out of the 200 or so Lugers at the show, this one was the lowest priced although it looks good and seems to function well although I haven't shot it yet. While I understand why scarce variations and historicaly significant examples can command very high prices, I was wondering why mine was so cheap (realitively speaking)compared to all the others. Is this the most common? Is there some other factor that makes this pistol so undesirable? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Herb]

Robert, there is not really enough information given to respond to. Was the luger was one many offered by the same dealer or was it for sale by a non dealer and the only one he (or she) had? How much blueing remains, also the condition of the straw colored parts, rust, dings, scratches, condition of the grips and the bore? Could you post some pics of it?

[XTARHEEL]

I'll try to post a picture when I get my digital camera back from my daughter. It has a three didgit serial number, 4XX on the receiver, under the barrel and on the part the barrel screws into 90 degrees from where the "1920" is on the left side. The last two numbers appear on six other places that I can see without taking it apart. Also under the barrel there is the letter "N" in script with 8.82 under it. The numbers and edges are sharp so I don't think it's a reblue. The only word written on it is "Gesichert" under the safety lever. The safety, trigger, magazine release and takedown lever are straw colored. Proof marks apear in two places. On the right side 90 degrees from the "1920" are what looks like three, three legged eagles with some small marks under each of them and one of the same eagle on the barrel. I paid a little over $600 from an individual.

[saxman]

Look in the Tech Info section to the left and check 'proof marks'. You'll see that your proofs are #31, for Weimar military and police reworks. This also applies to new pistols made in that era. The '1920' most likely is a government property mark. Your pistol is probably an undated 1920. If it has sear and magazine safeties it was for the police. Without the extra safeties, it would be military. I found all this out while researching mine, which is similar. These pistols are not the most desirable of the Lugers from a collecting standpoint, although most of them were used in WWII. Check the Military Luger category for '1920 DWM' to see the thread I hijacked to discuss mine. **Edited** Sorry, that thread is called 'Significance Of 1920'. Got my forums mixed up.

[XTARHEEL]

I filled out the information sheet to the best of my ability.

The toggle inscription has DWM and the last two numbers of the serial number "73". The chamber inscription is 1920; the toggle knob is squared and knurled. There is not a grip or magazine safety. There is a stock lug. It is in 9mm with a very shiney bore, no pitting. The grips are checkered walnut with no border nor insignas. The thumb safety is safe in the rear position with the word "Gesichert" showing. Also a sear block moves into position when the safety is applied. The serial number is on the left side of the chamber, front of the frame, and under the barrel with a script "N" under the number along with 8.82. When disassembled there is a lug under the chamber that has a N with a circle around it and next to that a "2". The proof marks are like illustration #31 with a single eagle of the same style on the side of the barrel. The left edge of the extractor has the word "Geladen" stamped on it. The front sight is dove tailed into a slot in the barrel which is 4" long. The rear sight is a notch milled into the the rear of the toggle. The magazine bottom is wood with the serial number 5877 stamped in it.

The blueing apears to be original and is better than 90%. The strawing looks like new on all straw parts. The left grip panel shows wear where a right handed shooters thumb would wrap around. All serials numbers match except the "hold Open" which is stamped "66" and the "73" on the trigger apears to be an overstamp.

Thank you in advance for your help. I took it to my club and it shoots very well.

[Herb]

Observations, from your last post I have the following concern, 'strawing looks like new' as strawing tends to lighten after long exposure to sunlight. 'the left grip panel shows wear....., If this is in fact then the front and rear grip straps should also show consdierable wear to the blueing from being hand carried. No having much knowledge on the commercial model I hesitate to comment on the remainder. There are many ways to spot a reblue or rework, but not having a scanner I can't post them here. If I recall Pete has the article and might be able to email it to you, Pete are you reading this??

[XTARHEEL]

Herb: Thanks for your reply. The blueing looks original in that all the corners as well as the lettering are "sharp". Does not appear to have been om a buffing wheel. The wear on the grip panel does not look like someone holding it as much as it having rubbed a aginst something hard. As far as the straw. I have no other guns with "straw" parts so I really don't know if it's faded or not. THe straw parts look uniform in color. I'll try a digital close up, I haven't been too lucky in that regard, back to the instruction book.