commercial or military

[Dwight Gruber]

Your Luger has a -very- interesting story to tell. Your pictures are tantalizing, in that some information can be determined, and some are just obscure enough for further question.

The acceptance marks and proofs on the right receiver are dim, but appear to be the proper marks for either a 1921 DWM military or police Luger, or a Simson rework of a Luger of that year. That this was a police pistol can be confirmed by the hole drilled in the shelf above the sear bar where a sear safety (a Weimar/early 3rd Reich Police Luger characteristic) was once attached.

I will speculate that the lettering on the right receiver is an importer's stamp, for a company based in New Jersey.

The grips are commonly called Vopo, for Volkspolezei, the East German police. East German Luger reworks were usually given these grips. Other characteristics point to this pistol being an East German rework, not the least being the WWII Mauser S/42 toggle. The sideplate has also been replaced; Lugers with a sear safety have the top of the side plate cut away for the safety mechanism.

Still tantalizing are the markings on the left side of the gun--frame, receiver, and breechblock--unidentifiable in the photograph. It will be useful to see any and all markings on the barrel.

Also, there should be letters and numbers under the right receiver marks, a photo with more original contrast--i.e., more contrasty lighting, perhaps from a very oblique angle--will make them easier to detect.

It will be interesting to see a closeup of the mark on the loading tool. The magazine appears to be a third-party aftermarket piece.

That's all I can tell you for now.

--Dwight