1913 DWM

From Murray Willis, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand,

Can any one help with some information,

This weekend at an auction, I picked up an excellent 1913 DWM, Caliber 9mm, all matching numbers. This gun is serial number 2111 with no other suffix such as letters. It has Army test proof on the right of receiver, left side of the breach block and the barrel and the barrel gauge on the bottom of the barrel.

It has three crown/gothic Army inspection stamps on the right side receiver.

It has no stock lug or hold open device. At first I thought it might be a 1908 model manufactured in 1913 as a commercial but the serial number does fit in with the commercial range of serial numbers and further more the gun is numbered in the Military style. What have I found? Can any one assist me please.

E-mail .. jan.murray@xtra.co.nz

[Johnny Peppers]

Your pistol is a very early 1913 DWM, and would be correct with no hold-open and no stock lug.

[John Sabato]

Are gun laws in New Zealand as restrictive as they are in Australia?


- John

Murry, You don't mention if the serial numbers of your luger match, but if so it sounds like an unaltered one. So, I'd bet that it came back after WW1 rather than WW2. It would certainly give the pistol more flare, if you could trace it back to the Anzac who might have brought it back from Galipoli. If your registration laws go back that far, it might be worth checking with the "Gov".

Thanks John, for your question about gun laws in New Zealand and our cobbers

across the pond in Australia,

The short answer is no, defiantly not!

Our Gun laws are reasonably good in many respects. Simply as follows.

All owners of firearms,must be registered. this includes owners of any type

of cartridge weapons but excludes flint, match lock percussion etc. but does

not include modern black powder replicas.


All rifles and shotguns are not required to be registered but the owners

must be registered.

All hand guns must be registered as either for pistol club shooting or for

collection and the owners must be registered as a pistol shooter and or a

collector.This law has been in existance for many years.

A collector and a dealer can trade in anything, from rifles, shotguns

pistols revolvers sub machine guns and machine guns and heavy machine guns

such as a 50cal browning.

I collect Lugers and thompson guns for example.I am also a dealer.

It takes about five minutes to obtain a permit to procure (purchase) a sub

machine gun ( if you have the correct license, a collectors or dealers

license) and about a week to obtain a permit to import for a rifle, shot gun

or pistol.

(Sub machine guns are now on longer able to be imported with out a special

license)

Assault Rifles (AK47 etc ) require a E licence which is basically a

registration of both the gun and the owner and they are not allowed to be

full auto like my thompsons are!!

Trust you find this to be of interest,

Regards

Murray Willis

Great Barrier Island

New Zealand.

Thanks for your message John,

I agree with you. It would have possibly come back with the ANZAC's from France or Belgium after WW1.The NZ Army lost 1750 men in one after noon at Passendale including a grand uncle of mine and another of my neighbour. New Zealand suffered the highest casualtirs per capita of all the allies in WW1.

I will try and tracethe gun but our NZ Police are not very good with the records. Most Lugers bought into New Zealand in recent years via Great Brittain are Nito Proofed but this one is not. It is all matching numbers, including the Magazine and the spare mag and came in a black leather Army holster which is marked F. GROSS DRESDEN-N 1915,with correct stripping tool. Price for the complete rig was NZ $1250 which is US$500.00 I also got a 41 S42 WW2 Luger all matching numbers inc Mag for NZ$750 (US$300.00) and a excellent US Model 1928A1 Thompson with 2x30 rd Mags and a set of extra furniture all for NZ$2000.00 which is US$820.00

It was a very successful auction for me.

Very pleased to correspond with you John.

Kindest regards,


Murray Willis.

Great Barrier Island,

New Zealand.

[Marvin]

Hello Murray,


It sounds that your Luger Rig may certainly be a WWI bringback since the entire rig is of that era. It really sounds nice. From the prices you paid for your other firearms sounds really good. I wish I coulf find pieces like this for that price myself, but those are far and few between now for nice collectors pieces. In the US, most States allow the purchase of registered machine guns, but unfortunantly, my State of South Carolina will not allow them at all to be in the hands of civilians and even collectors.


Just don't let NZ do you fellows what happened in Australia with their firearms. I feel that soon, the US will be losing more of our rights to own guns if we don't stick together and fight the problem. The Best to you!


Marvin

thanks for your message Marvin.


There are some amazing guns which keep turning up over here.

The prices reflect the sad state of our economy how ever.

There was a very nice 50 round thompson mag in the Auction but it sold for far more than I had bugeted for , over $1000.00. It went to an overseas postal bidder. I will have to try again.

I picked up a mint 1000 round drum recently and a 1921 thompson gun serial number 586. It is an Irish sword and is listed in Tracie L Hill's book in the first 15000 serial numbers.

I can,t wait to get back to Ralphs Place again. My wife and I attended the "gathering" in early March this year with Capt Jack (John) Mc Carl from Mesa Arizona. I felt I had died and gone to Luger heaven!!. My wife really loved the guns to, although she is an American Civil war collector.

A bit strange for a New Zealander. I think she lived for too long in Texas a few years ago.

Mid night Monday 28th here so I better go to bed.

Kind regards

Murray Willis, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand.

[Big Norm]

This is a fine example of what makes this forum so very interestng. Keep writing Murry. Now, lets also hear something from European luger collectors.

Big Norm