1917 Navies, show 'em if you've got'em!

Norme · 08-20-2019, 02:28 PM

I've noticed that this forum has gotten rather quiet recently (last time I checked there were only six members viewing!), so in an effort to spark interest, here are the 1917 Navies in my collection. In order they are: #898, #2588, #2756*, #5302, #9440* and #3119a.
Norm
* Matching mags.

DonVoigt · 08-20-2019, 02:37 PM

Norm,
Nice as expected, but what does the asterisk after the serial number mean?

wlyon · 08-20-2019, 04:41 PM

Norm
A very special gathering. Bill

Norme · 08-20-2019, 05:44 PM

Hi Don,
The two guns with an asterisk have matching mags.
Norm

Blm14740 · 08-20-2019, 06:38 PM

Ask me again in a few weeks, Norm. Outstanding display.

-Brandon

DonVoigt · 08-21-2019, 09:23 AM

My only 1917, a slightly mismatched one.

I had painstakingly restored it with original parts as best I could from its 4" military upper condition to "just" a mismatched 1917 Navy. I was lucky to find a complete matching to itself 1917 navy upper. Note the odd cross numbering of the magazine, if I squint a little I can convince myself its number matches the frame.

Fast forward a few months, I hear via the transferring shop that the serial number showed up as stolen!

This example was a pain in the derriere to keep!
When it transferred to me and the serial number run by NCIC,
it came back "stolen". Before you get too excited as to the "why" it was checked, it is a NC law that weapons that pass through a pawn shop have their serial number submitted and checked to see if stolen.

Seems this one was stolen 30 or 40 years ago in the mid west.
The man who owned it had died, but his wife was still alive and when the local PD detective contacted me- she wanted it back.

After some back and forth about luger serial numbers and suffixes, I could not prove this was not the pistol stolen- with just a 4 digit serial number reported. Yes, this navy has no suffix. So I was obligated to return it.

Longer story short, I wound up explaining to the son of the wife all about lugers and how what I bought was not what was stolen, but only part of it at best- and that what I had now was mostly "my" parts on what might have been his father's original frame.
He was reasonable and I only had to pay a few hundred $$ ransom to get to keep the frame.

It took several more weeks and email and phone calls with the detective to get the serial number removed from the NCIC system.

So, here it is, in all its reconstructed glory.

Norme · 08-21-2019, 09:43 AM

Quite a story Don, I'm glad it had a happy ending. The gun itself looks very nice.
Regards, Norm
P.S. What are the serial numbers?

DonVoigt · 08-21-2019, 04:42 PM

Thanks Norm, it is kind of special to me- since I almost "lost" it !

Serial numbers of my 1917 described above:

Sergio Natali · 08-22-2019, 04:55 AM

Thanks Norm for sharing.

Congrats on such a great array of Navies!

08-20-2019, 02:28 PM	#1
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	1917 Navies, show 'em if you've got'em! I've noticed that this forum has gotten rather quiet recently (last time I checked there were only six members viewing!), so in an effort to spark interest, here are the 1917 Navies in my collection. In order they are: #898, #2588, #2756, #5302, #9440 and #3119a. Norm * Matching mags. Attached Thumbnails

08-21-2019, 09:23 AM	#6
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,677 Thanks: 1,439 Thanked 4,347 Times in 2,038 Posts	My only 1917, a slightly mismatched one. I had painstakingly restored it with original parts as best I could from its 4" military upper condition to "just" a mismatched 1917 Navy. I was lucky to find a complete matching to itself 1917 navy upper. Note the odd cross numbering of the magazine, if I squint a little I can convince myself its number matches the frame. Fast forward a few months, I hear via the transferring shop that the serial number showed up as stolen! This example was a pain in the derriere to keep! When it transferred to me and the serial number run by NCIC, it came back "stolen". Before you get too excited as to the "why" it was checked, it is a NC law that weapons that pass through a pawn shop have their serial number submitted and checked to see if stolen. Seems this one was stolen 30 or 40 years ago in the mid west. The man who owned it had died, but his wife was still alive and when the local PD detective contacted me- she wanted it back. After some back and forth about luger serial numbers and suffixes, I could not prove this was not the pistol stolen- with just a 4 digit serial number reported. Yes, this navy has no suffix. So I was obligated to return it. Longer story short, I wound up explaining to the son of the wife all about lugers and how what I bought was not what was stolen, but only part of it at best- and that what I had now was mostly "my" parts on what might have been his father's original frame. He was reasonable and I only had to pay a few hundred $$ ransom to get to keep the frame. It took several more weeks and email and phone calls with the detective to get the serial number removed from the NCIC system. So, here it is, in all its reconstructed glory. Attached Thumbnails __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

08-20-2019, 02:37 PM	#2
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,677 Thanks: 1,439 Thanked 4,347 Times in 2,038 Posts	Norm, Nice as expected, but what does the asterisk after the serial number mean? __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

08-20-2019, 04:41 PM	#3
wlyon Lifer 2X Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere in Montana Posts: 2,614 Thanks: 3,140 Thanked 2,519 Times in 939 Posts	Norm A very special gathering. Bill __________________ Bill Lyon

08-20-2019, 05:44 PM	#4
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	Hi Don, The two guns with an asterisk have matching mags. Norm

08-20-2019, 06:38 PM	#5
Blm14740 User Join Date: May 2019 Location: Tennessee Posts: 52 Thanks: 6 Thanked 55 Times in 16 Posts	Ask me again in a few weeks, Norm. Outstanding display. -Brandon

08-21-2019, 09:43 AM	#7
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	Quite a story Don, I'm glad it had a happy ending. The gun itself looks very nice. Regards, Norm P.S. What are the serial numbers?

08-21-2019, 04:42 PM	#8
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,677 Thanks: 1,439 Thanked 4,347 Times in 2,038 Posts	Thanks Norm, it is kind of special to me- since I almost "lost" it ! Serial numbers of my 1917 described above: Attached Thumbnails __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

08-22-2019, 04:55 AM	#9
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,082 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	Thanks Norm for sharing. Congrats on such a great array of Navies! __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.