My new 1914 DWM Military/ Range Report/ stamp/marking question...

uhlster · 06-29-2011, 09:45 AM

Hey all, picked up this beauty spontaneously at Collectors Firearms in Houston last week. I have always wanted one and decided hell, at least it doesn't depreciate like every other thing I own

they had around 35 Lugers on display.

All total around 1600$, might have been over-priced? yea, but actually it was the second, or third, cheapest one there. They had an 1100$ beat up Erfurt... but I just knew when I held this one I had to have it, and I rarely get that feeling anymore, so screw it!

So anyway pics first, the gun is in overall very good condition... for being as old as it is. Bluing is mainly all there except for the usual spots. All matching except for the magazine. Barrel has strong lining, but has frosting unfortunately, I read somewhere this mainly had to do with the case primer's used back then? Few pitted areas, but no real rusty spots, overall it has good character, and I love the grips.

^area in question, I have seen the 1914/WW1 DWM military acceptance proofs, but mine starts with and X, and I really can't make out the other two, perhaps Q? G? Anyway the other stamps I have seen did not have these letters in this arrangement. I apologize for the inverted rotation of the image in advance.

Shooting the firearm:
First, I bought high grain expensive Remington brass ect 124 9mm ammo, and this Luger DID NOT like! It failed to load almost every other shot. BUT it did love the cheap wolf/Russian 8$ a box 9mm steel 115gr ammo, go figure. Not a single jam even with a full stacked mag.

Second, my trigger is hard to shoot/ pull till it shoots. I have read where this can become normal, maybe I am used to today's firearms, but the click does not come until the last hair of that trigger can be pulled for the most part. I know this has to do with the way the action works itself, maybe it is supposed to be like this, and if I wanted a shooter I could tweak it to fire much more in advance. It is dead accurate when I can keep my hand still with the squeeze, though, and follow up shots are not a problem. I don't plan on shooting this much if ever, but I wanted to bond with the gun; glad to know she still purrs

Cleaning it after took about an hour. Damn grains of powder annoy the hell out of me!

Edward Tinker · 06-29-2011, 05:55 PM

Welcome to the forum.

some straight left, straight right and full serial number would help us, help you.

Not sure what you are asking for on the acceptance and proofs on the right? There were different inspectors, each with a stamp...

Lugers can be finicky, so ammo is important. Lots of folks like the winchester white box brand. The wolf brand is fine, although I believe steel cased?

The trigger can be tweaked, but if it works fine, then figure it out as is, I say that because it is easy to mess up the trigger pull and if you look at the mechanism, you can see that the trigger pushes onto the sideplate and the sideplate lever actuates the sear, kinda lengthy click...

Price seems a bit high, but not awful if all original and matching. Keep in mind that if you shoot it and break a numbered part (rare occurrence, but I've done it), then the value goes waaay down. Depending on the part, it could go down to shooter level ($600-$800).

ed

uhlster · 06-29-2011, 06:40 PM

Ok, so there were different inspectors that makes more sense. I thought it was just one stamp that was generalized which had me confused. Here are the serial #'s, am I missing the "5 digit" serial # somewhere that I keep reading about? shouldn't there be 4 numbers and a letter? Thanks for helping me locate it... these are the spots I am finding #'s besides the little parts.

^ does the Bo27 have something to do with the steel manufacturer?

^ you can see where someone has tried to pry it open with something in the past

lugerholsterrepair · 06-29-2011, 06:53 PM

Steven, Your pistol appears to have no suffix so it is an early 1914. #670 of the first 9,999 built.

uhlster · 06-29-2011, 07:13 PM

Ah, thanks for the clarification Jerry!

FNorm · 06-29-2011, 08:34 PM

Your letters might be X Q B. there is a 1914 ser.no 468 and a sn 1426 reported with those letters.

Looks like a decent piece. May I suggest that your thoroughly clean inside the breech, inside the firing pin, AND under the extractor. Places some collectors miss.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/search/luger/

Also if you're going to continue to shoot it, get a new magazine. Those wooden bases are getting fragile.

FN

uhlster · 06-29-2011, 09:55 PM

FN, is there a database/catalogue somewhere I could enter it's information into? Those letters make sense since it's around the same serial # I have. And yes, I cleaned it thoroughly, even under the extractor (blasted hobbes#9 in there and all sorts of gunk came out) the only parts I didn't get to were under the grips. I was told not to remove them for cleaning... Is that true? Something about how they might not fit as well afterwards an fear of chipping a vital piece on the left grip.

Edward Tinker · 06-30-2011, 12:06 AM

I have never cleaned under the extractor or ejector...

Never heard NOT taking the grips off, what is important is how you take them off.

They can be fragile (same with shooting, lots of force there); so you take the screw off, push from inside while pulling out with your thumbnail. Just realizing that if the grip is 'sticking' to the frame it may break, so gentleness is required.

Then clean under them once off.

Ed

PS: To those who collect info, you provided it for their databases by posting here

JCP · 06-30-2011, 12:08 AM

Please don't shoot Wolf or any other steel cased ammo in your Luger. I work for Winchester at their pistol range. I have seen Wolf ammo rip extractors out of modern guns. Just last week a new Springfield 1911 broke it's extractor in about 25 rounds with Wolf ammo. Shooters are only supposed to shoot WW on the range. I don't think he will be shooting any of it again. I'm sure you don't want your almost 100 year old gun to break. Try WW 115 white box ammo (a shameless plug for Winchester). Joe

sheepherder · 06-30-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCP

Try WW 115 white box ammo (a shameless plug for Winchester). Joe

Available at Wal-Mart.

FNorm · 06-30-2011, 05:44 PM

Uhlster;

The letter/proof info is a book, Still's," Central Powers Pistols." For a shooter, ya wanna clean in all the small spaces. I take the extractor pin out, and really get in there. But you need a .060 push pin, like the luger pin that Simpson's sells Around $10. They can be hard to get out, and even harder to get back together.

Grips can be tricky. Especially the left one. View the "How to vids" and as Ed says, be very gentle.

FN

06-29-2011, 09:45 AM	#1
uhlster User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 30 Thanks: 0 Thanked 42 Times in 6 Posts	My new 1914 DWM Military/ Range Report/ stamp/marking question... Hey all, picked up this beauty spontaneously at Collectors Firearms in Houston last week. I have always wanted one and decided hell, at least it doesn't depreciate like every other thing I own they had around 35 Lugers on display. All total around 1600$, might have been over-priced? yea, but actually it was the second, or third, cheapest one there. They had an 1100$ beat up Erfurt... but I just knew when I held this one I had to have it, and I rarely get that feeling anymore, so screw it! So anyway pics first, the gun is in overall very good condition... for being as old as it is. Bluing is mainly all there except for the usual spots. All matching except for the magazine. Barrel has strong lining, but has frosting unfortunately, I read somewhere this mainly had to do with the case primer's used back then? Few pitted areas, but no real rusty spots, overall it has good character, and I love the grips. ^area in question, I have seen the 1914/WW1 DWM military acceptance proofs, but mine starts with and X, and I really can't make out the other two, perhaps Q? G? Anyway the other stamps I have seen did not have these letters in this arrangement. I apologize for the inverted rotation of the image in advance. Shooting the firearm: First, I bought high grain expensive Remington brass ect 124 9mm ammo, and this Luger DID NOT like! It failed to load almost every other shot. BUT it did love the cheap wolf/Russian 8$ a box 9mm steel 115gr ammo, go figure. Not a single jam even with a full stacked mag. Second, my trigger is hard to shoot/ pull till it shoots. I have read where this can become normal, maybe I am used to today's firearms, but the click does not come until the last hair of that trigger can be pulled for the most part. I know this has to do with the way the action works itself, maybe it is supposed to be like this, and if I wanted a shooter I could tweak it to fire much more in advance. It is dead accurate when I can keep my hand still with the squeeze, though, and follow up shots are not a problem. I don't plan on shooting this much if ever, but I wanted to bond with the gun; glad to know she still purrs Cleaning it after took about an hour. Damn grains of powder annoy the hell out of me!

06-29-2011, 05:55 PM	#2
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,927 Thanks: 2,026 Thanked 4,525 Times in 2,090 Posts	Welcome to the forum. some straight left, straight right and full serial number would help us, help you. Not sure what you are asking for on the acceptance and proofs on the right? There were different inspectors, each with a stamp... Lugers can be finicky, so ammo is important. Lots of folks like the winchester white box brand. The wolf brand is fine, although I believe steel cased? The trigger can be tweaked, but if it works fine, then figure it out as is, I say that because it is easy to mess up the trigger pull and if you look at the mechanism, you can see that the trigger pushes onto the sideplate and the sideplate lever actuates the sear, kinda lengthy click... Price seems a bit high, but not awful if all original and matching. Keep in mind that if you shoot it and break a numbered part (rare occurrence, but I've done it), then the value goes waaay down. Depending on the part, it could go down to shooter level ($600-$800). ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

06-29-2011, 06:53 PM	#4
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,771 Thanks: 4,922 Thanked 3,123 Times in 1,434 Posts	Steven, Your pistol appears to have no suffix so it is an early 1914. #670 of the first 9,999 built. __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

06-30-2011, 12:06 AM	#8
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,927 Thanks: 2,026 Thanked 4,525 Times in 2,090 Posts	I have never cleaned under the extractor or ejector... Never heard NOT taking the grips off, what is important is how you take them off. They can be fragile (same with shooting, lots of force there); so you take the screw off, push from inside while pulling out with your thumbnail. Just realizing that if the grip is 'sticking' to the frame it may break, so gentleness is required. Then clean under them once off. Ed PS: To those who collect info, you provided it for their databases by posting here __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

06-29-2011, 06:40 PM	#3
uhlster User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 30 Thanks: 0 Thanked 42 Times in 6 Posts	Ok, so there were different inspectors that makes more sense. I thought it was just one stamp that was generalized which had me confused. Here are the serial #'s, am I missing the "5 digit" serial # somewhere that I keep reading about? shouldn't there be 4 numbers and a letter? Thanks for helping me locate it... these are the spots I am finding #'s besides the little parts. ^ does the Bo27 have something to do with the steel manufacturer? ^ you can see where someone has tried to pry it open with something in the past

06-29-2011, 07:13 PM	#5
uhlster User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 30 Thanks: 0 Thanked 42 Times in 6 Posts	Ah, thanks for the clarification Jerry!

06-29-2011, 08:34 PM	#6
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	Your letters might be X Q B. there is a 1914 ser.no 468 and a sn 1426 reported with those letters. Looks like a decent piece. May I suggest that your thoroughly clean inside the breech, inside the firing pin, AND under the extractor. Places some collectors miss. http://www.wonderhowto.com/search/luger/ Also if you're going to continue to shoot it, get a new magazine. Those wooden bases are getting fragile. FN Last edited by FNorm; 06-29-2011 at 08:39 PM. Reason: add

06-29-2011, 09:55 PM	#7
uhlster User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 30 Thanks: 0 Thanked 42 Times in 6 Posts	FN, is there a database/catalogue somewhere I could enter it's information into? Those letters make sense since it's around the same serial # I have. And yes, I cleaned it thoroughly, even under the extractor (blasted hobbes#9 in there and all sorts of gunk came out) the only parts I didn't get to were under the grips. I was told not to remove them for cleaning... Is that true? Something about how they might not fit as well afterwards an fear of chipping a vital piece on the left grip.

06-30-2011, 12:08 AM	#9
JCP User Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 5 Posts	Please don't shoot Wolf or any other steel cased ammo in your Luger. I work for Winchester at their pistol range. I have seen Wolf ammo rip extractors out of modern guns. Just last week a new Springfield 1911 broke it's extractor in about 25 rounds with Wolf ammo. Shooters are only supposed to shoot WW on the range. I don't think he will be shooting any of it again. I'm sure you don't want your almost 100 year old gun to break. Try WW 115 white box ammo (a shameless plug for Winchester). Joe

06-30-2011, 05:44 PM	#11
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	Uhlster; The letter/proof info is a book, Still's," Central Powers Pistols." For a shooter, ya wanna clean in all the small spaces. I take the extractor pin out, and really get in there. But you need a .060 push pin, like the luger pin that Simpson's sells Around $10. They can be hard to get out, and even harder to get back together. Grips can be tricky. Especially the left one. View the "How to vids" and as Ed says, be very gentle. FN