"GERMANY" import stamps

Bill_in_VA · 11-05-2015, 08:59 AM

I have a 1915 DWM military P.08 that's stamped "GERMANY" on the lefthand side of the frame.

As I understand it, the "GERMANY" stamp on so many of the commercial P.08s was one required by the US government for pistols imported into the US through the inter-war years. I presume the same goes for surplus military pistols imported during that same time. I'm curious about those pistols - the surplus military pistols imported from Germany to the US in the period between wars.

As I understand it, the Treaty of Versailles severely limited Germany's military small arms production and placed numerical limitations on the military's possession of small arms (i.e., they can only have so many pistols, rifles, MGs, etc...) and this is why DWM began producing the alphabet Lugers: the alphabet Lugers were intended for the commercial market, not military contracts and were manufactured in .30 cal. and less-than-4-inch barrels to stay in compliance with the Treaty of Versailles.

I also understand that in the immediate post-war period entire units simply disbanded and went home, often with their issued arms. Thus, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and as means to account for those small arms possessed [lawfully by the German government] versus those small arms apropriated by ex-soldiers, owned by civilians, etc... the "1920" property mark was applied to those small arms retained by the German government to arm their home defense force, police, postal workers, etc... and any military-marked small arms not stamped with the "1920" property mark were contraband.

(Am I on target, so far?)

If that's the case, what accounts for ex-military P.08s with a "GERMANY" import stamp? Obviously these weren't captured by GIs, nor did they come through France, Great Britain, etc... through arms dealers (Sam Cummings' grandfather?

) Were there German surplus arms dealers? Was DWM/Simson gathering and selling surplus military pistols for sale on the secondary international (i.e., US) market?

In other words, how/why did these guns come to have the "GERMANY" import stamp applied, and by whom?

Edit: I cross posted this on Jan Still's site.

11-05-2015, 08:59 AM	#1
Bill_in_VA User Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Southwest Virginia Posts: 346 Thanks: 731 Thanked 470 Times in 178 Posts	"GERMANY" import stamps I have a 1915 DWM military P.08 that's stamped "GERMANY" on the lefthand side of the frame. As I understand it, the "GERMANY" stamp on so many of the commercial P.08s was one required by the US government for pistols imported into the US through the inter-war years. I presume the same goes for surplus military pistols imported during that same time. I'm curious about those pistols - the surplus military pistols imported from Germany to the US in the period between wars. As I understand it, the Treaty of Versailles severely limited Germany's military small arms production and placed numerical limitations on the military's possession of small arms (i.e., they can only have so many pistols, rifles, MGs, etc...) and this is why DWM began producing the alphabet Lugers: the alphabet Lugers were intended for the commercial market, not military contracts and were manufactured in .30 cal. and less-than-4-inch barrels to stay in compliance with the Treaty of Versailles. I also understand that in the immediate post-war period entire units simply disbanded and went home, often with their issued arms. Thus, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and as means to account for those small arms possessed [lawfully by the German government] versus those small arms apropriated by ex-soldiers, owned by civilians, etc... the "1920" property mark was applied to those small arms retained by the German government to arm their home defense force, police, postal workers, etc... and any military-marked small arms not stamped with the "1920" property mark were contraband. (Am I on target, so far?) If that's the case, what accounts for ex-military P.08s with a "GERMANY" import stamp? Obviously these weren't captured by GIs, nor did they come through France, Great Britain, etc... through arms dealers (Sam Cummings' grandfather? ) Were there German surplus arms dealers? Was DWM/Simson gathering and selling surplus military pistols for sale on the secondary international (i.e., US) market? In other words, how/why did these guns come to have the "GERMANY" import stamp applied, and by whom? Edit: I cross posted this on Jan Still's site. __________________ John 8:32 reive (riːv) vb (Military) (intr) dialect Scot and Northern English to go on a plundering raid [variant of reave] ˈreiver n e.g., " Some view the Border Reivers as loveable rogues." Last edited by Bill_in_VA; 11-05-2015 at 10:00 AM.