Strange magazine please help ID

[Greavous]

Hello all, Im brand new here and although I adore all forms of Luger I do not own one. However, I am a gun guy and own a rather nice specimen of 1943 1911A1.

The reason I signed up here is to seek help figuring out which magazines I have. Years ago I bought a box of reloading supplies and in the box I found these two magazines. Honestly, it wasnt until recent months I took another look at them to discover they were P08 magazines! As I started to look into which ones they were I found the clues few and far between on one of them. So here is what I have and hope someone can elaborate on the details. Both magazines are wood bottom versions.

One is unmarked and in very nice condition. Dent free, rust free, smooth follower and spring movement. There are micro chips in the wood bottom but really pretty nice shape.

The second magazine appears to be a Navy magazine due to the concentric circles in the wood bottom. But here is where things get strange. The numbers stamped into the wood bottom dont go side to side as all the other mags seem to. They are stamped front to rear with a Crown "M" toward the front. The number stamped into the wood bottom is 1897. Even more strange is that is another serial number stamped into the metal portion of the magazine at the rear bottom, "1677". Unfortunately this magazine isnt in as nice of shape as the other and one side of the wood bottom has chipped off. This appears to have happened a very long time ago as the wood where the chip is has a very smoothed surface as if used a lot although chipped.

Attached are some pics. I can certainly take and post more if needed but ill limit thing to just a few which I believe might help the pros do their thing.

Thank for your help,
Chris

The two together




Unmarked bottom of the real nice one



The Navy mag
You are blurry not the picture






Second serial number stamped into the metal

[Edward Tinker]

welcome to the forum

the blank one is a WW1 era or post WW1 era - likely commercial (no markings) by DWM

the navy is an early one and would be worth a good chunk of money if not in bad shape and damaged. early ones were marked this way.

Ed

[Greavous]

Thanks Ed,
Any idea as to why there are two serial numbers on the Navy clip?

[Edward Tinker]

I could be wrong, but I would assume one is the serial number (base) and the other is the weapon number, which was usually a different number than the sn

[stressed]

Admin - start your own thread - no it was not on topic

[Greavous]

Post away! I find this firearm intriguing. Even though I dont own one Ive spent a large portion of the day reading about them.

Mr. Ed (sorry, had to do it),
Is there any chance of the Navy mag I have being from the initial change over when the safety was reversed?

[Lugerdoc]

Greavous, If I owned your M1906 Navy mag, I would send the wood bottom to GT to see if he could repair it, and then find a better condition, proper unnumbered DWM tube to put it in. In this case, better an exc restoration than a poor condition original. TH

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

Greavous, If I owned your M1906 Navy mag, I would send the wood bottom to GT to see if he could repair it, and then find a better condition, proper unnumbered DWM tube to put it in. In this case, better an exc restoration than a poor condition original. TH

I'd be tempted to have the old tube cleaned up and re-plated with nickel. Seems a shame to remove it, with the number stamped on it, from the mag bottom. Bringing the wood bottom back to original condition is definitely do-able, and if the grain is matched up sufficiently between main body and the patches/repairs, restoration will be virtually undetectable.

[Norme]

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

Greavous, If I owned your M1906 Navy mag, I would send the wood bottom to GT to see if he could repair it, and then find a better condition, proper unnumbered DWM tube to put it in. In this case, better an exc restoration than a poor condition original. TH

I agree with Tom, send the mag to GT for repair. However, don't replace the tube, the stamped numbers are a Naval property mark (see photos) and magazines with these are quite rare.
Regards, Norm

[Greavous]

I was poking around on the web for more info and it is amazing what some of these mags bring price wise! Murphy's law says the more valuable one will be the damaged one but still pretty cool knowing these mags have some history. Im not likely to spend any money refurbishing these as I dont have a pistol so Im not infected with the P08 sickness. Probably going to find a new owner who can use them.

Thanks for all the input and info. I know you guys cherish your pistols like I cherish my grandpas 1911a1. Mine isnt built as well as yours but both have enough history to make up for any down side the firearm might have.

On a side note, does anyone have any idea as to the aspect ratio of the grip checkering? Ive been adding checkering to a few things I build and I like the way the ol Luger checkering looks.

Here is a slingshot I made a couple weeks ago that I checkered the contact areas.

[John Sabato]

NICE slingshot! Unfortunately, I don't have my Luger blueprints available at my current location so I can't look up what the angle of the checkering is, but I am pretty sure that 20 lines per inch should should work for the look you are trying to achieve.

Perhaps someone who has purchased the blueprint CD can look up the grips and advise on the angle that was used on them.

[ithacaartist]

3:1, Post-war Mauser Swiss is 3.5:1

20 lpi for early or commercial, 18 lip for military--generally.

[Greavous]

3:1 at 20 lines per inch it is. The slingshot above was done 3.5:1 at 18 lines/in. Its the little things that the ok outstanding. Ill have a go at replicating this on my next slinger.

Thanks guys!
Chris