id

[merc]

Hi Guys,
I have been doing some additional research on my Luger.
I have a friend that has one of those books â??World of Lugersâ?� by Sam Costanzo.Volume I
I understand that this book is worth big bucks.
Anyway , my pistol has very little markings on it. It does NOT have a year on it anywhere.
I matched the few markings with those in the book and this is what I deduce:
It is a DWM .30 luger caliber and and has a crown and an N on it.
This seems to reflect â??a very early modelâ?� manufactured between 1900 and 1906.
The serial number 5011 was one assigned during 1906.
It has a stock lug on it and is in pretty good shape. A little pitting on the left side, probably caused by the holster.
Oh yeaâ??the costâ??$298.00
I didnâ??t know (and still donâ??t really) much about lugers, but when I saw it-I had to have it as part of my collection.
I posted this under commercial, but thrith be told â??I donâ??t have a clue if it is commercial or military.
1906 or 1930.. (DWM merged with Mauser in 1930 and produced pistols with the same serial numbers as the early years.â??The difference , I think, is that by 1930 they were using 9mm
Any thoughts????????
Paul

[merc]

oh yea--I forgot to ask
What is 'straw'??
I read that bluing is x % there and the straw is x %

[wterrell]

merc,

Where to begin?

I would suggest that you start yourself on the right road by purchasing a few books. If you lurk around this website very long, you are going to purchase pistols. Collecting fever is a consumption, and will do much damage to you if you do not harness and control this desire for acquisitions. To do this, you must be knowledgeable of Lugers.
We have quite a few expert researchers on this forum. Published authors, unpublished authors, and those currently compiling manuscript pages, as we speak.
I suggest this to you so that you will not be disappointed in any purchase that you may make and then have to turn around and sell it after learning that you are not happy with an ignorant purchase.

Next, I suggest that you procure a digital camera. The very first thing for which the members of this forum are going to ask is a picture. (They have very little imagination and must be shown a thousand words at once.)

[Doubs]

Paul, from the EXTREMELY limited information you've provided, my best guess (and it's only a guess) is that you have one of the very common post-WW1 DWM commercial Lugers in .30 caliber.

The early commercial Lugers didn't have the stock lug. Commercial serial number 5011 would have been used long before 1906. The 1906 model Lugers had a grip safety. You could, I suppose, have a rework of a 1904 model Navy Luger which would have the stock lug. The rework would also have been post-WW1.

As Wes suggested above.... good, clear, sharp pictures would help a great deal as well as an explaination of ALL markings on the pistol and barrel length. Is the pistol marked "Germany" anywhere? Is there a small letter under the serial number on the front of the frame? You must help us with more detail if we're to help you.

No matter what you have, $298 is a fantastic price! You did very well indeed.

[kidvett]

I'll second Doubs and go with a 1920 Commercial [img]confused.gif[/img]

kidvett [img]cool.gif[/img]

[merc]

Ok boys--you asked for it--here it is....
!st off Wes--there is no way that one can buy a luger and then trgret the purchase and have to sell it. If you have a love fun guns then that is out of the question. I may not be super knowledgable on lugers but I love to collect (with a very limited account) and love to shoot.
I have bee shootin' since age 11 and am now 48.
I own 32 guns(pistols-rifles-shotguns-black powder--old and modern) That is 37 years and have NRver sold a gun.
Here are all the marks I can find on the gun (and that's using an eye loop).
DMW German Luger Serial number 5011 caliber .30 luger On the left side of the receiver A crown with an N under it---This crown denotes a very early proof mark Under the safety the word Gesichert On top of the receiver DWM (in very fancy scroll letters) {these pistols were manufactured from 1900 to 1906 and 1906 to 1930}[DWM merged with Mauser in 1930] In front of receiver 5011 (serial number{note:this serial number was manufactured in 1906)
Inside the frame (just above the trigger) â??Sâ?? On the underside of the barrel: A crown N 5011 On the (left) side plate (under the receiver release) 11
Inside the side plate 7
here are some pictures

[merc]

oops
Those are NOT my oictures-I must have goofed up the link
I will try again.

[Russ]

merc
It looks like a 1920 commercial. you did fine with what you paid for it. takeit out and enjoy it. I agree with everyone else, if you want to collect lugers, spend the money and buy the books. It will save you money and headachs in the long run. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Russ

[wterrell]

[quote] That is 37 years and have never sold a gun.
<hr></blockquote>

merc, remember me in your will!

[merc]

Hey Wes
Thanks for the advice-------
"collecting fever is a consumption" and I can not"harness" or "control my desire for acquisitions"
However I think you had the opposite effect and actuall put a hex on me.
After my post this morning, I went up to the trading post again with my wife to pickup a reloading die set. While there guess what I spot.
Yep a genuine 1917 Erfurt Luger in 9mm. Of course I had to check it out and all the parts have the same number on them. After some negotiating of which I didn't win-I put it on lay away and bought it for 490 bucks. Not a bad deal (I thought)This pistol appeared in excellent shape-but you know I'm no expert.
After buying that I had to buy my honey a sweat shirt AND take her out for a seafood dinner.
Thanks a lot
Paul

[Doubs]

Paul, your pictures show a post-WW1 commercial Luger that is likely a re-worked military pistol, converted from the original 9mm to .30 Luger by the simple change of the barrel.

The Crown/N marking is a commercial proof mark but may have been applied after the original military serial number on the left side of the forward receiver was removed. The sear bar is 1916 or earlier because it's not "relieved"... you can't apply the safety and still work the action because the sear bar contacts the safety lever and prevents the action from moving further rearward. At some point in 1916 the sear bar was "relieved" so that the action could move rearward while the safety was applied. Many Lugers made before 1916 had their sear bars modified.

The stock lug became standard on military DWM pistols during 1913 and post-war commercial Lugers also had them.

If you examine the receiver over the chamber (where the 1917 Erfurt is dated) you may detect an unevenness where a military date was removed. Then again, yours may have been manufactured after the war without a date as many commercial Lugers were.

The wood-base magazine is correct for a post-war commercial or military commercial re-work. Your grips appear to be replacements... much too new to be original IMO.

Another clue as to it's province is to look on the underside of the sideplate and take-down lever (locking bolt) and see if the last two digits of the serial number appear there. That's how a commercial Luger would be marked. However, re-works after the war, still considered to be "commercial" Lugers, may carry markings of former military guns.

Everything I see about your Luger, especially the barrel length, suggests a post-WW1 commercial or military re-work commercial Luger of the early 1920's.

[merc]

thanks Doubs
I will check it out using the info you provide.
I do appreciate all the advice from the various forum members.
I intend to buy a book asap.
Thanks again
Paul