LugerForum Discussion Forums my profile | register | faq | search
upload photo | donate | calendar

Go Back   LugerForum Discussion Forums > Luger Discussion Forums > Unit Markings

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Unread 06-12-2020, 05:36 PM   #1
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default Unit Markings on an Unfortunate "Hybrid"

Greetings to all. I believe this is my first post, although I may have "chimed in" on one or two others.
The subject of this post is one of those unfortunate Lugers that comes by us, from time to time, what I call a "hybrid mismatch". This one is a shooter I picked up at a gun show, several years ago, from a guy who was walking around with it sticking out of his back pocket. I would not ordinarily bother this astute forum with such a mundane example of our favorite handgun, but please read on.
The pistol has a very nice G-date upper receiver unit, and what I believe to be a WWI, unit-marked lower frame. The lower is not quite as nice as the upper, but is interesting to me for its unit marking: S.E.I.44., stamped into the right side of the front grip. One can see, very faintly, that a previous unit marking was down the center of the frone grip frame. In addition to having been apparently polished out, at one point, it also had "X" marks, scratched over the previous markings. Here is an image of the grip frame:

Click image for larger version

Name:	Unit Mark Hybrid Luger.jpg
Views:	93
Size:	47.8 KB
ID:	79936

I know there are forum member who could identify this unit in their sleep, but I've not been able to do so, on my own. Someone once told me it was probably an ambulance unit. But please help me out here, and I promise to stick to more worthy subjects, in future.

Great forum. Thanks for your time.

litteralis
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
The following member says Thank You to frankenlugerguy for your post:
Unread 06-12-2020, 05:43 PM   #2
DonVoigt
User
 
DonVoigt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: near Charlotte NC
Posts: 4,674
Thanks: 1,435
Thanked 4,341 Times in 2,036 Posts
Default

the grip marking is from the
Schupo of Erfurt, Area/district I, weapon 44.

The "xed" out markings were likely an earlier police marking.
__________________
03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector.
Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie
DonVoigt is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-12-2020, 05:57 PM   #3
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default

Thanks, Don. That makes perfect sense to me (once I've been told what it means).

frankenlugerguy
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-13-2020, 02:06 PM   #4
mrerick
Super Moderator - Patron
LugerForum
Life Patron
 
mrerick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA
Posts: 3,900
Thanks: 1,370
Thanked 3,094 Times in 1,503 Posts
Default

You probably should get a copy of our FAQ document. Just follow the FAQ links. Good reference materials there.

As to the frame, what is the sn including suffix letter? What do the "X"ed out markings look like?
Marc
__________________
Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum -
- Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.
mrerick is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-20-2020, 01:52 PM   #5
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default

Thanks for the reply, Mark. Sorry to be late in getting back to you.
The serial no. is 3181N. The markings in the center of the grip strap are so faint that I can't really make them out. I'll try to get a good photo of them, and put it up; the "X" marks are visible, in the proper light. They're pretty faint, but I'll do my best with it.
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-20-2020, 01:56 PM   #6
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default

Click image for larger version

Name:	3181N GripStrap.jpg
Views:	82
Size:	161.6 KB
ID:	79976

Let's try this one.
frankenlugerguy
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
The following member says Thank You to frankenlugerguy for your post:
Unread 06-20-2020, 02:41 PM   #7
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default

By the way, Marc, I have now downloaded, and am going through, the FAQ document. Thanks for the tip. And, sorry I misspelled your name, above. Force of habit; I have a good friend named, "Mark". Won't happen again, however.
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-20-2020, 04:02 PM   #8
GerColctor
User
 
GerColctor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: CT & FL
Posts: 308
Thanks: 2
Thanked 40 Times in 27 Posts
Default

frankenlugerguy

I enjoy the study of unit marks. Thank you for posting.

The Xed out unit mark could be from the Imperial Army, as well as another police division. Many surplus military Lugers after the Big War were reassigned to police units throughout Germany.

I doubt that the upper G Date was placed on this frame by a police armor, more likely a post war change. Lugers issued to the police are found, except in very rare circumstances, to be be unaltered. Police policy was very obsessive about keeping their weapons together, that is why during the Weimar and early TR periods they oftened matched the pistol to its holster by stamping the serial number into the leather and onto the loading tool.
__________________
It is better to have lived a day as a tiger, then a thousand years as a lamb.
GerColctor is offline   Reply With Quote
The following member says Thank You to GerColctor for your post:
Unread 06-22-2020, 03:52 PM   #9
frankenlugerguy
User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: The Mountains of Western North Carolina
Posts: 38
Thanks: 563
Thanked 33 Times in 21 Posts
Default

Thanks, GC. That's great information, for a novice like me. The thing I'm learning, and really like, about this forum, is that, if one gets involved, the learning curve expands, exponentially. I lurked here for years, and now know what I've been missing.
__________________
Cursum Perficio
frankenlugerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06-22-2020, 09:36 PM   #10
Edward Tinker
Super Moderator
Eternal Lifer
LugerForum
Patron
 
Edward Tinker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: North of Spokane, WA
Posts: 15,902
Thanks: 1,981
Thanked 4,487 Times in 2,071 Posts
Default

That is a really 'off-center' unit marking - and although I would not say rare, it is unusual (like I have never seen that marking), but that does not usually mean any change in value on a police luger

.
__________________
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

Edward Tinker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 - 2023, Lugerforum.com