1916 Navy / Weimar Police

Edward Tinker · 06-25-2005, 03:00 AM

Here is a pistol that has seen some service, it started life as a 1916 Navy, was scrubbed a bit, given a 1920 Reichswehr stamping (lightest I have seen), then went into police service where it obtained a unit marking, and sometime after 1933 a Sear and Magazine safety!!

There are always questions on sear and mag safeties. Lets have a quick lesson on Mag Safeties:

A magazine safety would have been installed after a Prussian police directive of August 30th 1933.
In 1937, the magazine safeties were directed to be removed. Some / most were actually physically removed and the hole where the clip of the safety held onto the frame was welded in and reblued. A few you see are like this, almost completly there, with the last bit clipped off. See the next two pictures, one showing the clip, the next the outline of the clipped area.

The very light 1920 stamping:

Toggle stamping, I am unsure what the stamp is, my Imperial Lugers is still in storage;

Unit marking, does anyone know what this stands for? My guess is; Schutzpolizie Wiesbaden Administrative District I weapon # xxxx

Don M · 06-25-2005, 09:22 AM

Ed,

Very informative presentation. You've got the unit ID correct. Very probably, the "I" stands for the city of Wiesbaden, within the district of Wiesbaden. The photo's a bit fuzzy but I read the weapon number as 1036. Correct?

It looks to me that the area beneath the weapon number has been ground off. Can you see any remnants of the earlier mark? My research is indicating that, sometime between 1922 and 1932, the Prussian Schupo simplified their marking system to number their weapons at the precinct or command level (the Roman numeral) rather than at the Hundertschaft (Company) level. This eliminated the Arabic Hundertschaft number between the Roman numeral and the weapon number and usually resulted in a larger weapon number. It looks like this pistol was re-marked accordingly.

May we know the serial number of this gun?

Ron Smith · 06-25-2005, 09:33 AM

Quote:

May we know the serial number of this gun?

May I have this gun?

The proof is the standard DWM Naval Luger proof.

Edward Tinker · 06-25-2005, 10:11 AM

hmmmmm, how many navies turned police have you seen?

I like the unusual ones!

Ed

Navy · 06-25-2005, 10:33 AM

I have a Navy turned police with a matching SN holster. Got it from Jim Kent a year or so ago. It is covered with stamps and marks. A lot of history there.

Tom A.

06-25-2005, 03:00 AM	#1
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,912 Thanks: 1,989 Thanked 4,502 Times in 2,077 Posts	1916 Navy / Weimar Police Here is a pistol that has seen some service, it started life as a 1916 Navy, was scrubbed a bit, given a 1920 Reichswehr stamping (lightest I have seen), then went into police service where it obtained a unit marking, and sometime after 1933 a Sear and Magazine safety!! There are always questions on sear and mag safeties. Lets have a quick lesson on Mag Safeties: A magazine safety would have been installed after a Prussian police directive of August 30th 1933. In 1937, the magazine safeties were directed to be removed. Some / most were actually physically removed and the hole where the clip of the safety held onto the frame was welded in and reblued. A few you see are like this, almost completly there, with the last bit clipped off. See the next two pictures, one showing the clip, the next the outline of the clipped area. The very light 1920 stamping: Toggle stamping, I am unsure what the stamp is, my Imperial Lugers is still in storage; Unit marking, does anyone know what this stands for? My guess is; Schutzpolizie Wiesbaden Administrative District I weapon # xxxx

06-25-2005, 09:22 AM	#2
Don M Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,429 Thanks: 67 Thanked 292 Times in 191 Posts	Ed, Very informative presentation. You've got the unit ID correct. Very probably, the "I" stands for the city of Wiesbaden, within the district of Wiesbaden. The photo's a bit fuzzy but I read the weapon number as 1036. Correct? It looks to me that the area beneath the weapon number has been ground off. Can you see any remnants of the earlier mark? My research is indicating that, sometime between 1922 and 1932, the Prussian Schupo simplified their marking system to number their weapons at the precinct or command level (the Roman numeral) rather than at the Hundertschaft (Company) level. This eliminated the Arabic Hundertschaft number between the Roman numeral and the weapon number and usually resulted in a larger weapon number. It looks like this pistol was re-marked accordingly. May we know the serial number of this gun? __________________ Regards, Don donmaus1@aol.com Author of History Writ in Steel: German Police Markings 1900-1936 http://www.historywritinsteel.com

06-25-2005, 10:11 AM	#4
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,912 Thanks: 1,989 Thanked 4,502 Times in 2,077 Posts	hmmmmm, how many navies turned police have you seen? I like the unusual ones! 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

06-25-2005, 10:33 AM	#5
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	I have a Navy turned police with a matching SN holster. Got it from Jim Kent a year or so ago. It is covered with stamps and marks. A lot of history there. Tom A.