original left hand grips?

dridgeway · 03-23-2012, 07:34 PM

Hello Friends ... I have a DWM Luger, s/n 510 and stamped GERMANY. All numbers match except the wood bottomed magazine.

A friend told me, after his inspection, that the pistol was a 1921 rework of a pistol manufactured sometime between 1914 and 1918.

This pistol has grips for left handed use. The grips have no markings. They are very well made. When compared with new grips sold by Mauser in the 1930s, they appear as mirror images with the same wood, cut and sharp detail.

My question? Were left hand grips ever offered as an option by DWM or Mauser? My uninformed opinion is that they were as I now possess a set mounted on the pistol described above.

I am unsure as to exactly what I have here. Were the OE grips replaced? Who made the grips? How many left-handed models were sold, if any?

I'm very new to collecting Lugers and would like to learn all I can about the only one I now own. If photographs would help I can provide them but please realize the grips appear exactly as right-handed (or usual) grips would only they are reversed or a mirror image.

Thanks to everyone for your time, help and consideration.

sheepherder · 03-23-2012, 07:42 PM

I'm a little confused...OEM Luger grips had no bias, left or right...

Does your grip(s) have thumb rests??? Or finger grooves???

ithacaartist · 03-23-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by postino

I'm a little confused...OEM Luger grips had no bias, left or right...

Does your grip(s) have thumb rests??? Or finger grooves???

+1!

David!
Where's the beef?! Pics, pics, pics! You'll have us up all might with curiosity-fueled insomnia!

David Parker

mrerick · 03-24-2012, 09:12 AM

Hi David, welcome to the forum.

Is your pistol in 9mm or .30 Luger caliber? Is there a script letter under the serial number on the front of the frame (just above the trigger guard)? Is the top of the receiver blank or stamped with a year?

What's your reference to 1930's Mauser grips for Lugers? I'd be interested in details.

DWM and Mauser produced both military and commercial Lugers. In both cases the grips were ambidextrous. They were flat profiled and without thumb rests.

The "Germany" stamping was used on Lugers exported to the US for commercial sale.

Without pictures, I'd guess it was a 1920's Alphabet Commercial pistol in .30 Luger. They were made in the early and mid 1920s.

A left handed buyer into target shooting may have replaced the grips for better feel and handling. Being Left Handed, I'd enjoy seeing them!

Marc

dridgeway · 03-24-2012, 07:33 PM

Hello Friends ... The grip mounted on the right side of the pistol is thinner at the top than the left side grip. I assume to make the pistol more comfortable for the thumb of a left hand shooter. Grip has been worked to the trailing edge with checkering grooves. There is nothing I would call a thumb-rest or finger groove present. The pistol is .30 Luger caliber. The script letter under the serial number appears to be either an e or an L. I purchased a pair of OE Mauser Luger grips in the OE packing (or rather, what I was told was OE packing) and, if memory serves correctly, the left side grip in that package was thinner at the top for thumb comfort for a right-hand shooter.

BUT!! What I should have done was post pictures too and I will in a day or so I hope. And I will also post pictures of the replacement grips I purchased and the packing.

I've got alot to learn and I sincerely appreciate the questions and comments thus far. Please look for pictures in a few days. I've just moved and the replacement grips and my camera are still packed away somewhere.

Thanks again for all the help.

dridgeway · 03-27-2012, 07:51 PM

Hello Friends ...

Here are photos showing the difference in top thickness between the left side and right side grips on my DWM Luger, s/n 510 L (?)

My thought is that the right side grip is thinner at the top so the grip will be more comfortable where the webbing between the thumb and index finger of a lefthand shooter will be placed.

I have not found the Mauser replacement grips I mentioned earlier. They are still packed away in my moving mess. However, they are cut such that the left side grip is thinner at the top to accomodate the webbing between the thumb and index finger of a righthand shooter.

I still plan to post photos of the Mauser grips once they have been unearthed.

I am very much learning about the Luger hobby and if I'm incorrect in my assumption about the reason for the thinner cuts, I would appreciate being set straight. Also, anything else I can learn about this specific pistol will be much appreciated.

Thanks again for all the time, help and consideration all of you have offered. Hope to hear more from you soon.

David

lugersrkewl · 03-27-2012, 09:10 PM

in your compose message field when you type in words. If you look to the bottom it says upload.
click on that and find where your pics are and click them then ok. there is a tutorial in the directory as well. Hope this helps no offense if you knew this already

dridgeway · 03-28-2012, 12:14 PM

photos of Luger w/ "lefthand grips"?

dridgeway · 03-28-2012, 12:27 PM

photos

alanint · 03-28-2012, 02:11 PM

These look like perfectly normal Luger grips with no right/left orientation at all.

mrerick · 03-28-2012, 03:53 PM

Hi David,

I agree with Doug. They look like normal original Luger grips to me.

I've always liked the Luger and P-38 for Left Handed shooting. They eject up, usually back over my head, instead of across my face as most other pistols do.

Your s/n "510 l" was most likely manufactured as a new pistol in early 1923. There were about 90,000 of these .30 Luger Commercial Alphabet DWM Lugers made starting in 1921 with s/n "2000i" through about 1929 (from Still's Weimar Lugers reference).

Marc

TheRomanhistorian · 03-28-2012, 04:17 PM

Doug and Marc have already said it but these look like normal Luger grips (the thickness of which are replicated on both of my Lugers).

dridgeway · 04-03-2012, 12:47 AM

Hello Friends ...

Many thanks to all of you for entertaining my question about Luger "left-hand grips".

You have helped me view the grips in a proper light.

When I unpack the replacement, Mauser grips I purchased, I will photograph them and post again.

This forum is an invaluable resource for Luger information and I thank the list owner and all participants for making it that way.

I look forward to becoming a patron and continued participation in this forum as my Luger collection (I hope) grows.

Thanks again for all the guidance and help.

03-23-2012, 07:34 PM	#1
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	original left hand grips? Hello Friends ... I have a DWM Luger, s/n 510 and stamped GERMANY. All numbers match except the wood bottomed magazine. A friend told me, after his inspection, that the pistol was a 1921 rework of a pistol manufactured sometime between 1914 and 1918. This pistol has grips for left handed use. The grips have no markings. They are very well made. When compared with new grips sold by Mauser in the 1930s, they appear as mirror images with the same wood, cut and sharp detail. My question? Were left hand grips ever offered as an option by DWM or Mauser? My uninformed opinion is that they were as I now possess a set mounted on the pistol described above. I am unsure as to exactly what I have here. Were the OE grips replaced? Who made the grips? How many left-handed models were sold, if any? I'm very new to collecting Lugers and would like to learn all I can about the only one I now own. If photographs would help I can provide them but please realize the grips appear exactly as right-handed (or usual) grips would only they are reversed or a mirror image. Thanks to everyone for your time, help and consideration.

03-23-2012, 07:42 PM	#2
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,182 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	I'm a little confused...OEM Luger grips had no bias, left or right... Does your grip(s) have thumb rests??? Or finger grooves??? __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

03-24-2012, 09:12 AM	#4
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,907 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,108 Times in 1,509 Posts	Hi David, welcome to the forum. Is your pistol in 9mm or .30 Luger caliber? Is there a script letter under the serial number on the front of the frame (just above the trigger guard)? Is the top of the receiver blank or stamped with a year? What's your reference to 1930's Mauser grips for Lugers? I'd be interested in details. DWM and Mauser produced both military and commercial Lugers. In both cases the grips were ambidextrous. They were flat profiled and without thumb rests. The "Germany" stamping was used on Lugers exported to the US for commercial sale. Without pictures, I'd guess it was a 1920's Alphabet Commercial pistol in .30 Luger. They were made in the early and mid 1920s. A left handed buyer into target shooting may have replaced the grips for better feel and handling. Being Left Handed, I'd enjoy seeing them! Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

03-27-2012, 07:51 PM	#6
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	photos - left hand grips Hello Friends ... Here are photos showing the difference in top thickness between the left side and right side grips on my DWM Luger, s/n 510 L (?) My thought is that the right side grip is thinner at the top so the grip will be more comfortable where the webbing between the thumb and index finger of a lefthand shooter will be placed. I have not found the Mauser replacement grips I mentioned earlier. They are still packed away in my moving mess. However, they are cut such that the left side grip is thinner at the top to accomodate the webbing between the thumb and index finger of a righthand shooter. I still plan to post photos of the Mauser grips once they have been unearthed. I am very much learning about the Luger hobby and if I'm incorrect in my assumption about the reason for the thinner cuts, I would appreciate being set straight. Also, anything else I can learn about this specific pistol will be much appreciated. Thanks again for all the time, help and consideration all of you have offered. Hope to hear more from you soon. David

03-28-2012, 12:14 PM	#8
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	lefthand grips photos of Luger w/ "lefthand grips"? Attached Thumbnails

03-24-2012, 07:33 PM	#5
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Hello Friends ... The grip mounted on the right side of the pistol is thinner at the top than the left side grip. I assume to make the pistol more comfortable for the thumb of a left hand shooter. Grip has been worked to the trailing edge with checkering grooves. There is nothing I would call a thumb-rest or finger groove present. The pistol is .30 Luger caliber. The script letter under the serial number appears to be either an e or an L. I purchased a pair of OE Mauser Luger grips in the OE packing (or rather, what I was told was OE packing) and, if memory serves correctly, the left side grip in that package was thinner at the top for thumb comfort for a right-hand shooter. BUT!! What I should have done was post pictures too and I will in a day or so I hope. And I will also post pictures of the replacement grips I purchased and the packing. I've got alot to learn and I sincerely appreciate the questions and comments thus far. Please look for pictures in a few days. I've just moved and the replacement grips and my camera are still packed away somewhere. Thanks again for all the help.

03-27-2012, 09:10 PM	#7
lugersrkewl Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ussr Posts: 425 Thanks: 198 Thanked 75 Times in 58 Posts	in your compose message field when you type in words. If you look to the bottom it says upload. click on that and find where your pics are and click them then ok. there is a tutorial in the directory as well. Hope this helps no offense if you knew this already

03-28-2012, 12:27 PM	#9
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	other views photos Attached Thumbnails

03-28-2012, 02:11 PM	#10
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	These look like perfectly normal Luger grips with no right/left orientation at all.

03-28-2012, 03:53 PM	#11
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,907 Thanks: 1,374 Thanked 3,108 Times in 1,509 Posts	Hi David, I agree with Doug. They look like normal original Luger grips to me. I've always liked the Luger and P-38 for Left Handed shooting. They eject up, usually back over my head, instead of across my face as most other pistols do. Your s/n "510 l" was most likely manufactured as a new pistol in early 1923. There were about 90,000 of these .30 Luger Commercial Alphabet DWM Lugers made starting in 1921 with s/n "2000i" through about 1929 (from Still's Weimar Lugers reference). Marc __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

03-28-2012, 04:17 PM	#12
TheRomanhistorian User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 301 Thanks: 170 Thanked 88 Times in 64 Posts	Doug and Marc have already said it but these look like normal Luger grips (the thickness of which are replicated on both of my Lugers). __________________ Michael Nos morituri te salutant - Supposed saying of the gladiators to the emperor ('We, who are about to die, salute you.') 'We are the lantern bearers, my friend; for us to keep something burning, to carry what light we can forward into the darkness and the wind' - From Rosemary Sutcliff's The Lantern Bearers

04-03-2012, 12:47 AM	#13
dridgeway User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johnston Co., NC, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Thanks for info re: left-hand grips Hello Friends ... Many thanks to all of you for entertaining my question about Luger "left-hand grips". You have helped me view the grips in a proper light. When I unpack the replacement, Mauser grips I purchased, I will photograph them and post again. This forum is an invaluable resource for Luger information and I thank the list owner and all participants for making it that way. I look forward to becoming a patron and continued participation in this forum as my Luger collection (I hope) grows. Thanks again for all the guidance and help.