Luger with threaded barrel

porthole · 02-06-2014, 12:03 AM

Hello,

I have searched all over looking for something similar to what I have. And I am confused between all the different types of Luger's, Police, commercial etc.

Also, I don't see a year that I read about so much.

The barrel is threaded. I have seen one picture on the net that had a front sight that slipped over the threads and was locked on with a spring loaded tab, that indexed into a groove in the barrel (I think).

This barrel has no groove, although after I took the pictures I noticed that on the top of the boss behind the threads, it appears someone hit it with a file.

The barrel, side and front are all numbered the same. All the small parts, both inside and out are also the same, but don't match the frame.

I also found some new marks that I thought were damage until a closer look. They appear to be stamps, and there are a couple of tiny stamps on the upper left side of the barrel near the side plate numbers.

More interest in just some history as opposed to value. I'm assuming the value is limited anyway without matching numbers and accessories.

I think the pictures are in the requested order from the sticky thread.

porthole · 02-06-2014, 12:05 AM

remainder of pics

sheepherder · 02-06-2014, 12:24 AM

I think that most here will respond that it is an attempt to mount a moderator ['silencer']...

But many years ago, I read an article with a bizarre comment that mentioned a pistol with a threaded barrel that was used to set off a 'scuttling charge'...Apparently you would screw the barrel/pistol into a 55 gallon drum full of explosive and set it off with a blank or incendiary ['tracer'] cartridge...Since the trigger would need to be pulled, I can't imagine this setup being very popular...

I know, it sounds preposterous...Take it for what it is...

alanint · 02-06-2014, 07:49 AM

This is either a gunsmith or skilled home shop conversion on a mismatched pistol. It never left the factory this way. Many hobbyists have converted many models of pistols to be used with a suppressor over the years.

If your state allows it and you are qualified, it might be fun to obtain a modern suppressor and have a unique plinker.

sheepherder · 02-06-2014, 09:17 AM

Do you know what size/pitch the thread is??? It shouldn't be hard to make up a Luger-style front sight to screw on. Or you could swap out the barrel.

Lugerdoc · 02-06-2014, 01:24 PM

I suspect that since your #3224 barrelled receiver is the only mismatched part that I see, someone added that one with the threaded barrel to an otherwise matching luger and the owner retained the matching one. Tom

porthole · 02-06-2014, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanint

If your state allows it and you are qualified, it might be fun to obtain a modern suppressor and have a unique plinker.

New Jersey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lugerdoc

I suspect that since your #3224 barrelled receiver is the only mismatched part that I see, someone added that one with the threaded barrel to an otherwise matching luger and the owner retained the matching one. Tom

Not sure what you mean. The barrel, receiver and frame match.

porthole · 02-06-2014, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheepherder

Do you know what size/pitch the thread is??? It shouldn't be hard to make up a Luger-style front sight to screw on. Or you could swap out the barrel.

No I do not. But, I would be curious to know the thread size/pitch on the Luger's that do have the screw on front site. I have only seen one picture of a Luger like that.

If the threads are the same at least I could look for and maybe add that front site.

This is the only picture I could find with a screw on site. This is not a pistol of mine, from the net.
I think the tab behind the blade is a release tab that locks into a groove on the barrel.

porthole · 02-06-2014, 03:52 PM

So, comparing my Luger to a picture from the net it appears to be a standard barrel that was turned. Does that sound right?

John Sabato · 02-06-2014, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porthole

No I do not. But, I would be curious to know the thread size/pitch on the Luger's that do have the screw on front site. I have only seen one picture of a Luger like that.

If the threads are the same at least I could look for and maybe add that front site.

This is the only picture I could find with a screw on site. This is not a pistol of mine, from the net.
I think the tab behind the blade is a release tab that locks into a groove on the barrel.

This pistol shown with the removable front sight band revealing the barrel threads was once owned by the forum owner, John D. I remember that he traded or sold it many years ago... The gun had absolutely no markings which lead me to theorize that it had been "sanitized" for intelligence duties... No idea where it is today.

alanint · 02-06-2014, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porthole

So, comparing my Luger to a picture from the net it appears to be a standard barrel that was turned. Does that sound right?

Yes. Yours is simply a factory barrel someone turned down to be able to use a suppressor.

sheepherder · 02-06-2014, 05:40 PM

The thread size may be 1/2 x 28tpi...The same as an AR-15/M16 flash hider. Many suppressors are threaded this size. If you have an AR, try the flash hider on it.

You can also look through your bolt can and see if you have a bolt with that pitch [1/4" UNF 'fine' thread is 28tpi] and then just measure the diameter of the threaded portion of the barrel...If it is .496" [just under 1/2"] then it is a 1/2" thread...

There was a guy on eBay (or was it GB?) selling threaded Luger barrels a couple months back...

porthole · 02-06-2014, 05:52 PM

OK - buggered up non matching relic ...........

Germany on the back the frame indicated "Commercial" (do not know what that means), post WW I production.

How do I date this without a stamp?

I'm guessing it is between 1918-1937 or so from some other things I have read. Mostly relating to "strawing" It doesn't show in the pics, but some of the parts have a definite yellow tint to them, ejector, take down release, mag release etc.

sheepherder · 02-06-2014, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porthole

Germany on the back the frame indicated "Commercial"...

No. That's an Import stamp. Your serial 3224/m indicates military issue.

What is interesting is the stamp on the front of the trigger guard...Not the serial above it, but on the trigger guard itself...Can you get a straight-on close-up of it???

porthole · 02-06-2014, 10:33 PM

Best I can do for now, the Nikon is in the truck - frozen

porthole · 02-06-2014, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheepherder

The thread size may be 1/2 x 28tpi...The same as an AR-15/M16 flash hider. Many suppressors are threaded this size. If you have an AR, try the flash hider on it.

Can't tell the size. I tried both SAE and metric thread pitch gauge, none of the gauges seem to be an exact match.

Somewhere between 16 TPI or 1.5 mm.

Looking at the threads it almost looks like pipe cut

rolandtg · 02-07-2014, 12:21 AM

Perhaps someone altered it to accept some sort of blank firing adapter?

alanint · 02-07-2014, 06:06 AM

That would be a stretch. BFA's can be made very simply by threading the bore for the appropriate restrictor without ever altering the exterior of the gun. Lugers are also notoriously difficult to blank, due to the design.

sheepherder · 02-07-2014, 09:42 AM

Some years back, there was an adapter that you could screw on a barrel and the adapter accepted 2-liter soda bottles that served as a suppressor (at least for the first shot, maybe two)...IIRC, the barrel thread was coarse, not fine...

Not exactly clandestine...People might wonder why you're carrying around an empty soda bottle...

alanint · 02-07-2014, 09:59 AM

The thread all depends on the weapon. The 1/2 x 28tpi is pretty much a standard, due to the popularity of the AR15/M16 platform, but MACs, for example, have a much courser, steeper thread. Many modern suppressors use a quick detach feature via a proprietary flashider, which replaced the stock unit. Others fit over the existing flashider and the MP5 series uses a unique, three lug system.

Those soda bottle adapters were disallowed by ATF and any similar adapter must now be registered. While they were around, you could place a quart sized soda bottle filled with styrofoam peanuts onto an AR15 with a .22 caliber conversion unit and have a really effective suppressor. They would last until you decided to throw the bottle away.

BTW, I'VE HEARD that a standard, quart-sized soda bottle will fit right onto a birdcage AR flashider with NO adapter necessary, (especially the early three pronged type) and will work just as described above with a .22 platform.

02-06-2014, 12:03 AM	#1
porthole User Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Luger with threaded barrel Hello, I have searched all over looking for something similar to what I have. And I am confused between all the different types of Luger's, Police, commercial etc. Also, I don't see a year that I read about so much. The barrel is threaded. I have seen one picture on the net that had a front sight that slipped over the threads and was locked on with a spring loaded tab, that indexed into a groove in the barrel (I think). This barrel has no groove, although after I took the pictures I noticed that on the top of the boss behind the threads, it appears someone hit it with a file. The barrel, side and front are all numbered the same. All the small parts, both inside and out are also the same, but don't match the frame. I also found some new marks that I thought were damage until a closer look. They appear to be stamps, and there are a couple of tiny stamps on the upper left side of the barrel near the side plate numbers. More interest in just some history as opposed to value. I'm assuming the value is limited anyway without matching numbers and accessories. I think the pictures are in the requested order from the sticky thread. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thanks, Duane

02-06-2014, 12:05 AM	#2
porthole User Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	remainder of pics Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thanks, Duane

02-06-2014, 09:17 AM	#5
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,183 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	Do you know what size/pitch the thread is??? It shouldn't be hard to make up a Luger-style front sight to screw on. Or you could swap out the barrel. __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

02-06-2014, 01:24 PM	#6
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	I suspect that since your #3224 barrelled receiver is the only mismatched part that I see, someone added that one with the threaded barrel to an otherwise matching luger and the owner retained the matching one. Tom __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 lugerdoc@charter.net

02-06-2014, 03:52 PM	#9
porthole User Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	So, comparing my Luger to a picture from the net it appears to be a standard barrel that was turned. Does that sound right? Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thanks, Duane

02-06-2014, 12:24 AM	#3
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,183 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	I think that most here will respond that it is an attempt to mount a moderator ['silencer']... But many years ago, I read an article with a bizarre comment that mentioned a pistol with a threaded barrel that was used to set off a 'scuttling charge'...Apparently you would screw the barrel/pistol into a 55 gallon drum full of explosive and set it off with a blank or incendiary ['tracer'] cartridge...Since the trigger would need to be pulled, I can't imagine this setup being very popular... I know, it sounds preposterous...Take it for what it is... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

02-06-2014, 07:49 AM	#4
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	This is either a gunsmith or skilled home shop conversion on a mismatched pistol. It never left the factory this way. Many hobbyists have converted many models of pistols to be used with a suppressor over the years. If your state allows it and you are qualified, it might be fun to obtain a modern suppressor and have a unique plinker.

02-06-2014, 05:40 PM	#12
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,183 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	The thread size may be 1/2 x 28tpi...The same as an AR-15/M16 flash hider. Many suppressors are threaded this size. If you have an AR, try the flash hider on it. You can also look through your bolt can and see if you have a bolt with that pitch [1/4" UNF 'fine' thread is 28tpi] and then just measure the diameter of the threaded portion of the barrel...If it is .496" [just under 1/2"] then it is a 1/2" thread... There was a guy on eBay (or was it GB?) selling threaded Luger barrels a couple months back... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

02-06-2014, 05:52 PM	#13
porthole User Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	OK - buggered up non matching relic ........... Germany on the back the frame indicated "Commercial" (do not know what that means), post WW I production. How do I date this without a stamp? I'm guessing it is between 1918-1937 or so from some other things I have read. Mostly relating to "strawing" It doesn't show in the pics, but some of the parts have a definite yellow tint to them, ejector, take down release, mag release etc. __________________ Thanks, Duane

02-06-2014, 10:33 PM	#15
porthole User Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Best I can do for now, the Nikon is in the truck - frozen Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thanks, Duane

02-07-2014, 12:21 AM	#17
rolandtg User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 477 Thanks: 379 Thanked 258 Times in 113 Posts	Perhaps someone altered it to accept some sort of blank firing adapter?

02-07-2014, 06:06 AM	#18
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	That would be a stretch. BFA's can be made very simply by threading the bore for the appropriate restrictor without ever altering the exterior of the gun. Lugers are also notoriously difficult to blank, due to the design.

02-07-2014, 09:42 AM	#19
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,183 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	Some years back, there was an adapter that you could screw on a barrel and the adapter accepted 2-liter soda bottles that served as a suppressor (at least for the first shot, maybe two)...IIRC, the barrel thread was coarse, not fine... Not exactly clandestine...People might wonder why you're carrying around an empty soda bottle... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

02-07-2014, 09:59 AM	#20
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	The thread all depends on the weapon. The 1/2 x 28tpi is pretty much a standard, due to the popularity of the AR15/M16 platform, but MACs, for example, have a much courser, steeper thread. Many modern suppressors use a quick detach feature via a proprietary flashider, which replaced the stock unit. Others fit over the existing flashider and the MP5 series uses a unique, three lug system. Those soda bottle adapters were disallowed by ATF and any similar adapter must now be registered. While they were around, you could place a quart sized soda bottle filled with styrofoam peanuts onto an AR15 with a .22 caliber conversion unit and have a really effective suppressor. They would last until you decided to throw the bottle away. BTW, I'VE HEARD that a standard, quart-sized soda bottle will fit right onto a birdcage AR flashider with NO adapter necessary, (especially the early three pronged type) and will work just as described above with a .22 platform.