What Luger do I have ?? Lots of Pics

J.D. · 07-18-2012, 07:35 PM

Hi Everyone,
Just found this great site & am now hoping you can help me with my 9mm Luger I have just got. From what I can see most parts of the pistol are numbered the same even the grips right down to the striker (firing pin) except the mag which is an aftermarket one. Now this is the first Luger I have had & don't have much knowledge of them as until now I have been a WW1 & WW2 revolver Guy but this Luger came to me & I like it. It has had a hard life with none of the original finish on it & has been stored badly with some pitting around the top of the pistol but the inside of the Luger is great. I have this luger as a shooter because of it's condition so if you guys can help me out with some information it would be Greatly appreciated

The only marks on it are the DWM (???) on the top of the toggle the serial number 1320 & the marks on the front right hand sign of the pistol. Can you please tell me what the frame is made out of ???
Looking forward to learning more off this great site & maybe getting a few more Lugers along the way

Thanks for your help
All the best
JD

padredan · 07-18-2012, 08:29 PM

good place to start welcome to the forum

Edward Tinker · 07-18-2012, 08:44 PM

welcome to the forum

It started life as a military DWM, there should be a date on the top of the receiver, likely ground off at some point.

Ed

J.D. · 07-18-2012, 09:05 PM

Thanks for your kind welcome.

Any idea of what year this would be ?

JD

alanint · 07-18-2012, 09:07 PM

If the gun is all matching, it is funny that the takedown and sideplate are numbered in the civilian form? Or are there NO numbers on these parts and the owner is just counting the numbers he has found?

J.D. · 07-18-2012, 10:25 PM

From what I can see there are no numbers on the sideplate or take down (I am assuming that the sideplate is the small plate that you take off when stipping the pistol ???)

Sorry for any confusion or misleading information.

JD

alanint · 07-18-2012, 10:33 PM

Hi JD,

Yes, those are the parts. A military Luger, like yours, would have readily visible matching numbers on both these parts. The civilian method was to stamp narrow edges of the parts so they were not visible with the pistol in profile. The parts on your gun are either replacements or have been buffed down enough to lose the numbers on both these parts.

J.D. · 07-18-2012, 10:56 PM

Thanks again for all your help alanint,

Is there any way of knowing what year my Luger was made ?

Do you know what the frame is made from ? It seems lighter to me & the finish is different to the rest of the pistol.

I would like to clean the old Luger up a bit but not sure if it should be done ? What do you Think ???

JD

ithacaartist · 07-18-2012, 10:56 PM

The side plate looks pretty well rounded, numbers may indeed have been buffed off.

The frame is steel alloy, just like the rest. Sometimes the finish erodes at different rates on different parts due to slightly different metallurgy or heat treating,

I believe its year manufacture could be narrowed down a little by serial number, but since they can repeat, this would likely not give a definitive answer.

The extent it could be cleaned up would be up to you entirely, since it is a shooter; with one this corroded, most collectible value is gone. All-matching except mag is good, but the external finish will never be like new and original again. Some guys here will say it should be cleaned enough to stabilize it, and less is more. It may also be a candidate for restoration; but this would be done only to make it look great again, as you'd likely never close the gap when selling to recoup the investment. Another forum member posted pics of a restoration he's doing himself, raw and from scratch, on his grandpa's Luger. It also was pitted and weary looking, and he's done a fine job spiffing it up and persuading it to fire well--and D.I.Y. can be very economical.

07-18-2012, 07:35 PM	#1
J.D. User Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 17 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	What Luger do I have ?? Lots of Pics Hi Everyone, Just found this great site & am now hoping you can help me with my 9mm Luger I have just got. From what I can see most parts of the pistol are numbered the same even the grips right down to the striker (firing pin) except the mag which is an aftermarket one. Now this is the first Luger I have had & don't have much knowledge of them as until now I have been a WW1 & WW2 revolver Guy but this Luger came to me & I like it. It has had a hard life with none of the original finish on it & has been stored badly with some pitting around the top of the pistol but the inside of the Luger is great. I have this luger as a shooter because of it's condition so if you guys can help me out with some information it would be Greatly appreciated The only marks on it are the DWM (???) on the top of the toggle the serial number 1320 & the marks on the front right hand sign of the pistol. Can you please tell me what the frame is made out of ??? Looking forward to learning more off this great site & maybe getting a few more Lugers along the way Thanks for your help All the best JD Last edited by J.D.; 07-18-2012 at 08:19 PM. Reason: more pictures

07-18-2012, 08:29 PM	#2
padredan User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: louisiana Now, but from the Rebublic of Texas Posts: 937 Thanks: 429 Thanked 316 Times in 182 Posts	good place to start welcome to the forum __________________ In this world nothing is free, except the grace of God

07-18-2012, 08:44 PM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,915 Thanks: 1,989 Thanked 4,506 Times in 2,080 Posts	welcome to the forum It started life as a military DWM, there should be a date on the top of the receiver, likely ground off at some point. 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

07-18-2012, 10:33 PM	#7
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Hi JD, Yes, those are the parts. A military Luger, like yours, would have readily visible matching numbers on both these parts. The civilian method was to stamp narrow edges of the parts so they were not visible with the pistol in profile. The parts on your gun are either replacements or have been buffed down enough to lose the numbers on both these parts. Last edited by alanint; 07-19-2012 at 05:02 AM.

07-18-2012, 09:05 PM	#4
J.D. User Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 17 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for your kind welcome. Any idea of what year this would be ? JD

07-18-2012, 09:07 PM	#5
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	If the gun is all matching, it is funny that the takedown and sideplate are numbered in the civilian form? Or are there NO numbers on these parts and the owner is just counting the numbers he has found?

07-18-2012, 10:25 PM	#6
J.D. User Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 17 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	From what I can see there are no numbers on the sideplate or take down (I am assuming that the sideplate is the small plate that you take off when stipping the pistol ???) Sorry for any confusion or misleading information. JD

07-18-2012, 10:56 PM	#8
J.D. User Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 17 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks again for all your help alanint, Is there any way of knowing what year my Luger was made ? Do you know what the frame is made from ? It seems lighter to me & the finish is different to the rest of the pistol. I would like to clean the old Luger up a bit but not sure if it should be done ? What do you Think ??? JD

07-18-2012, 10:56 PM	#9
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,288 Thanks: 7,035 Thanked 2,482 Times in 1,323 Posts	The side plate looks pretty well rounded, numbers may indeed have been buffed off. The frame is steel alloy, just like the rest. Sometimes the finish erodes at different rates on different parts due to slightly different metallurgy or heat treating, I believe its year manufacture could be narrowed down a little by serial number, but since they can repeat, this would likely not give a definitive answer. The extent it could be cleaned up would be up to you entirely, since it is a shooter; with one this corroded, most collectible value is gone. All-matching except mag is good, but the external finish will never be like new and original again. Some guys here will say it should be cleaned enough to stabilize it, and less is more. It may also be a candidate for restoration; but this would be done only to make it look great again, as you'd likely never close the gap when selling to recoup the investment. Another forum member posted pics of a restoration he's doing himself, raw and from scratch, on his grandpa's Luger. It also was pitted and weary looking, and he's done a fine job spiffing it up and persuading it to fire well--and D.I.Y. can be very economical.