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DAMN!! Does he know what he has there? Impressive!!Sitting having coffee this morning with a old friend that I haven't seen for awhile and we start discussing firearms.
He says "Oh that reminds me......I got this old pistol from my uncle last year."
Oh my..........
View attachment 539308
All but the earliest Lugers have the year of manufacture stamped on the top of the receiver over the chamber.
View attachment 539331
View attachment 539332
If it isn't there it has been removed.
What caliber is it?
From 1919 on, DWM rebuilt P08 frames with new parts or existing parts (including barrels) into complete pistols for sales to the civilian and export markets. These sales helped restore DWM to solvency after the Armistice. Most of these commercial pistols were in 7.65 Parabellum (.30 Luger) caliber, although a number of pistols were also rebarrelled to 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm). The new component parts were stamped with serial numbers to match the frame to ensure that all the fitted parts stayed together. Many thousands of these pistols were thought to have been assembled and sold between 1919 and 1923. Some of these pistols were fitted with new barrels of different lengths by the importer upon customer request.
It appears you have a 1914 Commercial DWM Luger and depending on condition run around the 2000 to 3000 dollar price range.
Rich
These early DWM model 1914 Lugers are a really scarce, early variation that are seldom found. The key aspects in determining this as a true Model 1914 commercial are that it has the five digit commercial serial number, generally associated with this model, it has the 1914 stock lug, and is fitted with the hold-open device, new style 1914 frame with the coil spring. The chamber area is blank with the rear toggle having the DWM logo markings. The right side of the barrel extension is blank with the left side, underside of the barrel and both the breechblock and front toggle have a single "Crown/N" proofmark. It is correctly numbered as a commercial Luger, with the full five digit serial number stamped on the underside of the barrel, the front of the frame with the last three digits of the serial number stamped on the underside of the barrel extension, in front of and on top of the frame lug; i.e. "3/91". The last two digits of the serial number "91" are stamped on the various parts in the correct commercial fashion. This example is correctly chambered in 9 mm Luger and it has the standard extractor and safety marking.
Here's an answer from a member on the GunBoards.com forum that asked the same question regarding no manufacture date found on a Luger.
"Kale, It has been refinished. The date has been scrubbed. The high gloss blue isn't original, and indicative of being polished or buffed and salt blued. Original rust blue gives off a satiny hue. The barrel and receiver are a brighter and shinier than the toggle and frame, as is the side plate.
The serial numbers on the bottom of the barrel should have a "Halo" around them. A fuzzy pale thin border created when the numbers are stamped after being blued, which up sets the metal and thins the blue around the edges..
All if the edges of the receiver should be crisp and sharp. Note how the edges on the hump / island of the side plate are softened and rounded. The strawed (gold color) small parts are very shiney and the color is too bright. They should be very soft pale yellow. It's fairly well done, but not original.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...
Ron"