Commercial Luger; please help.

[Harvey A]

Hello to this Forum,

I posted this luger a few months ago but didn't have good photos. Since then the owner brought it by my house and let me take a few shots. It fires 9MM Para. Please tell me what we have here. Is this a Commercial? Any idea of value?

Thanks, Harvey

[Harvey A]

2

[Harvey A]

3

[Harvey A]

4

[Harvey A]

5

[Harvey A]

6

[Harvey A]

7

[Harvey A]

8

[Harvey A]

9

[stevezz1]

Hi Harvey,
Sorry mate......no idea..!!
I would 'guess' early twenties commercial, and i am only saying that from the absense of a stock lug - and no military proofs.....
It seems odd that there is no maker/contract logo on the toggle link or date over the chamber.

I have never seen the marks on the r/h frame above the grip, or the one on the barrel.

Hopefully someone will be able to help you out.

Steve.

[Ronnie Fry]

Interesting--

This is an interesting gun.

No maker mark on top of toggle.

No stock lug.

No sear safety (means not police)

Heavily buffed -- or the colors of the photo are deceiving me.

Blued, not strawed trigger, etc.

Barrel looks like it's in the white from photos

Strange area under the safety

Alum. bottom on nickle plated mag.

And Stevezz, the marks on the right frame and bbl remind me of Finnish Stuff. ??

Man, I don't have a clue .

GWA, where are you on this one??

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi Harvey,

I agree with Steve and Ronnie about this gun: very odd indeed! From the pictures posted it is clear that the guns is a mismatch example and some pieces seems to have hidden commercial serial number markings (in opposite to the military visible numbers).

The lack of marks on toggle and chamber as well any military or commercial proofs is also strange. Another uncommon sight is the milled area in the safety lever. The only weapons to have such feature - correct me if i******180;m wrong - were the first Navy Lugers which were modified later.

Besides that, most of the "official" commercial Lugers from the 1920s were chambered to the .30 Luger (7,65mm Para.) and bear makers and commercial agents' marks.

in my opinion, there two theories: 1) a Finnish rework (they refinished and reassembled their Lugers over and over) or 2) a Franken-Luger, i.e., made with parts from several pistols that were just a ""put together" .

Douglas.

[Harvey A]

The barrel is not in the white but is blue just like the receiver; sorry for the poor photos. I looked at all the numbers on the pistol and only the sideplate is a mis-match.

It belongs to my brother-in-law and it was given to him by one of his friends many years ago; no history other than that. Here's one other photo showing a number.

Harvey

[Douglas Jr.]

Harvey,

This kind of numbering is typical for Commercial Lugers... but I still have my doubts if it was built as one or if it is just a "put together". However, as a "Luger addicted" I would say to you that a Luger is ALWAYS a Luger. It will fit nicely in a display.

Douglas.

[FW 200]

The first few years of the military contract saw lugers without chamber dates- they appeared in 1910. I am not sure about the stock lug, my 1910 DWM military has none. Sideplate number is typical early military placement ( WW1 era ). Charlie