Unit Marking on Red 9 Broomhandle

[RoyA]

Hello everyone,
Can anyone identify this unit marking?
Thanks kindly for any help you can provide.
Roy


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[AndyB]

It could be a police stamp. best regards,Andy

[Douglas Jr.]

Can we see the pictures of the whole gun?
I'm a curious guy!

Douglas

[GWA]

It's Schuetzpolizei Gumbinnen.

[RoyA]

Thank you gents!
I also received this info on the Luger Forum...

"The mark is from the Weimar-era Schutzpolizei in the Gumbinnen district of East Prussia. The Roman V represents the location of the garrison. I don't have my reference (my book manuscript) available but the Gumbinnen district had several garrisons in various cities in the early 1920s, most of which were consolidated into one or two garrisons by the mid-20s. This mark was from one of the smaller early garrisons that was later disbanded. This garrison apparently consisted on only one Hundertschaft (company) because there is no Arabic number preceding the weapon number (58.).
This is a very nice reworked Red Nine with a rare police marking. Not many of these markings have survived since they are from an area deep within the Russian zone."

[RoyA]

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[Douglas Jr.]

Very nice Weimar Red Nine Broomhandle!
The gun was reworked in order to fit with the Allied Comission's restrictions regarding barrel lenght, sights, etc. Does it have the "1920" property stamp?

Douglas

[RoyA]

Hello Douglas,
That's the same question they asked on the Luger forum.
It does not have the "1920" property stamp.
What was its significance?
Roy

[GWA]

Very nice Weimar Red Nine Broomhandle!
The gun was reworked in order to fit with the Allied Comission's restrictions regarding barrel lenght, sights, etc. Does it have the "1920" property stamp?

Douglas

Douglas, I believe that the so called Versailles restrictions on barrel length are all urban legend. I have read the entire treaty and the only small arms restrictions were on newly manufactured weapons. Of special interest to the allies was the restriction of German industry getting back into the export of contract military weapons. That was an area of international commerce they wanted for themselves.

The new German nation was permitted to manufacture military small arms only in quantities sufficient to accomodate replacement needs for the dictated hundred-thousand man army. There is no mention of class of small arms or barrel length of pistols.

While the national army shrunk, the national (state) police forces grew to enormous size and in the very early 1920's some police districts had their arms rooms send LP08's and C96's to be modified to short barrels. For regular police work the short barrels were deemed more appropriate.