Unit Marking on Red 9 Broomhandle

[Douglas Jr.]

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.

You're not the first one to say it. I agree with you regarding the lack of such provision in the Versaille Treaty.

In fact, I think that this provision was not settle in the Versailles Treaty itself but by means of a regulation made by the Allied Control Comission, which worked in Germany during the years right after the end of the war. I think I read something 'bout, but I can't remember where... maybe in the Jan Still's book "Weimar Lugers"?

Douglas

[Douglas Jr.]

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

Roy,

With the intent to distinguish government-owned weapons from those that were contraband or clandestine, on August 7, 1920, an order was issued by the Reichstag, known as "law for disarmament of the people," that forced all persons to turn in all contraband war weapons obtained from the battlefields during the conflict and also during the revolutionary movements that followed the war. The directive "Inspektion der Infanterie Nr. 657.T 20 J2s (W.2)" introduced perhaps a most unique circumstance in history, in that the year “1920” was stamped on government-issued weapons as evidence of state ownership.

Douglas