1908 Navy Luger

[checkfeo]

Thought I would share pictures and spec’s on my latest acquisition. This is a 1908 DWM Navy Luger, 9mm, with a 6” barrel. SN# 2549 b. The serial number fits in with Norm’s database on Imperial Navy Lugers.

Under the barrel is stamped “Germany,” Crown over M, and the SN#. It has a stake mark for barrel alignment. Left side of barrel, just before the receiver is another crown. On the left front receiver is a crown, crown over M and another crown over M. Full serial number on receiver front bottom face. Take down and side plate have last 2 digits of sn# (49) on bottom. (not on face, as military’s have) Sear and safety are numbered 49, as is the trigger. Crown stamp on first toggle hump before first axel pin.
Rear sight is the adjustable 100/200 meter with 49 on rear face. No unit marks on front or rear straps. Grips are marked with a small W on the left and H on the right, no numbers.

Inside, bottom of chamber, after stake mark, is number 25 and 49b is on the lug. 49 is stamped on all three parts of the toggle. 4 is stamped on the left side bottom of the rear toggle. Striker/firing pin has the number 57. No number on the hold open, a P and a C are stamped on the inside face of the hold open.

As for the condition, the metal is good with very light pitting and rust. The blue is wearing off around the muzzle, left side of barrel, and high spots on the front receiver (both sides) and front of the side plate. There is no straw left on the takedown, trigger, safety, mag release button or ejector and it looks like someone at sometime even blued them. The grips are worn and very, very dark, but no cracks and the checkering is 100%. The bore is hard for me to rate. There are some pits and it’s dull, but the rife ling looks good and distinct and doesn’t look half bad with some oil in the bore. The mag looks period correct, but is not numbered and has the plain wood bottom, not the navy circles.

I fired 8 rounds of 115gr; TCJ, RN, store bought reloads just to test it. Function was 100%, and went to hold open when empty. Trigger pull was very nice and crisp for a Luger. I was more interested in function than grouping, but it still hit the target 8 times at 25 feet, two hands standing. This Luger with its 6” barrel should be a real tack driver.

Even with the mismatched striker, I think you could say it’s all matching and a correct 1908 Navy Luger. As I understand it, the 1908 Navy striker pins were not numbered anyway, same for other small parts and no chamber date, but I’m no expert and this is the first Navy I’ve ever seen, so comments from you experts will tell the story.

The guy I bought this from offered it to me for $700. He said it had been in his family for a real long time. I told him, if I find out it’s worth a lot more, I would make it right with him if I sell it. So here is my question.

Is this Luger a collector item the way it is, or is it just a shooter? Should I send it to “Thor” and have the small parts re-strawed for $125 or the whole gun refinished for $700? Add another $100 for new grips, but still I would have less than $1500 into it. Would doing that enhance its value any?

Should I try to sell it the way it is, and if so, what is it worth in its current state? Third choice is to just keep it and be happy with it the way it is, or send it to Thor anyway and have a nice looking Navy for $1500.

Hopefully you Navy collectors will give me some good direction.