1916 DMW Value?

[JMPDMax]

Greetings All:

My father liberated a Luger in WWII from a German Captain (he didn't protest too much).

Anyway I was looking for a value:

It appears to have the DMW manufacturer stamp on top and the dates 1916 and 1920. All parts are numbered 4470 or 70. The holster, flash hider, tool, and both clips (yes there are 2 clips) are all labeled 4470 as well. The trigger and clip eject button have a slight gold tinge to them.

Also, the leather holster is stamped with a person's name along with a date of 1934 and a location of Berlin. There is also some type of symbol included with the name.

The bluing is original with little wear except on the high points. The stock is in very good condition. The only problem with it is a very small chip of wood missing just under the safety.

Oh, did I mention that it still shoots pretty good!!

Any indication of the value would be appreciated.

Thank!
-JP

[Edward Tinker]

JP, welcome to the forum! Pictures would be needed to evaluate properly. I can say that if NOT reblued or modifed, a 2 matching luger is worth around $1500-$2000... So shooting it might not be the best thing, as, if you break a numbered part, the value just shot down to $600-$700

It is a 1916 DWM (Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken) like you said, in 1920 it was property stamped by the Reichswehr gov't to show that it was gov't property.

The missing wood on the 'grips" where you mention is very common.

Does the "spare" magazine have a + or a #2 on the top or bottom? Are the magazine bottoms wood or aluminum?


Ed

[JMPDMax]

Both clips have an aluminum bottom.

One of the clips is stamped with a '1', the other one is stamped with a '2'.

There is also some other symbol stamped on the bottom of the clips. It kind of looks like a 'V' shape with horizontal lines (almost like an eagle wings) and what looks to me a small 'L' at the bottom right of the symbol.

Also, on the holster, the threads that hold the closure strap are gone. I still have the strap, but it is only attached by the button on the holster closure. Would you recommend that a leather person look at re-sewing the strap?

Thanks
-JP

[Edward Tinker]

I would recommend ONLY a holster repair person, Jerry Burney of this forum is very reasonable, he will handstitch, into the same holes and fix an item, if it can be fixed. Most repair folks repair very well, but would use a machine and just stitch it up, great for service use, bad for collectors.

I would bet your luger you are discussing is a police model, and probably possesses a sear safety, see the picture below. The top arrow is a sear safety, the bottom arrow is the magazine safety placed on some, but not all police lugers.
Police models were marked with a 1, 2 or a 3 (1 is the primary, 2 or 3 are secondary and third-dary ).

[JMPDMax]

You asked for pics.....

[Edward Tinker]

You have a very nice example of a Weimar police, with a sear safety and no magazine safety. Are there any markings on the front grip strap?

The extra item you have was used by the police to protect the gun while cleaning it. I have never seen one matched to the gun. Weimar lugers police are more likely to be found with two matching magazines, although still rarer than finding them like this (it is what I collect BTW).

Very nice,

Ed

[JMPDMax]

Front Grip Strap? Give me a little more information about what you are asking for.

Thanks
-JP

[Edward Tinker]

It would be obivious, or fairly so.

#1 is the most usual, if it is lighter gray, maybe it was ground off and blued over, not uncommon

#2, 3 or 4 are other locations.

if nothing, well probably 25% of police guns were stamped. Any markings on the inside of the holster lid or around the lip? I would expect none.

[Edward Tinker]

They would look something like this (without the whiting of course);

[JMPDMax]

I do not have any of those markings.

On the holster, I have the name stamped into the back along with a date of 1934 and a location of Berlin. Just below that is a hexagonal star shape with what appears to be an 'L' in the center.

It looks like:

Robert Larsen
    Berlin
     1934
        __
       /   \
      |  L |
       \__/

Inside of the holster there appears to be writing (magic marker??). It is very faint. Actually, it looks like it says 74 bn F, which would make sense because my dad was in the 44th Division, 74th Infantry Battalion, Company F.

Do you have an estimate as to the value?

-JP

[Edward Tinker]

JP, my estimate of its value has not really changed, as I stated in the first paragraph. Police guns do not sell as well as army I have observed (by fisrt hand accounts, me selling some, here on the forum, or on gunbroker, etc).

I would guess you could sell your entire rig for $1500-$1800 fairly easily here on the forum (provided it is all matching, including firing pin, grips, extractor, ejector, etc.).

Ed

[Don M]

JP,

Welcome to the forum. A very fine rig!

Given the completeness of this rig and that the holster has a police-style closure (up-strap stud versus military down-strap buckle), it is very likely that your father liberated it from a German police officer. If the pistol had been appropriated for military use, I doubt that all these matched police items would have remained together. Anything is possible, however.