Post WW1 DWM Long Frame Production

[CptCurl]

Ron Wood has given us an excellent "Early Frame Tutorial" which appears as a sticky post in the "Early Lugers (1900-1906)" forum.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...8975#post28975

Ron specifically disavows discussion of 1920 era Lugers:

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

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Here are Type categorizations of these transition steps that I have made into a little guide. These are my observations and I am sure this list may not be totally comprehensive and that exceptions do exist (all bets are off on 1920 era Lugers), but it is by and large representative. I welcome any recommended corrections, changes or comments.

First, let me thank Ron for his excellent summary of frame evolution. It's helpful to me and to everybody else interested in these earlier pistols.

With this thread I would like to open a discussion of frame types found on post-WW1 DWM commercial Lugers. Far and away, most of them have the short "Type V" frame that came to be the prevailing standard. But not all of them have the short frame!

I have what I think is a fascinating 1920 era DWM commercial Swiss Luger. For reference, I did a photo spread and discussion of it here:

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=39776

Please refer to that earlier thread for full photo documentation and a list of features. I'll not repeat those here.

As you can see, this pistol inarguably was made after WW1 (upright C/N proof; s/n 2652i). Yet it is built on a Type III long frame.







Was this frame left over from earlier long frame production? I don't think so, and here's why. The frame is stamped with the "Circle N". According to Gortz & Sturgess this would indicate 1917 or later production. See Gortz & Sturgess Vol. I, page 575, Figure 9-97.





I believe that DWM Tooled up another run of long frames after WW1, probably to please Swiss sensibilities. (Perhaps for other markets too?)

Of course, tooling up for new long frame pistols would require tooling up to make matching long receivers and matching barrels with long thread shanks. Quite a lot of trouble to sell a few commercial pistols to the Swiss market!

While we are talking about it, please take note that the barrel on my pistol measures 100mm exactly. (Please see my correction to this in Post #5, below.)
That's an aberration from the typical, and legally mandated, 98mm and 95mm barrels normally found on the 1920 series pistols.

On the earlier thread that I posted, user "gunnertwo" posted photos of another post WW1 Swiss 1906 pattern that he owns. It also appears to have a long frame. G2, would you confirm whether it is indeed a long frame; and if so, please tell us what stamp appears in the forward frame well. Also, what is the barrel length of your pistol?

Anybody else who has a post-WW1 DWM with a long frame, please join in by posting photos and information about what you have. Maybe we can find some patterns.

Thanks,
Curl