If only it could talk

[rpbcps]

How much information can you obtain from a handgun? This WWI Luger contains a wealth of information telling its own history.

This example was the 282nd Luger produced in 1916, indicated by the fact the serial number does not have a letter suffix and the date on the chamber.

The receiver tells us that it was manufactured in 1916, as a ‘Lange Pistole 08’, (Artillery Luger). As many forum members will know, the notch just in front of the '1920 stamp', (discussed later), is where the front sight would have been fitted to the original 200mm barrel. Under the treaty of Versailles Post WWI Germany, was banned from owning / using pistols with barrels longer than 100mm. Therefore, many Artillery Lugers were reworked and had their long barrels replaced.

The '1920 stamp' on the the chamber is a property stamp, rather than a date stamp. Following WW1, the Weimar German Government found itself with an armed populace, with many former soldiers bringing their weapons home with them.

In an attempt to resolve this issue, in 1919, the German government passed the ‘Regulations on Weapons Ownership’, which declared that “all firearms, as well as all kinds of firearms ammunition, are to be surrendered immediately.” Under the regulations, anyone found in possession of a firearm or ammunition was subject to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 marks.

Incentives were introduced for individuals to surrender their weapons to the government. It was announced that 100 Marks would be paid for a small arm until October 10th, after that date the reward was to be reduced to 50 Marks.

In August 1920 the German authorities issued an order that cited the impending disarming of the people required that all weapons of the armed forces were to be marked with the ‘1920’ date, to prevent people stealing military supplies and selling them back to the government. Hence the origin of the 'double date' stamped lugers.

This pistol went onto to see service with the Weimar police forces. The marking, (S.L. Pol 3804), is from the state police of Saxony, (Sächsische Landespolizei), formed just after WWI. This marking has been struck-out in favour of one relating to the Leipzig Schutzpolizei. – (S.P.L.). The Landespolizei, (state police), were superseded by a national Ordnungspolizei in 1936, as part of a Nazi Party programme of centralization. The Schutzpolizei were the branch of the Ordnungspolizei responsible for policing large towns and cities.

During the 1920’s, the German police authorities looked to resolve a safety issue with their lugers, which are designed with the firing mechanism on the side and not behind or on top as most automatic pistols. The side plate could be removed while the weapon still had round in the chamber, subsequently, the removal of the side plate exposed the sear and by then pressing on the sear, the gun would accidently discharge a round. This resulted in the introduction of the sear safety, patented in July of 1929 by Ludwig Schiwy of Berlin, which was only installed on police issued Parabellums, during the period 1929-34. The small bar on the left side of the receiver that appears to rest on the side plate identifies the sear safety.

In 1932 Reichswehrministerium, (Reich Ministry of Defence), issued an order for all rear main axle connecting pins on lugers be serial numbered to the weapon. This luger had its connecting pin stamped with the last two digits of the serial number in accordance with this order, sometime between 1932 and 1937.

I apprecaite that most members will already be aware of this information, and most of it, is also found in the Luger FAQs section. However, I thought I'd add it to provide some information for any new members.

I have one question related to 282. In the luger FAQs section I notice it states "The Crown/RC stamp is found on 1911 to 1918 dated Erfurts". There is a Crown/RC stamp on the barrel of 282, so I presumed that was added when the barrel was changed. So I am also presuming the stamp indicates that the barrel was changed by Erfurt and not DWM?

Stay safe
Richard