ID Frame Only??

I'm curious to know if it is possible to identify the origin of a Luger frame.


I've been examining the frame of my new Frankenartillery, and have noted that the quality of the machining of the metal surface itself is extraordinarily good. The metal surface of the area behind the toggle cam on both sides (under the safety lever) has a very fine matte finish, no machining marks whatever. The interior surfaces, although not finished, are carefully and smoothly machined. The reason for my curiosity is, at some point I will be able to track down a frame with a stock lug for the Artillery barrrel (for the shoulder stock in my future), and I would then like to find a matching barrel and toggle set for this frame (not numbers, certainly, but manufactured at the same time, in the same plant, with the same finish quality).


The frame has no stock lug, of course, but is numbered military-style--that is, on visible surfaces, rather than on edges. The serial number is 3331 with a script d (at least, I think it is a d). There are various stamps--inspectors marks?--on the interior surfaces. There is also an upper-case, serif letter K stamped at the bottom-front of the frame where it recurves to become the trigger guard. This looks to be more than just an inspector's mark, it is very carefully stamped and centered on its part of the frame. There are no proof marks.


Is this quest possible, let alone reasonable? Would knowing any of the other marks be useful? Or have I, in my crazed Luger fanatacism, stepped over the edge into cloud-cukoo-land?


--Dwight

Dwight,

The possibility of find separate parts that have the same machining finish is very small even when produced on the same machine at a different time of the same day.

Each part machined reduces the fine edge of a cutter.

This results in a small if hardly perceptable degrading of the finish until the surface finish reaches a point that the operator or the line inspector orders a change in tooling for the offending machine.

In the time period that these weapons were manufactured, Tool life was much shorter than today.

The milling cutters sometime required changing as often as every two dozen parts or so depending on the amount of metal that was removed.

I hope that this answers some of your questions allong this line.

ViggoG

Dwight, If your military lower was made without a stock lug (prior to Dec 1913) or provision for a grip safety and has a suffix letter, it has to be either a DWM or Erfurt (will be marked with a crown over a scriptic letter, inspectors mark) first issue military. See chapter 5 of Gibson's "Krieghoff Parabellum" for more details on identifing post 1913 frames. Tom h

[Lonnie Zimmerman]

As nice as the finish and macnine work is, I would say it has to be a DWM.


Lonnie

[Dwight Gruber]

Thanks, guys, for the good and useful information.


--Dwight

Most parts will not be machined on a single machine,

But will have certain operations machined in secquence on several separate machines before hand finishing and inspection.

This much further complicates the question of obtaining a consistent finish on all parts unless carefully applied by a skilled craftsman like OUR "THOR", This is not to say that there are other good ones, But! He is the best I'm aquainted with.

ViggoG