1916 DWM German Luger numbermatching (photos inside)

[jncastillo87]

Been going thru my grandads stuff .. figured you guys could tell me more about this Luger .. Grandad was a tank commander, and he took this off of a dead German ... Appreciate any info you guys can give me .. how rare?  worth ? History ? .. thanks alot

[jasonball]

that looks really nice. don't try to clean it up with any type of abraisive. doing some searches. now.

[jncastillo87]

that looks really nice. don't try to clean it up with any type of abraisive. doing some searches. now.

Cool thanks ..  I wouldnt clean it at all !!

[Texasbadger]

Pre WWII Luger by DWM in 9mm, in decent shape overall.  Nice souvenir

[syl]

Very nice gun. If your grand dad is still around I bet he could tell some great stories. In Judith Miller's 2004 Antique Price Guide there is a German Luger, made by DWM, in 9mm caliber with original holster, marked Gesichert
and dated 1921 with an estimated value of $700-$1,000.

[jncastillo87]

Very nice gun. If your grand dad is still around I bet he could tell some great stories. In Judith Miller's 2004 Antique Price Guide there is a German Luger, made by DWM, in 9mm caliber with original holster, marked Gesichert
and dated 1921 with an estimated value of $700-$1,000.

Wow cool .. yeah he would ahve some stories im sure of it .. I dont see many of the 1916 models on these forums . I wonder how rare they are

[railman44]

Lots of different places where the numbers need to match.  There are Luger websites that could answer all your questions.

[KC]

"Gesichert" identifies the safety mechanism.  There ought to be a date over the chamber.  The frontstrap marking is for the person the gun was issued to.

The full serial number appears on the front of the grip frame just above the trigger guard. If there is a letter below the number, it is part of the serial number (e.g., 1234 b would be the serial number, not just 1234).

Good sites are http://www.lugerforum.com/

[jncastillo87]

"Gesichert" identifies the safety mechanism.  There ought to be a date over the chamber.  The frontstrap marking is for the person the gun was issued to.

The full serial number appears on the front of the grip frame just above the trigger guard. If there is a letter below the number, it is part of the serial number (e.g., 1234 b would be the serial number, not just 1234).

Good sites are http://www.lugerforum.com/

The date is 1916

[waywardangler]

The vast majority of the pistols were stamped with a four-digit serial number. This number cycle was repeated monthly by the various arsenals, thus making it possible to have between 250 and 300 pistols bearing the same serial number. Distinguishing factors making the identification of each pistol unique are the alpha letter appearing beneath or following the serial number; the year of manufacture; and the individual arsenal/code markings on each pistol. The serial number, always stamped on the frame, may also appear on the receiver and barrel. If the serial numbers don't match, this indicates the pistol was assembled from parts of several pistols. The last two digits of the original serial number may appear in several places on the gun as a parts number. Sometimes the same serial number will be stamped in multiple places on the gun, but will only include the letter suffix below the barrel, ahead of the trigger guard.  From http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_pistol_luger.php3

[jncastillo87]

The vast majority of the pistols were stamped with a four-digit serial number. This number cycle was repeated monthly by the various arsenals, thus making it possible to have between 250 and 300 pistols bearing the same serial number. Distinguishing factors making the identification of each pistol unique are the alpha letter appearing beneath or following the serial number; the year of manufacture; and the individual arsenal/code markings on each pistol. The serial number, always stamped on the frame, may also appear on the receiver and barrel. If the serial numbers don't match, this indicates the pistol was assembled from parts of several pistols. The last two digits of the original serial number may appear in several places on the gun as a parts number. Sometimes the same serial number will be stamped in multiple places on the gun, but will only include the letter suffix below the barrel, ahead of the trigger guard.  From http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_pistol_luger.php3

I guess the repeating 367 and 67 all over the gun makes sense .. and under the barrel and above the trigger gard as the above paragraph states is "367R"  Im not sure what I can learn from that fact but ill run with it...

[heavydude]

www.gunbroker.com is to firearms what eBay is to everything else.

Check out the following link for auctions of the DWM Luger:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SearchResults.aspx?Keywords=dwm+luger

Look at auctions that have the shortest amount of time left and already have some bids and you'll get an idea where you stand.

You might also check Wikipedia for historical articles on the Luger, DWM, and the 9mm round.

There is also the Blue Book of Gun Values, but I wouldn't put much stock in value guides as they often are inaccurate and don't reflect current real time sales.