Another 1920 Luger - The Firearms Forum

rhmc24 · 10-31-2012, 04:06 PM

Another post prompted me to ask the same question about approx worth. It has a bit of a story, ca 10 years back. It belonged to a WW2 Vet who left it to a friend collector. Delivering a little job to him I asked if he had a Luger he would sell. Brought this Luger heavily crusted with dried grease, dust, etc. I couldn't see a date on it & owner didn't know what to ask for it. LGS had several lugers for sale & I volunteered to get info from LGS. I took notes and described to LGS who said $400. So I bought it for $400. Took it to the shop where they cleaned it up, found 1920 date, 50% color on trigger, etc, & marking PwB. Later translated to mean Bavarian police. All numbers match including both mags. One mag number is of a different font, apparently not original. Holster dated 1941.

Got home and was met with message to call seller. He says "I forgot to give you the scabbard and extra magazine.

RJay · 10-31-2012, 08:04 PM

Big sigh, nothing like that never happens to me

Jim K · 10-31-2012, 08:08 PM

I don't think the magazines are original for a 1920 date pistol. IIRC, aluminum bottoms were not issued until c. 1925 at the earliest and not routinely until the late 1930s.

How about pictures of the bottom of the magazines.

Otherwise, a very nice Luger.

Jim

WHSmithIV · 10-31-2012, 08:43 PM

Could I interest you in selling it to me for the $400?

rhmc24 · 11-02-2012, 09:27 AM

Here are pix of the mag numbers next the s/n of the piece, plus a few others. I know the owner had it from the 1950s and may or not have personally brought it back from WW2. It was one of about 6 or 8 guns left to his friend when he passed ca. 1990. He wasn't much of a collector in that most of them were common hunting guns. I know this from my appraisal of the estate of the late owner in 2009, plus knowing both men from 1940. The holster is marked DLU 1941, P.08 plus Nazi eagle.

Jim K · 11-02-2012, 10:18 AM

IMHO, both those magazines were "matched" after market. They are wrong for the period and magazine numbers of that style have the suffix letter on them.

But since Luger magazines are often not a match for the gun, value is not greatly impacted. A nice Luger and at a very good price.

The code "dlu" was Ewald Lünenschloss Militäreffekten [military equipment], Solingen.

Jim

10-31-2012, 04:06 PM	#1
rhmc24 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ardmore, OK Posts: 518	Another 1920 Luger Another post prompted me to ask the same question about approx worth. It has a bit of a story, ca 10 years back. It belonged to a WW2 Vet who left it to a friend collector. Delivering a little job to him I asked if he had a Luger he would sell. Brought this Luger heavily crusted with dried grease, dust, etc. I couldn't see a date on it & owner didn't know what to ask for it. LGS had several lugers for sale & I volunteered to get info from LGS. I took notes and described to LGS who said $400. So I bought it for $400. Took it to the shop where they cleaned it up, found 1920 date, 50% color on trigger, etc, & marking PwB. Later translated to mean Bavarian police. All numbers match including both mags. One mag number is of a different font, apparently not original. Holster dated 1941. Got home and was met with message to call seller. He says "I forgot to give you the scabbard and extra magazine. -->

10-31-2012, 08:04 PM	#2
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,485	Re: Another 1920 Luger Big sigh, nothing like that never happens to me __________________ RonJames

10-31-2012, 08:08 PM	#3
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Another 1920 Luger I don't think the magazines are original for a 1920 date pistol. IIRC, aluminum bottoms were not issued until c. 1925 at the earliest and not routinely until the late 1930s. How about pictures of the bottom of the magazines. Otherwise, a very nice Luger. Jim

10-31-2012, 08:43 PM	#4
WHSmithIV Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Moore, Idaho contributor Posts: 2,605	Re: Another 1920 Luger Could I interest you in selling it to me for the $400?

11-02-2012, 09:27 AM	#5
rhmc24 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ardmore, OK Posts: 518	Re: Another 1920 Luger Here are pix of the mag numbers next the s/n of the piece, plus a few others. I know the owner had it from the 1950s and may or not have personally brought it back from WW2. It was one of about 6 or 8 guns left to his friend when he passed ca. 1990. He wasn't much of a collector in that most of them were common hunting guns. I know this from my appraisal of the estate of the late owner in 2009, plus knowing both men from 1940. The holster is marked DLU 1941, P.08 plus Nazi eagle. Last edited by rhmc24; 11-02-2012 at 09:44 AM..

11-02-2012, 10:18 AM	#6
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Another 1920 Luger IMHO, both those magazines were "matched" after market. They are wrong for the period and magazine numbers of that style have the suffix letter on them. But since Luger magazines are often not a match for the gun, value is not greatly impacted. A nice Luger and at a very good price. The code "dlu" was Ewald Lünenschloss Militäreffekten [military equipment], Solingen. Jim