Inter-War DWM Commercial Luger 6″ 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol, Ca. 1921 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,325.01

WOA#: WY240421JS002

Make: DWM

Model: Parabellum, Inter-War Commercial

Serial Number: 91387

Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1921

Caliber: 9mm Luger (9x19mm Parabellum)

Action Type: Toggle Type Striker-Fired Semi-Auto, Removable Magazine

Markings: The front face of the frame and the bottom of the barrel are each marked “91387”. There are crown over “N” commercial proofs on the bottom of the barrel, the left of the barrel extension and the left of the front toggle-link. The top of the front toggle-link has a “DWM” logo. The back of the rear toggle link, the bottom of the takedown lever, and the bottom of the sideplate are each marked “87”. The front face of the fame is export-marked “GERMANY” at the serial marking.

Barrel Length: 6”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated blade dovetailed to a base at the muzzle. The sight is only finger-tight in the base, it can be pushed out of place fairly easily. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut panels. The grips have general light handling wear with some scattered minor nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is some discoloration at edges, most notable at the top-rear of the left panel. The left panel has a patch of compressed checkers near the center. The checkering is otherwise well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Strawed

Finish Originality: Some remaining finish may be Original, there are worn areas that have been touched-up. Some parts have likely been refinished (trigger). The clarity of the markings is inconsistent which may be consistent with this period of manufacture (see Our Assessment).

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There are a few spots of minor erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 8+ out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 85% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There are some scattered areas of wear that have been touched-up with cold blue. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The trigger’s blue finish has a plum hue. There is some scattered minor surface oxidation. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, the proof marks on the barrel extension, bolt and toggle are shallow with soft edges. Some markings have been filled with white paint. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is barely perceptible play between the barrel assembly and frame. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine with a wood floorplate.

Our Assessment: The Luger (Pistole Parabellum or P-08) is perhaps the most aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing of all autoloading centerfire pistols. It is also one of the strongest, most accurate and most recognizable service pistols ever made. Georg Luger developed his famous pistol in 1898-1899 (starting with the Borchardt/Luger transitional pistol). The Luger is, essentially, a much improved Borchardt type pistol, which was itself based on the toggle action concept used by Sir Hiram Maxim in the world’s first practical machine gun. The Luger was so well liked and reliable that it was still being made and issued to German troops well after the P38 was adopted by the army. It was also popular on the commercial market, with many being sold to the United States before WWI, in the inter-war years, and as surplus after WWII.

This is an inter-war commercial Luger made by DWM between the world wars. This period of production saw a number of idiosyncracies, not made any easier by the restrictions imposed under the Treaty of Versailles (more specifically by the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission). Production of military arms was severely curtailed, with handguns having restrictions on their caliber as well as barrel length. There was some effort to utilize existing parts to avoid the necessity for new production, and many existing arms were refurbished rather than being replaced. For this reason, there was some inconsistency in the production, assembly and finishing of these inter-war Lugers due to the mix of refurbished, re-marked or new-manufacture parts. The original commercial serial range was continued until approximately 92000, when an alpha-numeric serial scheme was adopted to avoid the need to go to a six-digit number.

This example is quite odd as it has both a 6″ barrel, longer than would typically be permitted, and is chambered for 9mm Luger, also not approved. It is export-marked, so it is not impossible that it was simply sold before the IMKK (German Inter-Alliierte Militaer-Kontroll-Kommission) discovered its production. It is also not impossible that it was customized after export, though the barrel shows no sign of being extended and is serial-matching. In any case, it is an intriguing piece that has a nice bore, strong mechanics, and matching serialized parts. This will make a nice addition to a Luger collection missing a pre-alphabet inter-war Luger, especially in its uncommon configuration. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud