Rare DWM Luger Model 1902 Carbine .30 7.65x21mm Semi-Auto Pistol, 1903 C&R
SOLD FOR: $4,002.00
LSB#: LSB250622BR031
Make: DWM
Model: 1902 Luger Carbine
Serial Number: 24122
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1903
Caliber: .30 Luger (7.65×21mm Parabellum)
Action Type: Short-Recoil Striker-Fired Toggle-Link Semi-Automatic Pistol Carbine, Detachable Magazine Fed
Barrel Length: 11 3/4?
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to a serrated, ramped base fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a four-position “U”-notch which slides in a banded base fixed to the rear of the barrel. The positions are graduated from one to three hundred meters with a position between two and three. The sight arm is released with a button on the left of the base, allowing it to be slid to each position. There is no rear sight on the rear toggle link.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood. A hanger on the front of the frame accepts the wedge-secured checkered walnut forend which has a schnabel tip and a sling swivel. The buttstock is checkered walnut with a straight grip, straight comb, orange rubber buttpad and a sling swivel in the belly. The grips have minor handling wear with only a few minor marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks in the grips. The forend has a crack in the top-front extending down and back into the bottom of the checkering. There is another crack in the left-rear of the forend extening forward under the left wedge escutcheon with a shorter crack above it. The forend’s checkering is well defined. The buttstock has a short crack above the latch on the left-front of the wrist. There is light wear under the finish around the rear edge, likely from fitting the pad. There are a few other scattered light marks. The checkering on the wrist is well defined. The pad has age and wear. Overall, the grip panels are in about Fine condition, the stock is in about Very Good condition as refinished, and the forend is in Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Straw
Finish Originality: Most remaining finish is Original, there is cold blue touch-up in some worn areas. Numbered parts on the pistol itself are matching, the forend iron and stock mounting lug have non-matching numbers
Bore Condition: The bore is light gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion scattered through the bore with infrequent minor pitting. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 6/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 85% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas. The backstrap and the bright safety marking under the lever have been touched-up with cold blue. There is some scattered minor oxidation with a little minor surface erosion at the muzzle on the left. There are a few light nicks and small scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The barrel extension has barely perceptible play to the frame. We did not fire this pistol-carbine. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol-carbine comes with a single 8-round wood floorplate magazine and a leather sling. Please note, the stock bracket is not original to the pistol, do not install the stock unless in compliance with the law.
Our Assessment: The Parabellum-Pistole, commonly referred to as the Luger, was designed by Georg Johann Luger. Luger was an unlikely gun designer, born in 1849 he was the son of a surgeon, Bartholomaeus von Luger, and while attending university he served as a One-Year Volunteer with the 78th Infantry Regiment (Infanterieregiment 78 ein) of the Austro-Hungarian Army. In the 1870s Luger met Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher who recruited him as a sales representative for Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik AG (DWM). One of the company’s weapons that Luger marketed was the Borchardt C93 (named after its designer Hugo Borchardt) which was criticized for being too heavy and poorly balanced. Luger decided to rework the design and eventually secured a contract for his new pistol with the Swiss Army which dubbed it the model 1900. After some minor reworking Luger introduced the Pistole 1904, chambered for 9mm cartridges, which was adopted by the Imperial German Navy, the pistol was henceforth referred to as the Luger. A slightly altered version of the pistol with a smaller barrel was adopted for service by the Prussian Army in 1908, hence the designation P08. The P08 would become one of the most iconic weapons of the 20th century. Luger’s pistol would continue to serve the German military during WWII (although the P38 was the Wehrmacht’s standard issue sidearm) and saw service in a number military and police forces after the war.
In addition to their extensive military and law enforcement sales, DWM also marketed the pistol commercially with a number of variations. This is one of the more desirable examples for collectors, a Model 1902 Luger Carbine. Distinctive features include the dished toggle knobs, spring-clip on the right toggle knob, grip safety, leaf mainspring and a portion of the safety panel left in the white to designate when the pistol is on safe rather than a “GESICHERT” marking (this panel has been touched-up with cold blue). With an 11 3/4? barrel, sights graduated to 300 meters, checkered forend, it will certainly allow you to wring all the precision available out of the .30 Luger cartridge while not taking up too much space. The included stock is not an original, but will make a nice display alongside the pistol.
This 1902 Carbine has matching numbered parts on the gun itself, the forend iron is non-matching, and overall is in Very Good condition, retaining much of its original metal finish, a fair bore given its age, and strong mechanics. This is a must-have for the dedicated Luger collector and these don’t come available very often. It should also still prove to be a fun shooter for the lucky winner. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
