Weimar DWM Blank Chamber Bremen Police P08 Luger 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,275.00
LSB#: LSB250728AG013
Make: Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken (DWM)
Model: Luger P.08 (Parabellum-Pistole)
Serial#: 4438q
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1918, post-war Re-Worked C&R
Caliber: 9x19mm (9mm Luger)
Action Type: Toggle-Action Semi-Automatic Striker-Fired Pistol fed by a Detachable Magazine
Barrel Length: 4”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is serrated blade dovetailed to a banded base integral to the muzzle. The rear sight is a “V”-notch integral to the rear toggle link.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered wood. The grips have fairly even moderate handling wear and discoloration. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and small scratches. The checkering shows wear, but is generally well defined. The right panel has an interior crack along the follower slot and the left panel has a small loss behind the safety lever. Overall, the grips are in Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue and Straw
Finish Originality: Original to police-issue, some parts may be refurbished or re-worked from WWI-era production. Numbered parts match in commercial-style placement, not all parts are numbered.
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is some light erosion and stubborn fouling scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6/10.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at edges and there is handling wear in the grip areas. There is finish wear on the barrel on each side. There are scattered light nicks and small scratches, some under and some through the finish. The strawed parts have mostly muted. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation and some areas of finish loss where it appears oxidation was cleaned out. There is infrequent minor erosion under the finish, mostly under the grip panels. The action shows operational wear. Most markings remain clear, some are worn, but legible. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. Overall, the pistol is in Good condition.
Mechanics: The sear safety has lost much of its tension, not always properly preventing the sear from being engaged when the sideplate is removed. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. There is a sear safety above the sideplate. There is light 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 requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: This pistol comes with a brd42 marked P38 flap-holster and a single non-matching alloy-floorplate magazine.
Our Assessment: The Luger was adopted by the German Army in 1908 and was so reliable and well liked that it was still being made and issued to German troops well after the P38 was adopted by the army in 1938. The largest percentage of Lugers were made by DWM, which became Mauser in 1930. This is a Luger pistol which was produced during the Great War and which remained in German inventory following the Great War.
Though it lacks a proper “1920” Reichswehr marking, it does have the sear-safety typical of Weimar-era Police lugers and a Bremen Schultspolizei unit marking on the frontstrap. Due to the restrictions on the quantity of arms which could be maintained by the German government, including police forces, many P.08s were re-worked to keep the pistol in good working order rather than being decommissioned. This pistol’s all-matching serial numbered parts are likely due to this process, with replaced parts marked to match the pistol as they gun was re-worked. For fans of the Luger, this pistol will make a nice addition to a collection and should also still make for a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
