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Make: DWM
Model: Pistole Parabellum, Luger Pistol Carbine
Serial Number: The magazine floorplate, forend wedge, barrel, and barrel extension are marked with the serial number "36". The sideplate, trigger, takedown lever, grips, and rear toggle are marked with the serial number "16".
Year of Manufacture: The frame appears to have been made between 1906-1908. Assembly to its current configuration was most likely performed between 1919-1921.
Caliber: .30 Luger (7.65×21mm Parabellum)
Action Type: Semi-Automatic Detachable Magazine-Fed Pistol Carbine with Thumb and Grip Safeties
Barrel Length: 12"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a white 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 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 walnut. A tang has been mounted to the front of the frame for the wedge- and screw-secured checkered walnut forend which has a schnabel tip. There is an included checkered walnut buttstock with period bracket and serrated black synthetic buttplate which can be mounted to the frame's stock lug (we have not tested the fit as the stock is not an original piece). There are sling swivels mounted in the belly and the bottom of the forend. The grips show minor handling wear with some spots of compressed checkers and a few light marks. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The forend has similar light wear. The buttstock has finish wear in the crowned "N" marked mounting bracket, but the wood has no notable wear or damage. Overall, the grips are in Very Good Plus Condition, the forend is in Very Good Condition, and the buttstock is in Fine to Excellent Condition as refinished and/or not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blue & Straw
Finish Originality: This pistol carbine was most likely re-worked in the post-WW1 era. See “Our Assessment”. The "MADE IN GERMANY" export mark on the left of the frame is marked through the finish.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 9/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol carbine retains about 95% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There is some light operational wear and the barrel has light wear from the forend, mostly concealed while assembled. There are some scattered light nicks and scuffs. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear. Overall, this pistol carbine is in Very Good Plus Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol carbine. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol carbine comes with a non-serialized stock assembly, a later-vintage wood presentation case, and the original wood floorplate 8-round magazine.
Our Assessment: The iconic Luger pistol had its roots in the C93 Borchardt, the first commercially viable self-loading pistol. Hugo Borchardt refused to make changes to the design, leading its manufacturer and the owner of the patents, DWM, to task employee Georg Luger with making the necessary improvements. Luger kept the short recoil toggle action, but replaced the Borchardt's bizarre mainspring and the large housing it necessitated with a leaf spring in the now angled grip. The Luger was sold to armies worldwide and on the commercial market for more than 40 years, with a large number of variations to suit the tastes of a wide swathe of clientele. In the second book of the three volume series "Pistole Parabellum" by Joachim Gortz and Geoffrey L. Sturgess, they describe what they referred to as "Some Bizarre Post-WWI Parabellums" with "non-suffixed serial numbers of one to four digits of various, sometimes bizarre, configurations". The book notes irregular application of proof marks and use of both military and commercial pre-war components. In the tumultuous times of post-WW1 Germany, it's understandable that even such a large firm as DWM would have some laxity, thus we believe these strange Lugers were a product of those circumstances. This example fits that unique mold with its non-standard numbering, features, and proof marking locations. Most notably, the "MADE IN GERMANY" export marking was applied through the pistol's current (original) finish, a strong argument that, despite its unique features, this is a genuine Luger Carbine from the post-war years.
This DWM Pistole Parabellum Luger Pistol Carbine has a frame most likely made ca. 1906-1908, was mostly likely assembled to its current configuration ca. 1919-1921, and is in Very Good Plus Condition. It boasts a 12” barrel, 95% of its crisp, original blue and straw finish, the original checkered walnut forend with a schnabel tip, the original two-piece checkered walnut grips, the original wood floorplate 8-round magazine, strong mechanics, a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion (there is a little stubborn fouling), and an odd mix of features including a grip safety, stock lug, bolt stop, coil mainspring, checkered round knobs, and a thumb-safety marking which either used to be a milled shadow of the lever or had a previous marking milled away when the gun was refit. We do believe the buttstock has been refinished or replaced, as it is not serial number marked, but it completes this handsome example of a Luger Carbine. Add in the later-vintage wood presentation case, and this beauty will display well in any collection.