Luger pistols, before 1946

What this entry covers

The entry reads in full "Luger, pistol, all models and variations mfd. prior to 1946."¹ It names no maker, calibre, country or serial range. Its one condition is the date of manufacture: before 1946¹. The words "all models and variations" set no limit by model, so the date is the only test the line states¹.

Later Lugers are not covered by this line. The same page lists a separate Mauser Parabellum with a grip safety and an American Eagle on the receiver, "made from 1970 to 1978", and two Mauser commemorative Parabellum pistols¹. Lugers paired with shoulder stocks are treated in Section III, in lines that name particular models and stocks. One example is "Luger, German Model 1914 Artillery model pistols, mfd. by DWM or Erfurt, having chambers dated 1914-1918" with original artillery-type stocks². Whether a particular firearm fits this entry depends on the ATF wording above.

Identifying it

The checks that matter are whatever shows the date of manufacture. Military pistols often carry a year: an Australian War Memorial example has "ERFURT" on the action and "1918" with the serial on the receiver³. Another, also from the Erfurt arsenal, is recorded as marked "ERFURT 1916" with a crown cipher, with proof and inspector marks⁴. Te Papa catalogues a 1916 Erfurt pistol as a DWM Parabellum M 1908 in 9 mm⁵.

Pistols the United States Army issued for trials from 1901 to 1905 are a documented special case. Springfield Armory National Historic Site lists the serial numbers of 770 M1900 American Eagle pistols in 7.65mm, sold to Bannerman in 1906⁶. It warns that no United States government marking identifies them. A suspected trial pistol should fall between 5800 and 7800 and should not be marked "Germany"⁶.

Common confusions

• Re-proofed pistols. One Memorial example dated 1917 also carries a British proof mark, applied after it left Germany⁸. Added marks do not change the date of manufacture, which is the entry's test¹.
• Stocked pistols. The Section III lines set their own conditions on stock type and markings², separate from this line.
• Post-war Mauser production. The 1970s Mauser Parabellum and the Mauser commemoratives have their own lines¹.

History

The Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association credits the design to Georg Luger in 1900. It records the first order as Swiss, in 1900, and the P.08's introduction in 1908 with a 4-inch barrel⁷. The same entry says production continued into the Second World War even though the P38 was meant to replace it, and puts total output at about three million⁷. Its figures are a summary, and we have not cross-checked the total.

Further reading

• The Springfield Armory serial list⁶ is the primary record for the American Eagle trial pistols and their limits as evidence.
• The Australian War Memorial records^3,4,8 show typical Erfurt dates, unit markings and later proofs on surviving pistols.
• The HBSA entry⁷ gives a short overview of the pistol's adoption and service.