DWM Luger Model 1920 Police Schutzpolizei & Import Blue 4″ Semi-Auto Pistol, 1912 C&R 9mm Para
SOLD FOR: $1,425.00
LSB#: 180709EA66
Make: DWM
Model: 1921 Police
Serial Number: 5096b
Year of Manufacture: 1921
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Toggle Action Semi-Auto, Removable Magazine.
Markings: The front face of the frame is marked “5096 / b” and with a circled “X”. The front toggle is marked with a script “DWM” and “96” and the top of the extractor is also marked “96”. The back of the rear toggle and the left sides of the locking bolt, sideplate and trigger are marked “96”. The left side of the sear bar safety is etched with “96”. The left side of the receiver’s chamber ring is marked “5096” and the top with “1921”, a Reichswehr date stamp. The right front side of the receiver is marked with two “Dove / WaA4” Waffenamts (Police acceptance marks) as shown on page 1 of “Weimar and Early Nazi Lugers” by Jan. C. Stills and with a round sunburst with a scripted character in its center. The underside of the barrel is marked with a vertical “Crowned N” nitro proof as used on commercial Lugers after 1918. The left side of the front toggle is marked with “Dove / WaA4” Waffenamt. The left side flat in front of the safety is marked “Gesichert” and the right side of the receiver is marked with an import mark we can’t make out except for the state, “NJ”. The left side of the frame at the front has two marks which have been over-stamped with multiple small circles. The bottom of the front strap is marked with “P.112.”, which we believe to be a Prussian Schutzpolizie unit mark for gun number 112 of the Potsdam district.
Barrel Length: 4”
Sights / Optics: The pistol is mounted with a serrated ramped blade front sight in a dovetail on the front barrel band. The rear sight is a “V” notch on the back of the rear toggle.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut that are dark with oil staining. The checkering shows heavy wear with a few small dings. The grips are tight on the frame. The grips are in about Good to Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: The entire pistol is blued.
Finish Originality: The pistol has been refinished.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright, with sharp rifling. We didn’t see any erosion in the bore but there are tiny spots of lead fouling scattered throughout the bore that we couldn’t get out with a bronze bore brush and Hoppe’s.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 98% of its current metal finish. There is light pitting under the finish on most surfaces except for the barrel, scratches from sanding under the finish on the left sideplate, breechblock, receiver, and the sides of the frame and trigger, and tiny dings under the finish in the left sideplate. There is thinning on the front corners of the frame rails and light handling marks scattered over the surfaces. The serrations on the toggle knobs are distressed, and the knurling on the knobs and small parts and the safety serrations show light wear. The left grip screw is distressed. The markings are clear except for the import mark which was badly stamped, and those on the underside of the barrel are crisp. This pistol rates in about Very Good condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action works correctly. The receiver is tight to the frame. We have not fired 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 total of one late style blued magazine with an alloy bottom piece. The bottom piece is marked “1 / 5096” but the lower left side of the body is marked “2/1001”. The body shows no wear but there are light marks in the bottom piece. The magazine is in about Excellent condition.
Our Assessment: The Luger (Pistole Parabellum) 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. The Germans used a variety of markings on their guns, and used Waffenamt markings for acceptance stamps on military pistols starting in the and started using Waffenamts in 1934 for acceptance stamps by the military after the Nazis took power in 1933. However, the Waffenamt was officially founded in 1919, and used on Luger pistols destined for police use. Early Waffenamts used a dove instead of the Weimar Eagle over the inspector’s number. For more on this topic, please see “Weimar and Early Nazi Lugers”, pgs. 1-42, by Jan C. Stills. This pistol is a 1920 Police pistol, also referred to as a Dated Alphabet DWM Police pistol due to its 4 digit serial number with letter suffix and the 1921 Reichswehr date stamp on the receiver’s chamber ring. It has been refinished and there is an import mark on the receiver, but its serial numbers are matching, including the magazine, except for the grips. The pistol has a 4” barrel, is chambered in 9mm Parabellum, and has a Prussian Police Unit number stamped on its front strap. The pistol is in about Very Good condition with about 98% of its current finish remaining. We see lots of Lugers come buy our shop, but this is the first dated police pistol we have seen in years. Stills indicates that as many as 45,000 could have been made, but even this number pales in comparison to those made for the Army or for commercial sales. This rare Luger is sure to get picked up by a collector interested in filling out his/her collection with a Prussian Police model.
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible pistol CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.
