This is the first Luger I purchased from Legacy back in 2020. It is an all matching (re-barreled) 1917 DWM that has 3x waffenamps on it as well. It was sold as a rework and "possible Waffen SS issued". I did not buy it for the SS aspect, all of my German weapons were "possibly issued to the SS". I image that this is a quite effective marketing tactic but, I purchased it because it was a beautiful matching example that likely saw both conflicts. It also came with a WW2 issued magazine which I will include pictures of incase anyone is studying them. Please feel free to point out anywhere I am wrong here. I am a total novice when it comes to Lugers.
1917 DWM Rework
- Thread starter simsn
- Start date
That sounds about right. I just saw one on another web site coincidentally for the exact same price as yours. Another one just sold on GB last week (a 1914 pictured below) for around ~$2300...then there was one on Guns International a while back that a guy was asking $4k for. I think yours was priced fairly. You don't see these very often.
I know this is an old thread, but it piques my curiosity about ex-artillery DWM Lugers. At some point, were all DWM Lugers with the notch at the front of the barrel extension and with 4" barrels, fitted with new rear toggles, new barrels, with these parts re-numbered and often proofed...and by whom?
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yes every DWM with a “notch” was originally an LP.08. It was the normal practice for any and all of those LP.08 still in the inventory post 1918 to be re-barreled and receive a rear sight rear toggle link or in a very few cases I’ve seen rear sights dovetailed into the original rear toggle link. These modifications probably began somewhat in the earlier 1920s but were very common during the 1930s. I’ve handled examples modified by police arsenals (most common IMO) army depots and Navy reworks. I’m convinced that had it not been for the LP.08s brought back to America by doughboys and to some degree Canadian soldiers that these guns in original configuration would be extremely difficult to find…..maybe rare.
These HzA reworked lugers are really cool! I'm hoping one will pop up again when I have funds available. On a scale of 1-10 in difficulty to find, would it be safe to say that a matching (minus mag) HzA Luger in 70% condition is a 6-7 on that scale? Only seen a handful in recent years but I haven't looked super duper hard either.
Probably a reasonable estimate. I would put them somewhere between a K date and a G date in terms of how frequently i see them both in person and on line. Were 10,000 Lugers reworked through the HZa system or were 50,000? I don’t know but I would estimate probably closer to the 10-20 K number just based on what I’ve seen. Maybe about the same number as K dates made or twice that number hard for me to say. It is for sure there is a pecking order in the rarity seen from the various depots or arsenals.
Another factor involved is that most sellers don't know what they are selling when it comes to these. They can be difficult to find, simply because you'd have to look at every single WW1/Weimar/WW2 luger offered for sale. I came across one a while back simply offered as a WW1 luger. Had a nice HzA stamp right there on the right of the barrel extension. Stumbled across it because I search DWM/Erfurt lugers every now and again.
