German DWM P08 Luger 9x19mm Semi-Automatic Pistol C&R WWII Bring Back
SOLD FOR: $2,025
WOA#: WY240210RN004
Make: Deutsche Waffen-Und Munitionsfabriken (DWM)
Model: P08 Luger
Serial Number: 6398 t
Year of Manufacture: Interwar period
Caliber: 9x19mm (9mm Luger)
Action Type: Toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic, 8 round detachable magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked with a crown “N” stamp. The right side of the frame is marked with a “WaA66” waffenamt. The underside of the barrel is marked with a crown “N” stamp and “6398 t”. The front side of the frame is marked “6398 t”. The left rear side of the frame is marked “Gesichert” which means ‘safe’ or ‘secured’ in German. The middle left side of the frame is marked “GORDON O. MILLER 11.ARMD.DIV.1945”. The middle right side of the frame is marked “41st TANK BN AUSTRIA”. The top of the rear toggle link is marked “DWM”. The trigger, takedown lever, rear toggle link, toggle link pin, and side plate are all marked “98”. The left side of the bolt is marked with a crown “N” stamp. The front strap of the frame is marked “L.ME. 277.” The backstrap is marked “JULY”. The bottom of the magazine is marked “6839”.
Barrel Length: 4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into a barrel mounted base . The rear sight is a v-notch blade integral to the toggle link.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered wood. There are scuffs, scratches, and discoloration throughout. Some of the peaks have been compressed on both panels. There are no apparent chips. The grips rate in about Very Good overall condition.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: 1x 8 round magazine with a wooden end piece in Good Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is very light erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 9 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 85% of its metal finish. There are scuffs and scratches throughout. There is usage wear to the finish in-between the toggle links and on the bolt. The finish is worn on the side plate and there are a few scratches present as well. There is wear to the finish on top and along the sides of the slide. The safety lever has worn a line into the left rear side of the frame. There are spots of surface rust on the frame underneath the grip panels. There is a chunk of wood missing from the left side and wear to the right side of the magazine’s wooden bottom. The sides of the magazine are worn and there is light verdigris present near the wooden bottom. The screw heads show light use, though there are a couple small tool marks on the firing pin spring guide screw head. The pins are unmarred. The markings are clear, though a few of the smaller ones are worn around the edges. Overall, this handgun rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with an 8 round magazine.
Our Assessment: Designed by Georg Luger in the late 1890s, the Luger and its variants would become some of the most famous military handguns of the 20th century. The Luger is known for its distinctive toggle-lock action which is easy to spot with the large knurled knobs on either side of the slide. Variants of the Luger would be adopted by Switzerland and most notably the German Empire, as the P08. The P08, chambered in what has become eponymously named 9mm Luger, served as the primary German service pistol through the First World War into the Second, even though it was officially supplanted by the P38 in 1938.
This example was built by DWM during the interwar period and is not date marked. The sides of the frame are marked with the name (Gordon O. Miller) and unit (41st Tank Battalion of the 11th Armored Division) of the U.S. soldier that brought the pistol back from Europe. The year (1945) and country (Austria) when and where the pistol was acquired are also marked. The front strap of the frame is marked “L.ME. 277.”, indicating that it was pistol 277 assigned to the Landjägerei (rural police) of the Merseburg district, which is near Leipzig in Saxony-Anhalt. The right side of the slide is marked with a “WaA66” waffenamt, meaning that the pistol was accepted into Wehrmacht service. The grips have some wear and a few of the peaks in the checkering have been compressed. Most of the finish remains, with areas of usage wear throughout. The finish on the side plate is noticeably more worn. The bore is in really nice shape with very little erosion. The barrel, frame, trigger, takedown lever, rear toggle link, toggle link pin, and side plate have matching serial numbers. This is a very interesting example P08 Luger that is both police marked and a Second World War bring back. This would fit into any Luger or Second World War collection. Please see our photos.
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