Two luger questions with pictures

[Nickjc]

Hi All,

I am trying to help a friend out and I think some info he may be getting is incorrect and I think all of you may be able to help.

First off I know NOTHING at all about lugers....nothing zero zilch nada....so I am at a loss but the info I think he has is incorrect.

The firearms reside in the US at this time and are part of an estate of a so called 'luger collector' and his wife is trying to sell them through this FFL dealer. She had indicated that her husband in the past has sold some of his collection prior to his death for some serious sums of money $$$$ per firearm. I have no way to know if true but the one gu he supposedly sold for 40k...true or not I do not know...

So given this, if true, there are these two that are left....

One from what I gather is a modified artillery luger please see pics and the other is a 'normal' DWM luger and has some marking on the frame as shown as well as dual date stamped 1920/1917 etc.

He is trying to figure what they are and to ensure that the women obtains what is proper in the sale. He has been told that they are nothing but shooters and offered some very low numbers.

That being said I know anything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it....but it strikes me odd that if he was a serious collector that these were just random pistols in his collection. Maybe they are gems...maybe not.....dunno...can you at all help in ID'ing these pistols and helping to place a value on them so the widow is not 'taken for a ride'.. thanks for any insight you can provide.

Information

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[jonnyc]

Not really enough info there to really determine much. The "Artillery" barrel is indeed modified, if not completely incorrect. The markings on the front of the grip are probably a unit that was issued with the pistol, a common thing on a WWI pistol. The 1917/1920 marking simply means the pistol was made in 1917, and was still in military service as of 1920, or a few years after that. the 1920 marking isn't really a date, it's a govt. property mark to reduce theft.
You need good clear pics of the pistols separately, showing all numbers and markings, to see what matches and any refinishing or modification.

[Patrick Chadwick]

He has been told that they are nothing but shooters and offered some very low numbers.

The shortened barrel on the "artillery" model results in a sight radius that is ridiculously short, so it will not even be a good shooter, and the range calibration will be useless. Replacing the barrel by a new one is possible, but very expensive and the result is a seriously non-original pistol that will be uninteresting for collectors. And since the most likely reason to shorten the barrel would have been damage to the muzzle end, I would guess that the pistol has been reblued - another minus point for collectors. I think I see traces of rust pitting just above the grip in the first photo that add to my suspicions in this regard.

It is not desirable for collectors, not desirable for shooters, and therefore probably worth most parted out. The LP08 backsight is worth a lot to someone refurbishing an otherwise OK artillery pistol.

---------- Post added at 08:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 AM ----------

....but it strikes me odd that if he was a serious collector that these were just random pistols in his collection.

It may have been a very early acquisition, before he got serious. Then kept for sentimental reasons ("my first Luger").

[Johnny Peppers]

I believe the grip strap marking on the 1917/1920 pistol is a police school marking.