This is a 1906 DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken) Navy, 2nd Issue Imperial military gun. This piece is a 6 inch (150mm) barreled all-matching 9mm Parabellum with the Navy adjustable rear sight and matching Navy magazine.  (1386)

SMS Bayern

This biggest battle between battleships ever was a tactical German victory, but it did not change the strategic situation for the Hochseeflotte: Locked up in the North Sea by a British blockade, the German ships were limited to operate in North and Baltic Sea only and could not support the few ships operating outside of Europe.

This is a very difficult gun to find in such a pristine condition. The German Navy was a salt-water service and the survivability of the German Imperial fleet was not enviable.  The Parabellums were initially issued with the safety down but then with the 1908 conversion to safety down the Navy recalled all the Luger's and had the thumb safety modified.

In August 1904 the German Navy underwent testing of 5, 9mm Selbstladepistolem Model 1904 from DWM. The trial was successful and in September 1904 the Navy asked the Kriegsministerium to order 2,000 Model 1904 navy pistols as soon as possible.  Thus began to first acceptance of the 'Luger' by the German military.  The 1904 Navy incorporated the new coil mainspring, the new extractor with the loaded-chamber markings.  These "improvements" were underway during the testing an acceptance of the navy model.

Navy Lugers were always marked in an non-exposed manner as opposed to the Army guns which marked on the face of the side plate and locking lug. The magazine is matching with the Marinen Crown Proof & the matching serial number.

Beginning in the Spring of 1906 delivery was begun for the true 'Pistole 1904'. By that time all the changes had been made to the toggle lock (eliminating) and changing the 60° dicing on the toggle-grip. There was the retention of the grip safety but the controversy over the direction of the thumb safety had begun. 

IMPERIAL NAVY SAFETY

The original 1904 Model (with the toggle lock) were issued with the 'up-safe' thumb safety configurations.  So too were the original 1906 Models. The 1908 model came out with the safety reversed to reflect "down-safe" since it was felt more natural to push up to fire.

The German Navy then wanted the safety moved to the upward position to match the '08 models that had been issued. This resulted in the recalling of all the weapons issued and the thumb safety was reversed; a the Gesichert was milled out (in some instances crudely filled).  So now we have the down-safe model. 

The picture at left is a 1906 1st Issue (Unaltered) and is a very rare specimen of this series. (This is not the gun for sale.)

Some of the originally issued guns were not sent back to the factory for the conversion of the safety and as such became are rarity.

This gun is known as a 1st Issue Altered. This is an early altered example where the Gesichert is simply milled out.

Collectors refer to these as the 1st Issue Altered.  Then came the 2nd Issue (collector name) where the safety was filled, buffed and stamped in the down-safe configuration like the 1908 model.

The picture at left:  is a 1906  Issue Altered showing that the type font used to stamp the Gesichert is different than that of the standard issue.

As with the other Imperial DWM the thumb safety was 'straw' blued.

This is a 1902 2nd Issue:

Note how the type font has changed to the standard Gesichert and the thumb up makes it ready to fire.

 (This is the gun for sale.)

So within the German WWI official designation of the Pistolen 1904 (Navy) collectors have established four categories briefly distinguished as Old Model (with the right rear toggle lock, - extremely rare); the 1906 1st Issue Unaltered (thumb up-safe, no toggle lock), the 1906 1st Issue Altered (thumb down-safe, milled/filled and restamped Gesichert and finally the 2nd Issue with the manufactured down-safe configuration.

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This is a seldom seen Luger variation in this extraordinarily  fine condition. All matching serial numbers plus the matching Navy magazine.  Questions to: josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com This 1906  2nd Issue Altered is offered for $6,495.00 for an over the counter cash purchase.