1920 Erfurt

The barrel length is 4" (100mm) and is chambered for 9mm. The serial number appears on the front of the frame, on the left side of the receiver, under the barrel and the last two digits on most small parts. All serials match except the magazine which is correct with all proofs.

This weapon has the stock lug and clean walnut grips. The extractor is marked "Geladen" on the left side and the safety is marked "Gesichert" with the safe position being downward. The gun is very clean showing slight wear on the muzzle, the side plate and front part of rails. The grips are checkered walnut and are tight to the gun.

DOUBLE DATES:

The new (Weimar) German Government after WWI found itself with an armed citizenry with all the soldiers bringing their weapons home from the war.

On August 1st, 1920 the German authorities issued an order from Berlin that cited the impending disarming of the people required that all weapons of the armed forces were to be marked with the date to prevent people from stealing military supplies and selling them back to the government.

On August 7th, 1920 rewards were begun for the turn-in of weapons to the government paying 100 Marks (then about $23.50) for a small arm until October 10th after which the reward was to be reduced to 50 Marks. Thus began the disarming of the citizenry; a lesson that should not be lost on free people.

The German notice to turn in their guns.

Here you can see that the application of the 1920 was not done at the factory under controlled conditions but at the police stations where the guns were turned in.

The Erfurt factory was originally located in Saarn and then moved to Erfurt under private ownership.

It was then purchased by the Prussian government and produced huge quantities of weapons, estimated to exceed 800,000 before being dismantled by the Allies at the end of the WWI and the machinery then sold to Simson

The 1910 Erfurt Imperial Acceptance stamp was the Imperial Eagle with the cross of peace and the bar of justice, still heraldic in nature as an Imperial proof.

THE STORY OF THE PROOFS - Most Lugers tell you where they have been and when. This Luger appears to have been originally issued as a military 1911, brought back at the end of the war and re-barreled and refitted and then later brought back for new grips and connecting pin sometime after 1932 and before 1937.
	On the left you can see where the magazine was renumbered when the gun was re-built. The magazine is a blued metal which was characteristic of the 1920 magazine. Note the Imperial proof at the base of the stock lug. The Erfurt factory followed the proof letter to the "T" evening marking the ejector with the Crown initial of the inspector.
	(Left) When these matching grips were installed it had to happen after 1934 when the S/42 Code was in effect at the Mauser factory. So now we know the Luger saw service beyond the Weimar Republic.
	The rear connecting pin was numbered after 1932 when the general order was issued by the Army War Administration on March 17, 1932.
This barrel shows distinctive lands and grooves and is still shiny.	We can see that the barrel was replaced because it follows the 1913 instructions of strike out and renumbering, it has an Imperial proof on the top of the barrel and the Crown Initial of the inspector on the front sight blade. This was characteristic of the Erfurt factory. Note the Crown RC on the toggle, the frame and other parts.

So who did all this work on the Luger? Well in several locations we found was the Crown RC which tells us that the gun underwent repair and re-inspection. The Crown RC Erfurt Arsenal repair and reissue stamp was used from 1910 through 1918. This means the gun was brought back from the front lines during WWI and was refurbished by the factory sometime during its life.

Here you can see the inside of the gun is clean and the magazine is the correct blued style for the 1920's when it was re-issued. Erfurt's are one of the most fascinating examples of the Parabellum because they are so extensively proof, on just about every part to tell you their story. See Kenyon's Lugers at Random, Page 168

LAYAWAYS: Sometimes our "significant other" doesn't understand the beauty, craftsmanship and investment potential of one of these investor grade weapons. In these circumstances where discretion becomes the better part of valor we will accept layaways of up to one year with at least 20% down and some activity occurring monthly to insure that after one year the sale is completed. Cancellations of layaways forfeit 33% if done within six month, otherwise 100%. You can transfer a layaway to a consignment sale at any time. See "Legal" for exact terms.