1923 DWM Weimar Navy SOLD

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This is a very rare Weimar Navy Rig, with an all-matching Navy marked Parabellum and two matching magazines, a Weimar Proofed holster, loading tool, and an early cleaning rod. This is a jewel. (1145)

NOTE: Photographs taken today with the high mega-pixel camera show more than we sometimes can see with the human eye. Magnified close-ups show us tool marks and natural surface conditions that one normally doesn't see in the ordinary handling of the weapon. Photographs are copyrighted, all rights reserved, any extraction, reproduction or display of gun pictures without the express consent of the Phoenix Investment Arms is strictly prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation. Please visit Legal (tabbed) for Conditions of Sale.


On March 6th, 1919 a new German armed forces was formed through official German decree known as the Vorläufige Reichswehr, or Provisional German Defense Force. The Provisional German Defense Force consisted of the Vorläufige Reichsheer and the Vorläufige Reichsmarine. Many Freikorp units served partly or entirely as the basis of the Vorläufige Reichsheer which consisted of about 400,000 men in nearly 50 Brigade sized units.

The Treaty of Versailles limited Germany to 100,000 soldiers and there was no conscription (draft) permitted. The German navy was limited to 15,000 men, twelve destroyers, six battleships, six cruisers, no submarines or aircraft..

The first challenge to the Weimar Republic came when a group of communists and anarchists took over the Bavarian government in Munich and declared the creation of the Bavarian Soviet Republic. The uprising was brutally attacked by Freikorps, which consisted mainly of ex-soldiers dismissed from the army and who were well-paid to put down forces of the Far Left. The Freikorps was an army outside the control of the government, but they were in close contact with their allies in the Reichswehr.


This well preserved Navy Rig appears to have begun life as a post war "s" suffix that is proofed with the Crown N commercial proof. This P-08 is marked in the civilian style with the serial numbers hidden as on most Navy models.  This is a 9mm with a 100mm (4") barrel on a short frame with a stock lock.

Serial number are displayed on the front of the frame, the bottom of the side plate, the locking bolt,the rear toggle link, under the barrel, and on the side of the trigger.   See Kenyon, Lugers At Random, Page 180
This Luger has been cared for over 93 years now. It is looking for a good home.  It is very difficult to find an all matching serial numbered gun and a matching magazine. This is a premium Weimar Navy for the serious navy Luger collector who demands the best in collectable Lugers. This is a very clean gun with an excellent barrel and all matching magazine.

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 the appropriate small parts.  All serial numbers match including the two magazine.   Both magazines are the blue sleeved with aluminum pinned bottom and are marked with the North Sea property number.  Proof marks are well struck and clearly visible.

The rear toggle is marked with the last two digits of the serial number and has the "V" rear sight. The front sight is marked with an  "o" and  "D" which appear to be manufacturer marks.


Emden SMS Emden was a light cruiser built by the Reichsmarine in the early 1920s. She was the only ship of her class and was the first large warship built in Germany after the end of World War I.

She was built at the Reichsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven; her keel was laid in December 1921 and her completed hull was launched in January 1925. Emden was commissioned into the German fleet in October 1925. Her design was heavily informed by the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and the dictates of the Allied disarmament commission. She was armed with a main battery of surplus 15 cm (5.9 in) guns left over from World War I, mounted in single gun turrets, as mandated by the Allied powers. She had a top speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph).


Grips

The two matching magazines are typical Weimar period blued crimped sleeved bodies and one-pin aluminum bottom.  In most instances the Navy Nord See (North Sea) marking have one item of similar nature with the identification number and the second instance of the same number it is followed by an "X". In this instance both have and "extra" 'X' at the end of unit marking.  Either this gun had a pouch at one time with two extra magazines or one of the magazines was a replacement.   Above Right The grips have no markings which is typical of the commercial guns produced after WWI.              


The Reichsmarine (Navy) was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the Kriegsmarine, a branch of the Wehrmacht; a change implemented by Adolf Hitler.

The Treaty of Versailles limited the size and armament of the Reichsmarine and prevented it from introducing new technologies. The restrictions were intended to prevent the German Navy from becoming a threat to the Allied powers. On the other hand, the Allies had made certain that the Reichsmarine would be in the foreseeable future the strongest power in the Baltic Sea, in order to serve as a counterweight against the new Soviet Union, which was viewed with distrust by the Allies..


This is an early Weimar Navy holster that was originally issued with N31 P-08. There is the manufactures cartouche from Berlin, the Reichsadler and the Marine Anchor of the Weimar Navy. This is also a very early holster to have the cleaning rod appear.

The front and rear of the holster is in good to very good condition with all the leather intact.  The stitching has been dyed and the back of holster shows the original brown color coming through.

The loading tool is a treasure in itself.  This widely sought "Marinen" proofed tool is nearly impossible to find and combined with the holster and below the cleaning rod is a 'gold mine' for the collector.

Cleaning rods appeared as issued in the 1934 "K"-Date by Mauser in a small loop version. Over the years the cleaning rod attachments in holster have been found in 1917 Imperial guns, the 1934 Mausers and the 4" Navy variations. It would be interesting if someone could do the research to see if these holsters came from one supplier.

Shown in this close up are the North Sea Unit Mark, the Weimar Acceptance Stamp and the Navy Proof with the loading tool and cleaning rod tucked up in the top of the holster.


The mass (70 German ships) sinking at Scapa Flow did clear up one diplomatic flash point: Some American naval staff officers feared they would be incorporated into the Royal Navy and used in an Anglo-American conflict. As punishment for the German act of defiance, the Allies seized all remaining German dreadnought battleships and modern cruisers, plus 400,000 tons of floating cranes and dry docks and other equipment and all submarines. Germany's new Weimar Republic would have to build its new Reichsmarine around a core of aging ships already docked as obsolete by the old Imperial Navy.


The right side of the gun is clean of proofs and numbers just like a commercial gun of that period. Only when you look to the rear and then the full four digit serial number on the front do you know that you have found a highly sought Weimar Navy.

The underside picture shows the full serial number under the barrel and the receiver with the last two digits on the locking lever and the side plate; with the side plate removed we can see the last two digits of the serial number.

Above: Holstered this Weimar Navy shows wonderfully in a collection. Below: The front and rear of this Navy shows the preservation and a well cared for Luger.  We are only custodians during our period of ownership with a duty to maintain and remember the past.


The pursuit of Goeben and Breslau was a naval action that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea at the outbreak of the First World War when elements of the British Mediterranean Fleet attempted to intercept the German Mittelmeerdivision consisting of the battle cruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau. The German ships evaded the British fleet and passed through the Dardanelles to reach Constantinople, where they were eventually handed over to the Ottoman Empire. Renamed Yavuz Sultan Selim, the former Goeben was ordered by its German captain to attack Russian positions, in doing so bringing the Ottoman Empire into the war on the side of the Central Powers.

The above picture shows the Parabellum in full recoil and the side plate and grip removed. One can see the insides reflect the care and maintenance this 93 yr old battlefield favorite deserves. The barrel is strong with distinctive lands and grooves. At the rear of the gun you can see the numbering of the rear main axel pin. Below Right: In 1932 the Reichswehrministerium issued an order that the rear main axel pin be serial numbered to the gun. This points us to this gun coming back for refitting sometime in its life.

Rear Toggle
ABOVE LEFT:  The Weimar Navy proof of the Marinen over Anchor and the Nord See unit marking make this a distinctive gun by any measure.  Imagine a 15,000 man Navy and the number of Parabellums assigned to naval personnel and then the number that survived the war periods and then the ones that got to the US.  A very find number indeed.

The full rig with the all matching Weimar Marinen marked Parabellum, two matching Nord See marked magazine,  the proofed holster, the proofed loading tool and a cleaning rod component all make this a very unusual piece of history.

It is entirely subjective to give any Luger a rating of excellent or fine, just as it is to declare it xx% blued or strawed. Few Lugers are out of the box new and these are premium priced. Bluing percentages is like Beauty, in the eye of the beholder.  We strive to provide pictures so you can judge for yourself if the gun meets your criteria. Any questions or request for additional purchases email to josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com


The Cruiser Amazone (1901) was among the first modern light cruiser design of the Imperial Navy, and set the basic pattern for all future light cruisers in Imperial service. The design of the Gazelle class attempted to merge the fleet scout with the colonial cruiser. They were armed with a main battery of ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and a pair of torpedo tubes, and were capable of a speed of 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph). Most were used as coastal defense ships early in the war. Ariadne was sunk at the Battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, Undine was torpedoed in the Baltic by a British submarine in November 1915, and Frauenlob was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. The rest survived the war to see service with the Reichsmarine, with the exception of Gazelle, which was broken up in 1920. Amazone was the only member to survive the war intact, as a barracks ship, and she remained in service until 1954, when she was broken up for scrap.


This is a marvelous offering of an all-matching Weimar Navy, North Sea Proofed with a complete rig; proofed holster, proofed loading tool, cleaning rod and two matching magazines. Just minty and offered for $4,295.00 over the counter with the reservation that the gun may be sold before being posted as such on the internet.

We reserve the right to sell any internet offering to a direct sale and do not warrant the availability of any firearm that does not have a physical deposit. This gun may be withdrawn without notice for in-store sale. Call for availability. Any questions or request for additional purchases email to josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com.


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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 two months, otherwise 100%. You can transfer a layaway to a consignment sale at any time. See "Legal" for exact terms.


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3 Day Return Policy

We honor a three day return policy. We will answer any questions, send you any pictures, as detailed as you want, to insure that what we are showing you is what you want to see, before you buy it.  See Legal.

FIRING ANY WEAPON NEGATES ANY CHANCE OF RETURN!

WARNING: We do not represent these guns as safe to fire. They are not test fired before sale; they are sold as collectibles only. Prior to firing you should have it inspected by a qualified individual and abide by all safety requirements.

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