German Luger Collectibles

This piece is a 6 inch (150mm) barreled 9mm Parabellum with the Navy adjustable rear sight and a correct Navy magazine. The DWM monogram markings appear on the 1st toggle link and the extractor is marked 'Geladen' (Loaded). This example has all matching serial numbers. The thumb safety is marked "Gesichert" and when exposed (safety down) means safe.

Serial number placement is in the civilian ("hidden") style. The serial number appears on the front of the frame, on the bottom of the locking bolt, on the trigger, on the bottom of the barrel, the side plate, and under the first toggle, and the thumb safety.

The Parabellums were initially issued with the safety up but then with the 1908 conversion to safety down the Navy recalled all the Luger's and had the thumb safety modified. See Kenyon Lugers at Random Page 152.

This example has all matching serial numbers. The thumb safety is marked "Gesichert" and when exposed (safety down) means safe.

The Marinen Proof and the 4 digit serial number appearing on the bottom of the barrel and the last two digits of the serial number on the stop lug & on the bottom of the first toggle.. (We have lightened the number for your convenience.) .


The right side of the Parabellum is as clean as a commercial; model without any proofs or stamps (standard configuration on the Navy version).

This Luger has matching numbers. The four digit number is mid-range in the 1917 production range. The barrel displays the *Marinen* Crown Proof and the matching serial number. Here you can see the matching serial number of the barrel, the front of the frame, the locking lever and the bottom of the side plate plus the grips are numbered to the gun.

The Imperial Navy is one of the rarest WWI guns that collectors seek. From 1904-1917 the German Navy bought the 6" (150mm) barreled Parabellums. Once the Imperial Fleet returned to port the Naval Divisions were deployed to the Western front to reinforce the Imperial Army. At the end of the war the Allied Commission created by the Treaty of Versailles banned Germany from weapons longer than 100mm. For the Imperial Navy's that weren't lost to war they were converted to the 100mm barrel length and the Weimar Navy began adopting the shorter barrel Luger. To find one of these in this minty condition is a treasure for the collector investor.


The holster in the open position shows it's modification from a post and latch method of closure.

The clean rod is the "Navy" size for the 6" barrel. One can see the brass tip. This was stored with a cleaning patch wrapped on the end. Some collectors want the vermiculite on the brass and old cosmoline inside the guns, some want us to clean the gun and make it as shiny as it can been which other declare that as blasphemy and tell us to never apply even the white stick. When we find your gun tell us how you like it and if possible we can clean it up for you.

The front and back of the holster reveal the stitching is fulling intact, the leather has been brushed and cared for over the years and remain pliable. For some reason Navy holsters are extrememely hard to come by with a gun. Most dealers break them up to get more money for the holster.

On the front of the receiver is the four digit serial number 2754 indicating that this is the 2,754th Navy Parabellum produced in 1917. The rear toggle has the last two digits of the serial number. There were only approximately 8,000 1917 150mm barrel Imperial Navy's issued.

1916 German Submarine Crewman

Above Left: The flags of the Imperial Navy from the Kriegsflagge (War Flag) to the Squadron Pennants. There was a special flag for when the Kaiser was aboard the ship.


What makes this Navy very unusual is that for a Navy this one is 95% + bluing and straw blue has evenly faded to approximately 50%. The checkered walnut grips are in excellent shape and still fit smoothly to the gun. The DWM logo is stamped cleanly on the top of the first toggle link & the date 1917 is across the top of the chamber. The Navy crown/M acceptance proofs appear on the left side of the roof receiver, breech bolt, and barrel. This gun has the proper large flange toggle pin

The first toggle link is marked with the DWM logo. There is the two-position (100-200m) sight on the rear toggle link and the last two digits of the serial number appear on the rear toggle. Most of the Imperial Luger's are marked on the right side of the receiver with the Imperial proof marks; the proofing on the "Navy Model" has always been distinctive with the Crown M for Imperial Marinen, the small date on the muzzle and side rail of the frame and the Crown acceptance proof all on the left side.

Above Left: This is a post-1914 short sear model that enables the Luger to be cocked when the thumb safety (Gesichert - Above) is in the safe mode. This problem was solved by one of Georg Luger's last patents shortening the sear on later models. Above Right: The Parabellum in full recoil shows the rear main axel pin that the Imperial Navy ordered to have an enlarged flange to protect it during recoil. This large flange was not adopted by the army.

The 1916 -18 Imperial Navy put the date on the front sight band and on the front left rail of the frame. No particular reason can be found for this practice but it is characteristic of all these models. There are no import marks on the WWI marked Nav. Above Right: The last two digits of the serial number also appear on the thumb safety.

The extractor is marked "Geladen" (Loaded) which not only can be seen but also felt by the shooter in the dark. The rear ramp sight is two position for 100 meter and 200 meter sighting. The serial number is on both the short sear and the sear stop. In 1915 Luger shortened the sear so the gun could be cocked without releasing the safety. This Navy is the classic; complete with matching magazine. Note above the GELADEN showing the gun is loaded both visually and by feel by the shooter. The wear on the side plate shows this gun was holstered most of its service life. The highlight of the rails and wear at the muzzle are further demonstrations of honest holster wear.

In the North Sea, torpedo boats were used for various tasks, offensive and defensive. Mine hunters tried to make secure paths through enemy mine fields and were often engaged by the British fleet or were lost by mine hits. U-Boats attacked allied merchant shipping, first according to the rules defined before the war, but later, the unrestricted U-boat warfare was declared and merchant ships were attacked without a prior warning.


The Navy was issued with a stock and holster similar to the 8" (200mm) Artillery model for the Navy Marines. This is the basic Navy that collectors either add or upgrade into their collections. Truly an Imperial Navy collectors classic gun.

The core fleet of the German Navy consisted of the battleships ( Linienschiffe) and battle cruisers (Große Kreuzer) mainly operating in the North Sea. They should have engaged the Royal Navy in a decisive battle which took place in the Battle of Jutland in May/June 1916. But despite the strategies of naval planers on both sides, this battle did not had the decisive result as expected. Although this core fleet took most interest, the German Navy of WW1 was more. Small cruisers operated together with the battle fleet - and were used as merchant raiders in all oceans of the world. Emden, Dresden and Königsberg were among the famous ships of their kind, and were lot in the Indian Ocean, Pacific or the African coast.

The Navy squeeze-type 200 meter rear sight. This Navy is the classic; complete with matching magazine.The finish shows honest wear and would be rated excellent for an Imperial Navy. This model comes with a stock lug.


The interior of the Luger is in excellent condition with all the parts matching. The Luger is shown in full recoil and one can see the rear main axel pin and the Imperial Navy proofs. By pushing the thumb safety up we can see where the sear stop can be engaged and moved down to permit the sear to function. The Altered and Second Issue 1906, 1908, 16-17 Navy Models show a clean space under the thumb safety meaning it was ready to fire.

The German Navy had three dockyards — at Wilhelmshaven, Kiel and Danzig. The last named was of minor importance, at least as a fitting-out yard. The dockyard superintendent (Oberwerst Director) was a Rear-Admiral or captain, and is directly subordinate to the Secretary of State. For instanced a Parabellum delivered to Wilhelmshaven and would have subsequently been assigned to a ship where the ships armorer would have placed a unit number for which it was assigned. The absence of this number suggest the Luger wasn't assigned but remained at the Werft in storage or this Parabellum was sent directly to the units serving as infantry after the order to cease unit marking the guns.

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. Navy Models were marked on the bottom of the side plate and locking lever as they did with the commercial models. Both the sear and safety stop are marked with the last two digits of the serial number. See Görtz, *The Navy Luger* See Kenyon *Lugers at Random* Page 156.

The magazine for this Navy Parabellum is the rolled crimped steal, very clean and functional with the solid bottom and the Imperial Navy proof. This is a very difficult gun to find in any condition. The German Navy was a salt-water service and the survivability of the German Imperial fleet was not enviable. Penned into the North and Baltic sea for duty the Navy spent a lot of time in port.

It is entirely subjective to give any firearm a rating of excellent or fine, just as it is to declare it xx% blued or strawed. Few collectible weapons 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 This firearm is eligible for transfer to C&R permit holder, even in California. We are registered with CA DOJ for firearms shipment.