1923 Simson/DWM Police Luger

During the Weimar Republic it was delegated to the seventeen states of Germany to operate their own police powers of which Prussia was the most powerful. The weapons of the 1st World War were plentiful and so the armaments of the Polizei included the Parabellum which had proven itself in the great war.

In addition to the organized Lander (State) run police there were quasi-military organizations that undertook police duties and classes with the German Police were frequent. Central organization was needed and the Nazi Party was ready.

PROOFS THAT TALK: On the barrel is the Crown R/C which probably indicates the barrel was replaced with a 99mm barrel probably means this gun was assembled under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which stated Germany could not produce a pistol with 100mm + or longer so they shaved 1 mm off the end of the barrel during this time. [It always goes to prove that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.] On the sear is an Eagle 6 which is an early proof of indicating this was a rebuilt gun. The extractor is marked GELADEN (Loaded) and gives the shooter both visual and tactile knowledge the Parabellum has a round in the chamber. Over the side plate is the sear bar which is the 'police' identified for German Police guns.

Erfurt Proofs

Sear Safety:

During the 1920's it was determined by German authorities that one could remove the side plate with the gun loaded, thereby exposing the sear, and by then pressing on the sear discharge the gun. Patented in July of 1929 by Ludwig Schiwy of Berlin. [The P-08 is designed with the firing mechanism on the side and not behind or on top as most automatic pistols.]

The Sear Safety consist of a spring bar riveted to the top left side of the receiver. (Seen over the sear bar lever). This bar has a vertical pin which is directly over a hole drilled in the sear bar assembly which when the side plate is removed falls into place preventing the sear bar from moving. Therefore you can remove the side plate while loaded (never recommended) and the sear safety should save you from an accidental discharge.

The small bar on the left side of the receiver that appears to rest on the side plate and is most known by the round dome fastening rivet that appears over the safety bar identifies the sear safety.

The most distinctive feature of these pistols is undoubtedly the toggle-lock mechanism, which holds the breech closed by locking in a manner not unlike the human knee, which can sustain a heavy weight when straight, but once bent is quite easy to continue to bend. The toggle joint in its straight position resists the rearward force of the detonating cartridge, then "buckles" after enough time has passed. When a round is fired the entire breech, barrel and toggle move straight rearward (on rails) until the toggle begins to ride up on a pair of cams that "breaks" the toggle (makes it bend at the joint). Once the toggle joint is no longer straight, it bends freely, allowing the bolt to come rearward, and the striker to be cocked. The spent cartridge is extracted by a combination extractor/loaded chamber indicator on the top of the toggle, is ejected as the toggle nears the end of its rearward Free Travel Info, and a new round is stripped from the magazine and chambered as the toggle is driven back to the straight position by a spring.

The last two digits of the serial number appearing on the bottom of the locking lever and side plate are further indications the gun was intended for commercial use before being converted to a police weapon.

Prior two 1935 the Parabellum manufacturers continue to utilize the metal crimped sleeves for the magazines. The police had their own system of numbering magazines. Usually the stamp with the number 1, 2, 3, was stamped on the front end of the magazine and the numbers were variety of sizes since this was left in most part to the unit armorer's. On the bottom of this magazine is what appears to be Eagle/6. This is the proof marked of Simson who took over the Erfurt machinery and parts. Again, nothing to be wasted the magazine was numbered and inserted in the gun.

This extraordinary gun, built in 1918 by Erfurt but not finished; assumed by Simson and ithen the final assembly with both Imperial proofs and the Simpson Eagle 6 proofs on the gun. For police gun this is an exceptional find with the multitude of proofs in a nice clean gun issued with the converted artillery holster that comes with a cleaning rod in the loading tool. Truly a treasure.

The Schutzmannschaft was first used to describe the urban constabularies that were merged in 1920 into the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) or ORPO. In addition there was the Protection Police or Schutzpolizei served as Germany's municipal police force and was tasked with maintaining order in German cities and larger towns. The Schutzpolizei was further divided into the following: Schutzpolizei des Reiches (cities and large towns) which include police-station duties (revierdienst)and barracked police units for riots and public safety (Kasernierte Polizei) and the Schutzpolizei der Gemeinden (smaller towns).

There was also the Sicherheitspolizei (SIPO) that existed between 1918 and was absorbed into the ORPO during 1920 whose name meant "security police" and was literally a police army organized along military lines and made up mostly of veterans who retained their uniforms and weapons and sought to restore order from the growing communist agitation.


WWI World War I left Germany in full production of arms for government contracts & this extended down to the subcontractors who made the accessories for these weapons. In this case we see an "artillery" holster that has been cut down to a 4 inch (100 mm) barrel length to accommodate a police sidearm. On the back stock block has been retained but two additional straps have been added for belt loop. Putting all this into a time perspective the Weimar Republic was besought with rioting and unrest over inflation, political agitation by the communist and internal dissatisfaction with having "lost" a war by armistice and not defeat on the battlefield. The Weimar government was trying to make the best use of nothing so everything for the military was coming out of what was left of the wartime stocks, nothing was wasted.

Pictures of the front and rear of the holster shows a very good condition police style holster that gives us a date and the official police acceptance.

The top arrow points to the manufacturers cartouche and the bottom arrow points to the Police acceptance. The police had their own purchasing system and material control specifications. Originally for Prussia and Bavaria and later combined under the entire SS Polizei organization by Reichsführer Heinrick Himmler.

The police were usually issued their own cleaning rods at the "station" level for the frequent cleaning of their guns. The authentic rods at the breast tip and the wooden handle swiveled on the rod.

The loading tool is unmarked; this tool when inverted and dropped over the knob on the magazine allows the loader to be pushed down and rounds inserted. The end is cut to a screwdriver point to remove the grips and firing pin retainer. The rest of the gun can be field stripped without a tool.

Policeman wearing a Luger on his left side and an associate examine the papers at a communist headquarters in Berlin.


The gun is very clean showing slight holster wear on the muzzle, the side plate and front part of rails. This Police model is very unusual in that it has both the sear and magazine safety. These safeties were implemented for by directive for police units. The magazine safety's were mostly removed by unit armorers based on complaints and then slowly discontinued in the late 1930's.

The right side of the barrel shows the Weimar acceptance stamp. Above right the Crown N commercial proof is marked over by the serial number but we can only see the serial number of the locking lever and side plate from the bottom in the commercial fashion. This Parabellum really touches all the bases for a side arm of this period.

(Above Left) In 1932 the Reichswehrministerium issued an order that the rear connecting pin be serial numbered to the gun. In this case the Luger has missed this order but it does have the last two digits of the serial number on the top of the thumb safety. (Above Right)

We strive to furnish pictures of all the highlights and angles of the gun just as if you held it in your hand. If you want any additional pictures to make a buying decision email josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com with your requests or questions.

This is a dated 1918 Erfurt was represented by the major assembly of parts that was picked up by Simson & Suhl after the Treaty of Versailles impose terrible restrictions on the German gun makers. Finished off as a police gun by Simson (note Eagle 6 on small parts), the gun was then matched to a artillery holster conversion to a police style holster including the cleaning rod and a loading tool. A rather spectacular combination of a WWI Luger that made it into the 20's and 30's.

This Parabellum is 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 do not have a cash deposit. This gun may be withdrawn without notice for in-store sale. Call for availability Any questions or request for additional pictures email to josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com.


This Lugers has the shortened sear, enabling the gun to be cocked while still in the safe position. This feature was adopted in 1916. The barrel is 4" (100mm) and the rear sight is "V" cut fixed and front dovetailed sight with the frame having the stock lug. Serial number placement is in the military ("exposed") style; displayed on the left side of the receiver, the side plate, the locking bolt, the sear bar safety, the extractor, the forward toggle link, the front of the frame, under the barrel, and on the side of the trigger. Original grips are finely cut diamond shaped checkering made from walnut. Original gun configuration see Kenyon, Lugers At Random, Page 200.

On the bottom of the barrel you can see the serial number & a gauge marking.

The Luger has the sear safety which were installed on the police guns in 1929-34. This was to prevent the gun from discharging when it was disassembled for cleaning., Most police carried the Luger with one round in the chamber so it was immediately available for use. The sear consisted of a spring bar with a pin that rested on the side plate and when it was removed the pin dropped into the sear preventing ti from firing.

The magazines after World War I were converted to an aluminum base for two reasons; the first being with all of the wood for stocks and grips the walnut supply was nearly exhausted. The second reason was the fragility of the wood bottom when the shooter pressed the magazine release in the magazine fell to the ground it was frequently damaged on the bottom.

The serial number on the frame n a suffix "n" and the barrel has the gauge marking under the serial number on the barrel. The bottom of the magazine is numbered 1 in the police fashion and what appears to be an Eagle 6 which is a Simpson proof. Simpson was the weapons manufacturer/supplier Weimar government during the 1920's.