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This is a 1921 DWM 9 Commercial proofed 6" (150mm) barrel with an American Eagle and sold through the Stoeger Arms Company in New York. It has the German thumb safety marking "Gesichert" and extractor is marked "Geladen" very early in the process of revitalizing the German arms industry when the indigenous language was use; i.e. Safe and Loaded. This example has all matching numbers. The magazine is and exceptionally clean. Commercial magazine were usually sold unnumbered. The frame has a stock lug suggesting it was a WWI manufacture since later A. F. Stoegers did not have this milling for the stock iron. (1618)

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This is a 1921 DWM 9mm post war production that is wound into the history of the Parabellum into the tumulus period after WWI when the social upheaval was increasing. the Allied Commission was increasing their presence in the enforcement f the Treaty of Versailles and the Bolsheviks' were attempting to overrun the government.


Hans Tauscher was the DWM agent from inception He managed the Army Test Trials and during WWI was accused of being a German spy and his assets were seized. BKIW the successor to DWM appointed A.F. Stoeger in 1922 to represent it. Thus began the association of the Luger with the Stoeger company of New York After the Grear War A.F. Stoeger sought to represent DWM on the East Coast and Pacific Firearms on the West Coast.


1912 brought revision to the Rules of Proof and Crown BUG gave rise to the recognition of the Nitro Proof to the Imperial Crown N for Suhl and DWM proofing while Zell-Mehlis used the Crown U.

DWM Commercial numbers were usually found in the five digits and no suffix. Traditionally under the serial number on the frame was the "Germany" export stamp. It is know at some point in the 8,xxx block that there is a suggestion that the firth number was added asymmetrical to the front of the frame to add an "8" to produce 9mm weapons under the nose of the Allied Commission who was to prevent 100mm barrel and above. This Stoeger does not appear to meet that criteria but is a true five digit number. Further confirmation is the clean striking of the "Germany" on the bottom of the magazine.

At the end of WWI DWM (Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken, AG found itself without it's greatest customer, the German Government. Awash in Parabellum parts and surplus military parts and not recognized as a legitimate producer of new handguns in 9mm the company took extraordinary efforts to convert it's best seller to the civilian market. Many variations occurred and the Stoeger contract represents one of these efforts.


There is an American Eagle over the chamber and the barrel is serial numbered to the gun indicating it was installed by DWM and not in the US. The extractor is marked "GELADEN". The bore is good with distinctive lands and groove. The thumb safety is new style, and straw blued.

If you collect American Eagles or Stoeger's or even the long barrel artillery or carbine version of the P-08 you will want this one in your collection. Simply a time-stamp in the history of Luger and a variation tied to the American market.

Serial number placement is in the civilian ("hidden") style. This is fine, well struck example. This Luger has all matching numbers and a Germany marked magazine which makes it 100% correct. The thumb safety is marked "GESICHERT" and safe is in the down position. The extractor is marked "Geladen." The barrel is numbered and proofed and matches the frame.

In 1891 The McKinley Tariff Act required the country of origin marked on all weapons imported into the USA and with the Parabellum this marking was unspecified and showed up in a variety of places. Mostly found on front of the frame under the serial number it is also found on the barrel, side of the frame stamped into the wood of carbines and stocks of artillery (LP-08)


Here we see the "Germany" export stamp on the barrel, the Crown Nitro proof and the barrel serial numbered to the gun in the same type face as the Parabellum's serial number. We have to conclude that the barrel was installed by DWM in the 1920 from DWM stock. The five digit numbering of the frame instead of the alphabet numbers usually found suggests this was a newly manufactured frame and numbered after the delivery of the weapons supplied to the Basel police (76000 series) This was a very early attempt to convert surplus war time parts into a marketable civilian weapon.

In 1922 Stoeger ordered 2500 Parabellums with the 7.65mm barrels and the American Eagle “same as shipments before the war”. There was a second order in 1924 from Stoeger with requesting the two-line “A.F. Stoeger Inc and on the second line New York. The Germany was added for export reasons. During this period the “post-war alphabet guns” began to appear in the orders and with some of the unfilled 1922 order the American Eagle was roll pressed on the guns. These has the Berlin Crown N and a mixture of ‘Gesichert’ and ‘Geladen’ or ‘Safe’ and ‘Loaded’.


The above view shows the inside of the Parabellum as clean as the outside. Although the gun shows some very slight wear someone has cared well for this fine Luger. When you research the Crown "N" proof marks from the Imperial commercial horizontal Crown N you find yourself in 1920's; The original Stoegers came from he "alphabet guns", the left over undelivered military guns from WWI. The magazine is characteristically unnumbered but it shows a the Germany export marking of the '20's.

This model is not to be confused with the 1920 parts guns. This is one of the original Stoeger guns, with the American Eagle and designed by the factory with the long barrel, artillery sight and carbine toggle train. See Kenyon, *Lugers At Random*, P-196

The grips are serial numbered to the Luger (a military hold over) and the underside of the Parabellum showing the proofing and serial numbers in the civilian manner.

Careful study of the right side of the Stoeger inscription finds the Germany export stamp found on export models which appears under the blue (absence of ghosting) indicating the original intent to manufacture this Luger as a commercial. The fact that the Genuine does not appear in response to an early request from Stoeger to include this in their logo and only after it was registered in 1929 was the line was roll stamped into the side rail. This dates the gun after 1929 when Stoeger received its patent in the United States. The offered weapon is the early "two" line Stoeger and those manufactured by Mauser with DWM/BKIW stock were the "three" line Stoegers.

In 1929 Stoeger trademarked the name “Luger” without objection by the successor of DWM BKIW/DWM. The 1930 order to Mauser included the line “Genuine Luger Registered U. S. Patent Office” This third line of the Stoeger’s was not applied to the first ten guns delivered by Mauser and Stoeger complained to them about it. By that time Mauser was in the “v” series suffix.


Proof marks are the Berlin Crown over "N" (C/N), on the frame (left side) and toggle system with the Crown N indicating that the Kaiserkrone/N proof is on bottom of the barrel, so this Luger was delivered in the very first deliveries by BKIW It is also know that Stoeger later in the 20's purchased & advertised various 8mm barrels in their advertising. The first toggle link is marked with the DWM monogram, and there is the "V" rear sight on the last toggle link.

The American Eagle Lugers were originated in the 1901 trials when the test guns sent to the US had the Great Seal of the United States over the chamber. This proved so effective as a marketing tool that DWM began to employ it on all it's foreign orders. The artillery sight also dictates the rear toggle without the "v" sight and giving it the flat top look. A Classic!