1906 Russian

This is a 9mm Luger manufactured by DWM for a Russian contract sale before WWI to the Tsarist Government with the crossed Nagant rifles over the chamber. This is one of the most sought after and rarest of the Lugers that are collected. Reported to be not more than 1000 Lugers in this contract group, most of these Parabellums have been lost to war. Obviously kept as a personal weapon or a prize this example does not bear the trials of war. (1719)

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. Before your purchase please read Legal for Conditions of Sale. Thank you for your cooperation.


This very rare variation was Manufactured by DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken), in 9mm with the standard 100mm barrel and designated by collectors as the 1906 Russian. The frame is a new model with the long sear and fixed rear sight and no stock lug. Two of the four elements that share this designate this variation from the "Bulgarian" is the extractor marked in old Cyrillic Russian "ПълEнъ". The thumb safety is the old Russian "ОГЪНЪ" for safe which also appears on the Bulgarian model. The serial number is low, 194/1000.



The Parabellum has a three digit serial number and the numbers are placed in the commercial version with the last two digits on the bottom of the locking lever, side plate, under the first toggle and on the grip safety, the stop lug, the side of the breach block, the stop lug and both grips. The magazine is the original with the Cal 9mm magazine.

The testing of the Luger by the Russians at the Oranienbaum testing ground is documented by Federov. These tests resulted in the order for 1000 Lugers of the 1906 Model. The Russians called the Luger "Avtomaticheskii Pistolet Borkhardta-Lyugera".


The grips are in excellent condition, numbered to the gun with very slight wear on the diamonds by the trigger that do not detract from its presentation. The strawing is fresh and there are elements of the nitrate bluing of the pins and parts in the gun.

The rear of the gun shows the wide version of grip safety characteristic of the "1906" model. Little wear is shown on the grip straps indicating this Luger was clean and oiled after firing. It is the oil from the hand that begins to deteriorate the grip portion of most guns, particularly sweat, not wear.


Russian Imperial Commemoration with the Imperial Eagle of Peter the Great before the Communist revolution.

No proofs are on either side of the receiver and the necessary small parts have been straw blued with minor wear. This is a minty gun that would be the center piece of any collection. This is a very early (3 digit serial number) of the Russian where not only the early Cyrillic Safety is marked but the extractor used was an early version of the Cyrillic language then shared with the Bulgarians/Russians.

Russian guns bear no DWM inspection marks, which precludes official acceptance, but it is possible that they were sold as private weapons to the army's officer class: this is known to have happened with the Mauser C/96 Broomhandle (which the Russian's cherished). It is popularly believed that the surviving Russian guns are of `Bulgarian' type, owing to subtle differences between the two languages. Collectors for a long time believed the 'Russian' guns were left over from the 'Bulgarian' contract. However, as linguists have now pointed out, there was no difference at all between Russian and Bulgarian until the former was modernized in the early 1920s. Thus, when the Parabellums were supplied, the marks on Russian and Bulgarian guns would have been identical.


There are no DWM proofs on the Russian or Bulgarian versions. Note the extractor, 1st toggle with the serial number behind the DWM logo. The rear toggle is marked behind the "v" sight and the last two digits of the serial number. The Parabellum has a hold open but there is no stock lug (as prescribed for this model).

The left picture portrays a close up of the crossed Nagant rifles. The '06 Russian is designated by the crossed Nagant Rifles, the early Russian/Bulgarian Cyrillic ПълEнъ extractor (meaning full), the safety is marked (Old Russian for Fire) ОГЪНЪ, and the magazine is Cal 9mm. The proofs are deep and crisp, no grinding, shaving or buffing is evident.

Above Left: the underside of the Russian shows a DWM shield proof on the barrel indicating this 9mm barrel was installed at the factory. The Russian/Cyrillic ПълEнъ extractor, a variation of the Old Russian and Bulgarian type is present; the serial number is found under the barrel, locking lever and side plate of the last two digits of the serial number applied in the Commercial Contract manner. Below: Both grips are numbered to the gun and the rear sight has the "V" cut with the last two digits of the serial number.


Production is only estimated at 1000 Lugers at the most as no serial numbers have been identified above three digits. Of those how many were captured by the Germans and then American and brought back to the US. Charles Kenyon in *Lugers at Random* lists the Russian variation as one of the rarest Parabellums a collector can obtain.

The inside of this Luger is clean and well maintained. No pitting is evident and the nitrate blued pins are still evident. The owners of this Luger showed the respect the gun was due by keeping it clean and oiled.

On the first toggle and breach block is the Crown N to indicate this gun is designed for modern (nitro) powder. The grip safety shows the last two digits of the serial number. The bottom of the barrel and toggle assembly show the serial number on the slide stop and the serial numbers under the barrel.

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.

This 1906 All-Matching DWM Russian Contract Parabellum truly deserves the term rare and is a very difficult gun for the collector to find and the historical paradigm may not be an absolute answer of one theory or another but rather an evolution of knowledge gained over the years. The sales is subject to in store deposits, please call for availability. Any questions to josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com.