1923 Simson Re-word DWM Police Luger

This is a beautiful example of the Model 1908 DWM (Deutsches Waffen Und Munitionsfabriken Co) Manufactured Pistole-08. The chamber marking represent the military contract year of production and this example is a 1918 dated Luger. The frame tells us that it was an artillery (200mm barrel) and has had the barrel replaced by Simson & Co., the only one authorized to build Lugers after the great war by the treaty of Versailles. The is a 9mm, all matching police luger. 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. (923)

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This Lugers has the shortened sear, enabling the gun to be cocked while still in the safe position. This feature was adopted in 1916 (see text below). 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 or in some cases beech wood See Kenyon, Lugers At Random, Page 162


The Luger has both the sear safety and a magazine safety as were installed on the police guns in 1929-34. The magazine safety was soon abandoned and removed and to find one complete on the gun is difficult.

Magazine Safety: The magazine safety consists of a "U" shaped leaf spring with two extensions, fitted into the left side of the frame under the grip. (Seen to the left with the hole drilled in the frame.) One of the extensions fits into the front and lodges behind the trigger while the other end fits through the frame into the magazine well. With the magazine in place the extension is pushed left and out of the path of the trigger. Removing the magazine allows the safety to move to the right so the bar moved behind the trigger and prevents it from being pulled. This was patented by Carl Walther in October 1932.

The German police (Polizei) began as a series of local constabularies and were assembled into State Police Landespolizei. When on November 9, 1918 a leftist revolution overthrew the Kaiser and forced the armistice on November 11th. There was little organization to maintain order in the newly founded replublic.The Weimar Constitution came into effect with its signing by President Friedrich Ebert on 11 August 1919. The German Communist Party was established by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1918, and the German Workers Party, later known as the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party, was founded in January 1919.

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.

Forward on the right of the barrel is the PTV of Polizeischule Technik Verkehr which was an early Simson proof for the School of the Technical Police. Below is the Eagle 33 which again is another very early Simson proof placing the rework in the early '20s. The Luger has a sear safety installed by the factory after 1929 and proofed by the factory for the re-work.

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.

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.

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. With many proofs and such fine condition this is a great representative Luger. This is beautiful example of the Police Pistol used from 1918 until 1945 with this one finding it's home in the police school in Berlin. This