This Parabellum is 7.65mm with a 116mm (4 3/4") barrel with fixed front blade sight and rear "V" notch sight.

Serial number placement is in the commercial (hidden) style. The thumb safety is marked "Gesichert" and extractor "Geladen."

The barrel is Crown U proofed and there is also an Oberndorf proof on the front of the front sight.

This is a no hold-open variation and there is no stock lug. The Swiss and Portuguese contract guns also did not have the stock lug which is assumed was retained to simply hold the gun during finishing and not for issue with a stock.

This example has all matching numbers.

The magazine is exceptionally clean. Commercial magazine were sold unnumbered.

Every Luger wants to tell us a story and this one requires that we look hard to reveal its secrets.

The lack of a letter suffix places this gun in the very early production of Mausers.  The Crown N (commercial proof) complies with the German commercial proof rules.

The Crown U (Oberndorf) proof is one of the early Mauser identifications.  There is NO GERMANY export stamp so here is where the dichotomy begins.  If this were made for export, as the Stoeger series of American Eagles, those were all export marked according to the custom laws, it would be so stamped. Another rarity.

In the early 1930's Mauser filled an American Eagle contract for Stoeger from assembled DWM parts and stamped them with the Stoeger name in a three line version.  These were the "v" series contract guns.

This Luger has no letter suffix, and the serial number (100)  places it right in front of the Mauser Banner Turkish contract (see our Turkish Security Police [Serial #101] under the Mauser Logo Lugers for Sale.

All the clues point to a mock up or salesman's sample for either the factory (no export stamp) or to show Stoeger how the end product would be.  I'm thinking this is a one-of-one until Serial #99 turns up.

From within the range of the Dutch February 1929 order (78-569, no letter suffix) we have the Turkish Contract (101-128).  These are Banner toggles, no letter suffix, crown Oberndorf proofed just like the Persian order (260-298). These are known Lugers, inspected by experts.

Collectors want their Lugers to fall into nice neat categories. The fact is, the rule of Luger variations is, there is no rule.

Kenyon in Lugers at Random, (P.250)  describes the beginning of the Crown U and recognizes the salt blue finishes of the earlier Mausers.

The finish on this gun is superb with little evidence of buff marks, deep proofs and excellent blue.

The straw blued parts, the lack of a serial number on the extractor and the placement of serial numbers make this Luger extraordinary.

Crown U proof is on the underside of the barrel, the front of the frame, on the receiver, on the front sight all in clean deep proofs.

Perhaps this was one of the very early commercial Lugers that went from the Banner Toggle to the S/42, (accounting for the special marking of the magazine). Perhaps a model that didn't go to the field since there is little evidence it has been fired. We will never know except to admire the craftsmanship this particular Luger brings to us.

This Luger is very clean both inside and out. It has been cared for very carefully over the years to preserve this handsome variation.

Such a unique serial number makes it highly desirable addition to one's collection or as an investment Luger.

This is a very historical gun from the proof stand point indicating the transition in Mauser production.

See Sam Constanzo's  World of Lugers Proof Marks, Page 398, Mauser Banner Serial Numbers for more information.

This is a fantastic example of the very early Mauser Banner, in an all matching gun in Minty condition. This is an Investment Grade Luger.  Contact josef@phoenixinvestmentarms.com for questions.