Page 208 - 88-BOOK3

Parabellum, Volume II, regarding the Perisan contact of 1935 included "...in a separate serial number block, presumably numbered from 1 to 50, were 50 cutaway instructional short P.08s..."
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LOT 3334
Extremely Rare DWM
Model 1900 Bulgarian
Contract Luger Semi-Automatic
Pistol - Serial no. 20895, 7.65 mm Luger Auto cal., 4 3/4 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This is one of the most elusive variations in Luger collecting, the Bulgarian
Contract DWM Model 1900. Reportedly 1,000 of these pistols were drawn from the standard Model 1900 commercial pistol production to fulfill the contract, and they fall in the 20000-21000
serial number range. These pistols saw many years of service through both World Wars, with many captured by the Soviets that never resurfaced. On p. 58 of “Lugers at Random” by Charles Kenyon, he states that most of these were refinished,
reworked, and/or rechambered to 9 mm during their service lives. This specific pistol falls early in the known range of serial numbers and has the correct Bulgarian crest on the chamber and the DWM monogram on the front toggle. The upper safe position
of the thumb safety is correctly marked in Cyrillic, these pistols being the first Lugers to have a marked thumb safety. The full serial number is marked on the bottom of the barrel and front of the frame, and the last two and three digits of the serial number are marked on various small parts. The extractor is
correctly unmarked. Both of the professionally made replacement grips are stamped “95” to match on the insides. It is fitted with blade and notch sights, fully checkered grips, and a correct pattern, unmarked, nickeled magazine with a wood base. Per consignor pistol was
restored by Gale Morgan.
CONDITION: Very fine as professionally restored, retaining 97% blue finish
and 90% straw colors. The professionally made replacement grips are also very fine with one minor chipped/absent section above the
magazine release button area, and crisp checkering. The bolt hold open does not properly function, otherwise mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 7,500 - 11,000
According to authors Gortz & Sturgess in Pistole
LOT 3335
Rare Factory Cutaway Persian Contract Mauser Luger Model
1934 Semi-Automatic Pistol - NSN, 9 mm Luger cal., 4 inch round bbl., blue finish, checkered walnut grips. Manufactured in very limited quantities, the cutaway
Persian Luger was part of a larger order of Lugers for Persia (modern Iran) to be delivered about 1935-1936. Made towards the beginning of the contract run, the cutaways
were intended as training tools, allowing soldiers and armorers to see how the “guts” of the pistol interact while the weapon is in operation. A number of these pistols were brought to the U.S. in the 1980s and offered for sale by Alan
Kelley; a reproduction of Kelley’s advertisement is visible on page 512 of The Mauser Parabellum, with this pistol no. “13” on the list. Fixed sights, with a partial “G” date code on top of the chamber and a cutaway in the area of the front toggle link
where the Mauser banner would be found. (This was a known procedure of Mauser to reuse rejected parts from the German military contract pistols.) Matching numbers (in Persian for no. 13) are present on multiple parts, including the magazine (note: Kelley’s advertisement calls out the
magazine as non-matching), a “crown” proof on the right side of the chamber, and “12” is marked on the underside of the barrel and extension. A nearly identical “G” date Persian Cutaway from the collections of Ralph Shattuck and Mel Torme can be seen
on page 48 of “The Lugers of Ralph Shattuck”. CONDITION: Very fine with 98% plus period blue
finish, showing some light edge wear and handling marks overall. The takedown latch and trigger may have originally been numbered “14” and then adjusted to a “13”. The grips are also very fine, with a few stains and dings on the sharp checkering, and cleanly executed cuts.
Mechanically excellent. A rarity within a rarity, one of only 50 of it’s kind. Estimate: 5,000 - 7,000