German Luger 30 Markings

Question

i have a Luger 30 cal and am not able to identify all the markings. can anyone help me out?? Besides, the DWM on the top, there is a "901" and "01" in a few places as well as the letter "N" with what looks like a crown above the letter. there is also some type of a proof mark?? that looks like a lightning bolt - best as i can describe...

Answer 1

The Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), popularly (but incorrectly)[1] known as the Luger, is a toggle locked, recoil operated, semi-automatic pistol. The design was patented by Georg J. Luger in 1898 and produced by German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900; it was an evolution of the 1898 Hugo Borchardt designed C-93.

Answer 2

The DWM stands for it's maker, Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken, which started producing the weapon in 1900.  The "30" markings you refer to are it's caliber.  In Germany and Switzerland, they referred to it as either the 7.65x21mm Parabellum or the 7.65mm Luger.  The .30 Luger means that it was meant for commercial and not military sale.

A limited number of Lugers in this caliber (about 1000) were sent to the US for trials though this pistol was not one of them.  The caliber was soon deemed too weak by the US military.  This caliber is largely dead in modern times and has not been used in any great numbers since the beginning of WW II.  Even before then, it was considered too weak by many military's.

The Crown "N" stamp on the Luger, also sometimes referred to as C/N is a proof mark.  Proof means that the pistol was fired with two overpressurized rounds and stamped with a "proof" to designate this.  Proof stamps vary, but the Crown N proof means the pistol was made for German commercial manufacture (available to civilians) sometime from 1911 through 1939.

If you have any pictures of the letters, numbers, and markings, that would help too.