April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/25/2019
Manufactured for the German military in 1918 by DWM. Features include round barrel with dovetailed inverted V front sight and V notch rear sight on rear link. Thumb safety marked "GESICHERT" in the upper position, extractor marked "GELADN", and center toggle link marked "DWM" in script. This is an all matching numbers gun with two original matching numbered magazines. Comes in a mint World War I brown holster with original unmarked loading tool. CONDITION: Gun retains approximately 90% of the original factory applied rust blue finish with loss of blue above the chamber and one spot on the left side of receiver. Straw color is 90%. The checkered grips show just a bit of handling and storage marks. Good bore showing some frosting. It is extremely rare to find a World War I Luger with two original matching magazines. Magazines are nickel plated with wood bottoms and have the serial number on them. Minty brown holster shows some scuffing on the top flap. It is dated 1917 and has tight serviceable white stitching. Gun and holster have been personalized by the Lieutenant that brought them home as war trophies. The front strap and inside the holster are marked "Lieut. A. E. Andrews 42nd Canadians". CORRECTION: This Luger comes with a letter with direct provenance to Lieutenant Arthur Earl Andrews of the Canadian Infantry 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada, more frequently referred to as the Black Watch. The letter reads "This Luger P.08 was brought back from World War I by Colonel Arthur Andrews, who told his son he purchased this pistol from a Sergeant in his regiment; Andrews neatly inscribed his name in pen on the holster to identify it." Andrews enlisted as a private in September 25th, 1914, and fought during the First World War in England and France. He was awarded the military cross for action near Amiens, France, in August of 1918, where "during an advance, the attack was held up by heavy close range artillery fire from woods on the left. With his platoon, he outflanked the position, rushed it, and killed or captured the whole crew." Letter is notarized and signed by the estate executor of Duncan Andrews, the only child of Lieutenant Arthur Andrews. This pistol has been in storage since his death nearly 60 years ago.
Paperwork
Notarized Letter