DWM 1916 9mm Artillery Luger & Tommel Magazine

DWM 1916 and 1917 dated 9mm Artillery Lugers complete with 32 round Trommel magazine. The adoption of the Lange Pistole 08 or LP08, also known as the “Artillery Luger”, was approved by Kaiser Wilhelm II in July 1913. This P08 variation was equipped with a 200 mm (7.9 in) barrel, an 8-position tangent rear sight (calibrated to 800 meters and was also provided with a shoulder stock and an attached leather holster. In the event of close combat, the pistol was intended to be used as a carbine together with the shoulder stock attached by a lug mounted on the heel of the pistol frame. When set for long range use the rear sight element can be adjusted to compensate for wind drift. Initially the LP08 was proposed for use by German artillery field units who were hindered with the heavy and less wieldier K98 rifle, the LP08 was also employed by the Imperial German Flying Corps (Die Fliegertruppen) which at the time was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. It saw service with Infantry, primarily on the Western Front during World War I. The infantry Shock Troops or Stormtrooper (Stoßtruppen) units adopted the Artillery Luger and equipped it with a new large 32-round magazine known as Trommel or ‘Snail Drum’. Production of the LP08 ended in 1918 with the end of the war. By that time, German troops had begun using the newly developed MP18 submachine gun for their stormtroop units.

These DWM Artillery Lugers have the 196mm long barrel with very good bright bores and sharp rifling. There is 95% or more original blue metal finish remaining to frame and barrel with good amounts of straw colour to relevant parts. All matching serial numbered parts with the exception of the magazines which always have their own numbers applied. Very good grips and in overall excellent working condition. Of note is the 1916 and early 1917 transitional have the more scarce adjustable front sights where as the later 1917 pistol has the usual fixed sight. All in all a very worth while collectable Lugers.