What Do I have

[CBH]

OK .... US dollars

[steelgtr]

Thanks, Guys!

I'll get more and better pics this weekend. Appreciate the help and the generous offers

bob

[Rossi]

Thanks, Guys!

I'll get more and better pics this weekend. Appreciate the help and the generous offers

bob

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for sharing Dad's pistol and we appreciate his service. Great pistol and desirable for sure. With all the offers you must be happy. The 9 on the handle is begging for 2 zeros to be added behind it. $900.00 Great holster as well.

[lithgow]

I have never heard of 'red nine' being carved on artillery or any other German Lugers-what would be the point? All German military Lugers are in 9mm Parabellum (the 9mm C96 Mauser Broomhandles ordered during the Great War were different from the otherwise standard 7.63mm calibre they had been chambered in pre war).

[Wagriff]

True..but they did,indeed, exist nonetheless. Here is a quote from Phoenix Arms-a Luger dealer of some note-discussing these Red Nines.

"There has never been any official explanation or documentation of the manufacture or order for a Red Nine Artillery Luger as its counter-part the Red Nine Broomhandle C96. The C96 was manufactured for the 7.63mm round and when ordered for the German military in 9mm to match the ammunition they had on hand it appears logical to mark the gun some way to distinguish the 9mm from the 7.63mm versions. The military Parabellum was never manufactured or purchased in a 7.65mm version (as commercial Lugers were available) so there appears to be no logical explanation.

However the Red Nine Artillery shows up in sufficient numbers to indicate that somehow the units began branding and painting the grips to reflect the Red Nines. Perhaps it was to distinguish the ammunition delivery, or perhaps some units had the 7.63mm Broomhandle and the warning was given to not attempt to load these round in the Lange Pistole. In any case it has become a rare variation among Luger collectors."