I purchased the gun today for the princely sum of $723 plus transfer. Even though I wanted the dealer to make sure it matched, he stated that he never disassembled a luger before so I didn't push it. The holster is apparently worth about $500+ and the gun, even is mismatched, is basically a $500+ shooter, so the math works in my favor.
1906 Dutch contract Luger, you called it, all 5 needed features match spot on with the description in Standard Catalog of Luger (2006).
I actually have that book too. I bought it to have a luger reference so I didn't over pay for a luger OR let a good one slip away. I'll say the book was worth the $20 price. Amazing how just a few years ago it was $20, and now its like $100 because its out of print. Supply and demand...
Value in poor condition (2006) $700
Its worth the asking price.
4,181 made
Apparently due to the East Indies climate, all have finish problems and practically all were arsenal refinished at one time or another. I don't think its in poor condition myself, because all are bad of this type. Another collector actually said that its in "good" condition for a Dutch. 4181 made - I read that there was that many, or perhaps less made. Some were made by Vickers for the Dutch East Indies, with DWM guns being more rare.
The last 750 were delivered to the Dutch in early summer 1914, and your gun's ser# puts it in that group. Supposedly all this group was sent to the Dutch East Indies. Wonder how it got where it is now?
I am buying this through a dealer I buy from (bought a garand, colt mustang, high standard space gun, just to name a few from him) who was selling on consignment a WWII veteran's collection that the veteran's daughter inherited. The gun, in my opinion was apparently appraised low by "experts" that this dealer had look over the gun. The original price was $900 so I offered $700 before I really knew the rarity of it all and even now, I still don't know if the gun all matches or not.
The veteran fought the Imperial Japanese in the Asian theater. Asian you ask, how could that be? Well a quick history lesson: these dutch lugers were issued to the Royal Dutch East Indies Army which fell to the Japanese in 1942. The Japanese had big plans for the East Indies, even long before Pearl Harbor due to the rich natural resources that the East Indies had to offer.
So my estimation, which has some proof to go with it, is that this gun was a bit of a double war trophy meaning that a Japanese soldier or perhaps even officer since it is a luger, captured it as his very own before he lost his life, presumably, at which time it became an American war trophy from our Asian theater. A luger collector told me on the show "WWII in HD" that he remembers seeing video of Asian war trophies with one of our boys holding up a Dutch luger - could it be the same one? We may never know...
According to what I have for reference, the brass plate unit number indicates an arsenal rework.
I've read a lot of conflicting info about the brass plate and the plate being for reworks only is news to me. I read that they all had it, but some were later removed. Then I read that lugers issued to East Indies officers did not have the plate but all others did. Overall however, from what I read, the brass plate is an identity trait for these meaning that either all got the plate, probably from DWM, and then the East Indies Army marked it however, or perhaps indicating that ALL were factory refinished, but I find that scenario hard to believe.
Another interesting side note: the mag seems to be 100% correct. I find that to be amazing. What are the odds?
I will get this piece of history next week, will promptly field strip it, and will post pics even if its not a perfect matching specimen. I myself don't care about the finish given the history of the arm.
