1916 DWM P08 Luger

This is a 1916-dated Imperial German Army P.08 Luger (Parabellum) pistol manufactured by DWM (Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken), chambered in 9mm Parabellum, with a standard ~4-inch barrel. 

Chamber date: “1916” (standard for military production that year).

Serial number: 7822a. This is consistent with DWM’s 1916 military serial blocks (letter-suffixed ranges; DWM made a large number that year, on the order of ~140,000 total for the year across blocks).

Toggle: DWM monogram (the interlocking script logo typical of DWM production).

Other markings: “GESICHERT” (safe) on the frame by the thumb safety; barrel gauge mark “8,83” (standard 9mm bore measurement); Imperial German acceptance/proof marks (eagle and crowned Gothic letters typical of WWI DWM military pistols); matching “22” stamps on various components.

Accessories: Period brown leather holster (worn but original-style), one extra magazine and one non-matching ( wood-base style common to the era), and the standard Luger takedown/loading tool.

Grips: Checkered wood, consistent with original military issue.

Original blued finish with honest wear, holster rub, and some thinning/patina; no obvious major refinishing or gross mismatches visible in the provided images. Straw-colored small parts (trigger, safety, etc.) show expected aging.

It is a standard short-barrel (non-Artillery/LP.08) military P.08 of the 1914-pattern configuration (stock lug present, hold-open, etc.), produced during peak WWI output.

Brief History

The P.08 Luger was designed by Georg Luger and adopted by the German military in 1908 as the standard service pistol, replacing earlier models. DWM was the primary commercial producer; the Erfurt arsenal also made large numbers during the war. Production ramped up heavily for WWI—1916 was a high-volume year as Germany needed sidearms for the expanding army.

These pistols saw extensive front-line use in the trenches of the Western and Eastern Fronts. Many survived the war, some were reworked or marked under the Weimar Republic (e.g., “1920” property stamps—none visible here), and others continued in service or were captured/sold postwar. The distinctive toggle-lock action, high-quality machining, and 9mm chambering made it iconic. DWM military examples from 1914–1918 are among the most commonly encountered original WWI Lugers.

This example shows no unit markings (relatively uncommon on late-war guns; unit stamping declined by late 1916) and appears to be a straightforward Army-issue piece rather than Navy, Artillery, or commercial.

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