Swiss Lugers
In 1898 the Swiss Army began testing what was at the time known as the Borchardt-Luger. This initial pistol lacked the manual safety, which was added in 1899, and only had a grip safety. The weapon was chambered in the 7.65mm Bordchardt cartridge but was a vast improvement on Hugo Borchardt’s C93 design.
The Swiss tested two 1898 Borchardt-Luger pistols during trials in 1898-99. The Swiss designated the pistol the Versuchsmodell (Experimental model) 1899 and as a result of Georg Luger’s discussions with the chairman of the Swiss pistol trials committee, Oberst von Orelli, the Luger was more or less built to meet Swiss specifications.
The 1899 model had a the additional manual safety, which would become standard in Lugers, as a result of Swiss specifications. Despite being over the Swiss weight limit 20 Versuchsmodell 1899s were ordered for troop trials. The troop trials reported in March 1900 that the Versuchsmodell 1899 was suitable for service and the Swiss Army formally adopted the Borchardt-Luger on the 4th May, 1900 as the Pistole, Ordonnanz 1900 (see image #1).
Original Versuchsmodell 1899 trials pistol (source)
An initial order for 2,000 pistols was placed with Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) who delivered the pistols in early 1901. These early pistols were predominantly issued to officers with Swiss revolvers continuing to be issued to troops. DWM manufactured 10,215 1906 pattern Lugers (see image #2) for the Swiss between 1906 and 1914, when war interrupted the supply. In 1919 the Swiss began indigenous production at Waffenfabrik Bern, where another 12,385 were made until 1928.
On 30th November, 1929 the Swiss Army adopted the slightly simplified Pistole, Ordonnanz 06/24, the last in its line of Lugers. In all the Swiss would use the Luger for almost 50 years.
Sources:
Images: 1 2 3
Handguns of the World, E.C. Ezell (1981)
Swiss Lugers, landofborchardt.com, (source)
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