John Martz DWM Navy Luger MSTR Configuration

John Martz built his reputation on Lugers that nobody else could, and this one carries the signature feature that defines his bench. Stamped into the left side of the frame, just ahead of the trigger, are the letters MSTR. That's the Martz Toggle Release, his own frame-mounted device that lets the toggle assembly drop and cycle without the usual rearward wrestling match the platform demands. Look closely and you'll see the discreet knurled button sitting just behind the barrel extension. It's the kind of refinement that only makes sense once you've handled enough Lugers to know what the standard system asks of you.

The rest follows the Second Model Commercial Navy pattern. You get the long 6-inch barrel and that distinctive Navy silhouette, with a two-position tangent rear sight stepped for 100 and 200 meters paired to a fixed front blade. The DWM monogram sits proud on the front toggle link, and the crown over N proof anchors the barrel to its commercial German roots. Martz worked from a careful blend of newly made and heavily reworked original Luger parts, and the fit shows it.

The metal wears a deep, even rust blue with strong polish along the flats. Checkered walnut grips frame the frame nicely, worn smooth at the high points from handling but still crisp through the panels. The straw-colored small parts and blued toggle knobs read clean. His oval JVM stamp confirms the maker's hand.

Worth noting: the pistol is housed in a felt-lined wooden case alongside an extra magazine, ready to display or carry to the next show. Martz passed in 2014, and the supply of his work is fixed at whatever he managed to finish. For the Luger collector who wants something the standard German factories never made, this is the corner of the market where his name does the talking.