TE s/n 6395, any comments?

[Ron Wood]

Alvin,
You asked if the 'GERMANY' stamp on a gun affects its value. No, if it is supposed to be there it is OK. Also, it is an export mark, not an import mark.

"If Tauscher had a chance to import some guns to the US commercial gun market without 'GERMANY', could he demand higher price?" Of course not. He was selling guns, not collectors' items. Everything from dinnerware to automobiles was required to be stamped with the country of origin. This was an original mark applied to a new item.

The beef nowadays is with the importers' marks that must to be applied to older firearms that has nothing to do with country of origin. It is just a bureaucratic hogwash to provide greater "traceability" of firearms, which, in addition to defacing the piece with "billboard markings", contributes to the distaste of collectors for import marked guns.

So you are correct, import marks are considered negative only recently.