"Not a real Walther"

[Vlim]

Guys,

The Antler is indeed the marking of the Ulm proof house. Both Walther and Mauser (Parabellum / HSC) used the services of the Ulm proof house, as it's close to both companies.

Because proofing at a proof house comes with a price tag, and there is no need for official proofs on a USA market gun, the companies decided to have only those guns proofed that were destined for non-USA delivery.

Mauser introduced an in-house proof ('FBM') as an alternative for USA guns. I don't know what Walther did.

One of the former Mauser engineers went to work for Carl Walther afterwards, I'll try to ask him what he knows about the USA export guns.

Interesting side note: Interarms was responsible for setting up the USA production of Walther pistols. One of the daughters of Sam Cummings, the late Interarms chairman, used a USA Walther to shoot her husband. That wasn't good brand marketing.

[alvin]

I have deeper questions on proof and antler stamp....need help from domain experts:

(1) As shown in the above West Germany P1, it has both Eagle over N commercial proof, and Ulm antler mark. May I assume the gun was proofed twice? E/N stamped in factory, and antler stamped in the outside proof house, probably later.

Also, E/N and antler appear on H&K P7.

(2) Even more interesting is early Mauser C96. It always has C/C/U on left side of the chamber. I would assume that's equivalent of E/N, in Mauser style. On early Mauser, the gun also has an antler on the right side of the chamber. I heard that's "Oberndorf Proof House Mark". The C/C/U does not show halo, supposed to be applied in the factory before the gun was blued. The antler stamp has halo (see a sample gun picture attached), obviously applied after the gun being blued. Looks like it was proofed twice.... once in "white" steel while in factory, and once in finished form in the proof house.

Make any sense?