Police marking
 

Hi all,

I have a Weimar/Nazi police gun (sear safety, disabled magazine safety) with unit marking G.P.O.20; I have looked in Gortz & Bryans and found references to a P.O marking for one of the police schools but no reference to the G. Any thoughts from the group on what this means? BTW it's an over-stamp of imperial marking 66.R.M.G.4

Thanks,
Bob M.

Bob, Jeff Noll shows in his book 'Imperial German Regimental Markings' that G.P. stands for Garde-Pionier-Battalion (Guard Engineer Battalion), but no 'O' connected to it. His definitions of the 'O' just don't tie in with the G.P.. the 20 probably indicates weapon #20.

Herb,

Thanks for the info. I don't think this is imperial as it was redone for police service with the added sear safety and magazine safety. The original imperial markings were struck over. This should definitely be a police marking code but I haven't seen any reference to a G in use for police codes.

Thanks,
Bob M.

Hi Bob, I'm thinkin' that your unit mark translates to:

Grenzpolizei Osterreich ( Border Police Eastreach/ Eastern Realm) or Eastern Border Patrol. I have a 1914 Mauser with a Grenzpolizei marking. Got photos??

Ron

I checked all of the authorized Police codes thru 1937, there is no G in connection with P.O.. Putting a G there could possible indicate the Gumbinnen district of the Ostpreussen Police School, but I think that might be streatching it a little and assuming there was a school in the Gumbrinnen district. Here are the known listings...

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/police_unit_marks.html

This is a new one on me. Wish I could help but don't have a clue!

Herb, Ron, and Don;

Thanks, I will try to get photo's tonight but it is definatly G.P.O. 20; I have not been able to trace down any connection with published unit codes. I was hoping some one would have something I didn't. Ron, so far I think your guess is the best one going.

Thanks,
Bob M.

Don,
I am fairly certain of my transaltion. I have seen one other with this marking. It was (supposedly) authenticated.

Ron

Ron, I have heard of the Grenzpolizei interpretation also, but I can't quote you a reference.

The Grenzpolizei didn't come into being until after the war (1946), and if this is one of those Lugers it should also have the DDR markings on it too.

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7203

Herb,

The Grenzpolizei were formed in the 1919 to early 20s period to patrol the Eastern Frontier along the Polish and Czech borders.

On page 118 ~Uniforms,Organization & history of the German Police~ by Angolia and Taylor.

"Frontier Protection/Frontier Police/Frontier Protection Police (Grenzschutz/Grenzpolizei/Grenzschutzpolizei). Frontier police existed in border states during the Weimar period, as a federal border control service."

A photo of my Grenzpolizei unit marked (G.P.349) 1914 Mauser. Magazine is faintly marked G.P. 1.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/ls_copy23.jpg

Photo of a Grenzpolizei Officer dated 1919.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/gp_officer.jpg


Ron

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the help; here are some photos of the gun and the unit mark. As I said this is an over stamp of a WWI unit mark (66. R.M.G.4); I think you can see both of them clearly.