Strange proof mark on a PPK
 

I just received a PPK that I had purchased a few weeks back. I noticed a very unusual proof mark on the slide. There is a stamp of a horse and the number "70" just rear of the serial number on the slide. Any input about this unusual proof mark will be deeply appreciated. Here are a couple of pictures;

Mike

Looks like one I had many years ago in .22 caliber. After a lot of research, about the best anyone could come up with at the time was that the marking represents a city or district in Germany. Curious if you can find out any more.

could be Hanover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_Steed

I concur, Hanover Police issue of 1970. TH

Here is a link to the coat of arms for the city of Stuttgart, Germany. Got this information from the other Luger forum.

Mike

http://www.google.com/search?q=coat+...w=1239&bih=601

BTW: That PPK is for sale on Gunbroker. If anyone is interested, I would sincerely appreciate a bid.
Mike

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=332676570

Police and concealed sidearms in Europe prior to WW2 had always been of punny caliber. People were also much smaller and a lot less healthy back then, as well, so I'm guessing that these calibers were deemed sufficient, based on results.

Just noticed this: The horse emblem on the PPK is the same as the Porsche badge. Must be a fast pistol.

Mike

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...oeKuGYdFApx6og

Its the rampaging Colt emblem, just after the Napoleonic wars, Col Colt went over there in 1843 and made a deal with them for 125 years and the nazi's realizing that this deal was coming to an end, and needing money received financial backing (see Wikipedia item Colt Lends Money to Walther for PPK project, 1938) and thus the Colts emblem was stamped as a symbol of good faith.

Seems like the pistol is well worn. I have a couple that higher serial numbers, but excellent finish. Could be that it saw a lot of use. Not every pistol sat around in a desk, etc. Interesting crest though.

It is most like the Hannover stamp of the West German 1968 proof law. This is a civil proof house, not necessarily associated with the Hannover Police.

--Dwight

Out of curiosity, since the pistol was properly proofed by Germans when made, why would it be re-proofed by Germans.

I think Mike has pretty much nailed it with the Stuttgart association. The clincher is the tail on the horse...it has the upward flare of the Stuttgart configuration. It isn't the rampant stallion of the Colt trademark as there is no spear shaft between the forelegs. It isn't Hannover because the tail of the Hannover crest is arched downward.

Today, while the police in Stuttgart shows the coat of arms of Badem-Württhemberg, the police in Hannover as part of the police of Lower saxony still has that horse on the uniform.

So far, so good, but:
Police in Baden-Württhemberg was reorganisised about 1975, it was centralized, the city police of Stuttgart became police of Baden-Württhemberg with a new uniform. Here i found a collectors website about police-patches. The city police had a horse on their patch too.

When i compare the stamp with the patches there, i think, Ron Wood is right