Marking question
 

Hello all, I hope someone can enlighten me on this. I've noticed on some S/42's "P08" is stamped on the left rear frame and on others it is not. Same year 1938 on chamber with S/42 on toggle

I've only noticed it on the later guns. Is the gun matching?
dju

The reason I ask is because I've got a matching 1938 S/42 sn8983 that does not have the P08. I'm looking at another on GB (http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/673646574) that even though not matching has a lower serial number, #1093 and has the P08

Rick,

A P.08 marked frame on a pistol dating before 1941 should be looked at with suspicion.

The Heereswaffenamt order that required stamping of the frame with P.08 was dated January 1, 1940. Early 41/42 guns used some 1940 frames and did NOT have the P.08 stamp yet. Later in the 41/42 sub-variation the stamp appeared and was placed on all frames from that time until end of production.

NOW...Mauser, during the period after byf 42 production ended did continue to produce P.08s in 1943 and even 1944 with whatever parts were available. These are the so- called "out of sequence" guns. They were a mixture of parts with varying suffixes and parts that did not correlate with ordinary production.

But again, in the normal course of business one should NEVER see a P.08 with a 1938 date and a frame marked with a P.08 on the frame.

And, BTW, the seller does clearly say that the upper and lower do not match. The gun was made of of parts from at least two guns.

On another note, I have seen P.08 marked holsters with a 1940 manufacturing date. These have typically been ink stamped. Die stamped holsters appeared after 1/1/1941

Hope this helps.

John

Thank you very much John

FWIK the "P08" stamp so far I've only found it on late "byf" models, but surely the real experts will soon chime in.

Popular theory is that the pistols were stamped to differentiate them from the P38 to supply and logistics people, after the P38's adoption.

Doug,

FYI, the Heereswaffenamt order dated 1/1/1940 to which I referred in my previous post also specified that P.38 equipment also be so marked. That's why during 1940, you see the beginning of both markings.

However because Mauser had a large inventory of 1940 parts, they were not required to start marking P.08 on the frames until the current stock of unmarked frames was used up.

This turnover occurred in 1941, so one can observe early 41/42 guns without the P.08 and later 41/42 guns with the P.08 stamp.

And again exacerbating the situation was the change from 42 to byf in the beginning of 1941 which occurred after the inventory of 42 toggles was used up..

John

Great information to know. Thanks John.