? on proof mark 1940 P08
 

Hi, Can anyone identify the two proof marks on this Numbers matching 1940 P08? I think I know one, but the circular one baffles me. All other numbers seem correct for a military issue 1940. No import marks.
Thanks, Cal

If you are referring to the rightmost symbol on the barrel, I think that is probably a VOPO sunburst, meaning your P.08 wound up in East Germany after the war.

I think the other marking to the left is an Eagle-over-Swastika barrel test proof.

Others may chime in with more specific info.
-Bob

Not a VoPo sunburst. It is some kind of test marking sometimes found on P08's

It has been described before and is as old as the pistol itself.

Thanks guys, I had originally thought it may be a VOPO mark also, but looked around and found that the Vopo stamps are rather different. Cal

I can't seem to find the reference at the moment, but if my memory is correct, the asterisk is a stamp they used to identify a barrel that was rejected, and was sent back for possible rework/correction. I'm pretty sure one of my guns has that mark as well.

They show up occasionally and have largely been connected with what was mentioned above (a rejected part that was corrected and then later installed on a working gun). The P38 community has held this view for quite some time. There are variations of it on lugers, but I think some of the confusion is driven by a 'sunburst' type marking that is associated with East German work. They are quite different.
Here is a picture of one that I've asked Ed and several others about, that seems to fall into that category. It is on a Simson luger, and unlike some of them, is quite prominent. I'm not sure the luger community has ever developed a consensus on what this may mean, since my understanding is that there is no documentation to support the theories involved.

I'm not convinced it is for an approved reject.

I think they just did random hardness tests for quality assurance. And these patterns are the result of that random test. But just a guess.

On P38's, you see random hardness tests all the time. In fact they are quite common, and some pistols seemed to have been used as test beds for training or some other purpose. It is not unusual to see several hardness test dimples on frames, slides or barrels.

Examples...

Thanks guys for suggestions. I agree that we will probably never, know as none of us were there.
Cheers, Cal