655 proof
 

I have a 1940 42 luger with proof marks on the right side of an eagle with the numbers 655 under it. From checking this site it states it is found on 42 lugers some under Dutch contract but didn't say what if anything the numbers stood for. Any clue? Have a nice day!

Richard,
* Check out the "Tech Info" section appearing on your screen's left if you entered the forum by www.lugerforum.com. Look under the "Marking" section & read up on the "Heereswaffenamt" organization.
* Your stick Eagle 655 is the correct WaA inspector's acceptance stamp found on most Mauser Military P.08's dated 1940 & 41. The Mauser Company code was "42" & "byf" respectively for those years.
* Trust this will answer your query.
Respectfully,
Bob

Bob,
Thanks for the response but I guess what I'm asking the numbers 655 do you know why they used those numbers? Does six - five - five stand for something special?

Rich,

The 655 is simply a consecutive number, identifying the person/team who tested and approved the guns, so that when flaws were discovered during use, the responsible acceptant could be traced back.

These numbers are interesting because they can be used to trace an inspector's career as the inspector took his number with him if he went to another location. They also can give clues as to where and when the gun the stamp is found on was produced.

The 655 in itself is just a number, nothing more, nothing less.

RichC, I agree with Gerben that the 655 marking identified the head inspector, whose team was responsible for inspecting the parts produced on the luger line during this period. Ocassionally you will see a military PO8 with mixed inspector marks, indicating that the head inspector changed during the period when the receiver was inspected and the final inspection. DWM and Erfurt had a similar system during the Imperial period, but instead of a number, the individual inspectors were identified by a scriptic letter under a crown. I suspect that their mark, was the first letter of their last name, as some of these letters will have a "rocker" or cheveron under the letter to distinguish inspectors whose name started with the same letter. Some sub-inspectors during both periods will only be identified with a single roman letter or number on various parts of the pistol. Th