Unusual Grips
 

Have come accross these grips...Any speculation? Thanks, Jerry Burney

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=4078

Jerry,

I fall into the camp that the mum, as a Japanese Imperial household mark, was not stamped on ordinary items to denote Japanese ownership or origin.

The grips are certainly...fanciful.

--Dwight

Dwight, I am afraid I reside in the same camp. What bothers me about it is motive. These grips are not being sold for a great amount of money so this fellow is probably not the booster. Why would someone go to the trouble to make a stamp like this and of all things, stamp the inside of P08 grips? For that matter, why would the Japanese do it either? It seems to me that whacking a grip with a stamp that size would smash it if one didn't pay close attention to support. Just one of those mysteries we will probably never solve! Jerry Burney

The "petals" of a Japanese Imperial mum nearly meet in the middle while this stamp has a large open circle in the center. That coupled with Dwight's correct statement that the Japanese Imperial mum was never applied to ordinary items would rule out any Japanese connection and seem to indicate that this is a private mark (possibly manufacturer?) rather than a national mark. It also does not resemble the Siamese "sunburst". As you said Jerry, a mystery.

You gentlemen are undoubtedly correct in casting aspersions on these grips, but wouldn't they go nicely on a chrysanthemum Luger?

Jerry, the mark is somewhat similar to the sunflower included in the unit gripstrap marking on my sole VOPO Luger. It has wooden grips but they are not marked with a sunflower.geo

George, Interesting thought...Is this an East German marking on your VOPO? Jerry Burney

Yes Jerry, it's a typical gripstrap marking on a Vopo rework with sunflower, letters and Roman Numeral. Bought it in the early eighties at a pawn shop for $300. It has a few "forced" numbers, two matching numbered commie mags and a faint importer's mark. At first I kept it as a shooter but have since turned down a one grand offer and figured I'd keep it. Also got a holster. The holster is post war but may be Bundesrepublik.

I have also had VOPO lugers with this marking and have seen one set of wood grips stamped the same.