In the April 1997 Automag, Jim Cate notes that an eight-pointed star of this description is found on some P-08 and P-38 barrels. He noted that another collector had sent him a photo of a K.98 bayonet with the mark, and mentioned the same mark on the bolt handle of a K-98 rifle. In the picture (of the bayonet) provided, the mark appears more like the stamp on Mark's Luger than does the figure in Costanzo, as it has a distinct circle in the middle where Costanzo's mark does not.
Jim opined that the mark signified that the part so stamped had passed a hardness test, and it was stamped into the part because the simple hardness punch would have been too easy to pass over in an acceptance inspection.
Myself, I'm sceptical of this explanation, but it appears that we are no closer to the answer than when we started.
--Dwight
|