[Ron Wood]

Up until 1909, the Federal Cross in Sunburst chamber marking was used for both commercial and military weapons. In 1909, the Swiss Parliament adapted a new design, the Federal Cross in Shield chamber marking, that is found exclusively on military Lugers. The insignia, when seen in color, is a red shield with a white cross. In heraldry, when a crest is rendered in black and white, vertical stripes are used to indicate the color "gules" or red.

The concept that the Cross in Shield chamber marking denoted police use was stated by Fred Datig in his first edition of "The Luger Pistol". This notion has pretty much been discarded, and even Datig modified his opinion somewhat in later editions to indicate that probable use of the marking was for military weapons.