[Schupo]

G. van Vlimmeren,

I can certainly see the Russian "X" marking viewed as being a capture mark (property marking) as opposed to a rework stamp. Have you seen any of the Russian pistols that have not been reworked? I wonder if there was a Soviet inspection stamp of any sort on these reworked capture Lugers?

I suspect you are right about the equipment and tooling available at the Ernst Th�¤lmann plant being part Walther and part Haenel and probably others. Marschall states that the "PPK" stamps were made from altered Walther dies with the Walther name removed. Of course, some of the reworking was done at other facilities besides VEB Th�¤lmann but I guess all of the new production was done there; with the exception of the few weapons produced at the armorer schools.

Here is a view of one of the VEB Th�¤lmann P.08 magazines with the "2/2001" Lieferer- Nr. stamped on the body.