[Schupo]

Having been trained as a police armorer I can tell you that the "parts is parts" philosophy is the working premise of making a firearm serviceable. IMHO if a part is "force matched" by an armorer, a repair facility, or armory it is an "official" refurbishment. If done by Bubba to make it more sale-able it is not. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference without knowledge.

For instance, the German Police had some 100 trained police armorers operating about the same number of field firearms repair facilities during WWII. These fellows would have repaired firearms and replaced missing or broken parts as part of their official duties. They would have used their stock of un-numbered parts to make repairs and would have re-numbered some as practical. The Polizei also operated full armories where more difficult repairs, or updates such as P.08 sear/magazine safeties, could be made. The DDR Volkspolizei maintained a large police armory at Suhl and produced the "forced matched" firearms with new barrels, reblue, etc. that we now see as VP weapons. All this was officially done but did not come from the factory this way.

If you only collect factory fresh firearms then German Police firearms are not for you due to the protocols of police armorers and the German penchant for never throwing anything serviceable away but refurbishing and re-working them. Take the Steyr Hahn pistols that were given new barrels in 9mm Parabellum while others in the original 9mm Steyr were still in service by the WWII Polizei. Or, the completely reworked police broomhandles with shortened barrels and removed back sights. All official modifications by the police.

An interesting topic that each collector must sort out for themselves and then either avoid "forced matched" firearms or educate themselves as to what was allowed during the period of use. I think the refurbished police firearms are extremely interesting and one of the reasons I collect them.