A&F Luger in AZ State

[Dwight Gruber]

Originally posted by Pete Ebbink
Why a 2-line inscription on a 7,65 mm gun...???...

This one has been percolating in the back of my mind, and a possible answer has occurred to me.

These guns would have been shipped from Switzerland stamped "Made in Switzerland".

If, as seems likely, the "Abercrombie and Fitch" stamp was applied after import by A&F, there would need to be enough blank space available on the barrel to apply the roll-die in line with the export mark. If not, the only option would be to apply the "A&F" stamp as a separate line. This speculation assumes that the export mark would have been stamped simply to satisfy U.S. import requirements, without regard to the possibility of later stamping, and the fit of the full inscription on one line is simply conicidental. It is easy to imagine that the A&F roll die was made on the basis of measurement of an example on which there was plenty of room, and the variation of available space came as a surprise.

Casual measurement of the A&F two-line pictured in Kenyon reveals that, although there is actually sufficient room for a one-line stamp, the front sight would likely interfere with the actual application.

Measurement of the pertinent details on observed examples might prove enlightening.

--Dwight