Serial Number Technical Question

[Luke]

Having seen 3 Lugers on which the frame and barrel serial numbers are somewhat different, I am wondering what, if anything, this means. The attached photo shows the serial numbers for an early Mauser. The fonts have the same basic design, but the barrel fonts are taller and slimmer, whereas the frame fonts are shorter and wider. The photo is an accurate representation of the relative sizes and shapes.


Of the three Lugers I have seen which have clearly different fonts on the barrel and frame, one of them had a "3" in the serial number. The "3" on the barrel had a flat top, and the "3" on the frame had a round top ! ! !


This early Mauser is not expensive enough to have a sufficiently high payback for someone to change the barrel and renumber it, so I can just about rule out a this gun as a counterfeit. In addition, the barrel really appears to be in exactly the same condition (wear, level of blue, etc.) as the frame.


Does anyone know for sure if the serial numbers were placed on these parts at the same time by the same tools, or were they applied in different operations by different people in the Luger manufacturing process?


Thanks for any help you can provide.




http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/FrameandBarrelSN.jpg