G-Code Luger, Russian Capture, VoPo (DDR)

[Doubs]

Your Luger was rebuilt in East Germany from parts that came from numerous guns. The barrel was replaced with a new one and the crown/N stamp is a standard EG proof. The barrels were newly made by VEB Earnst Thaelmann in East Germany. Some - not all - have a date stamp such as 953 (Sep, 1953)

The 20 in the sunburst is a unit or district mark. The X may - or may not be - a Russian capture mark. A post-war directive said that German police who were armed after the war would have arms that were distinctly marked and that may be the reason for the X. Who marked them and when may never be known.

Police magazines are normally marked 1 & 2 as you say.

There is a good amount of information about EG Lugers in the book "THE PARABELLUM IS BACK! 1945 ~ 2000" by Bauldino & Vlimmeren.

[JB2020]

Thank you all for the replies!

Originally Posted by Doubs

Your Luger was rebuilt in East Germany from parts that came from numerous guns. The barrel was replaced with a new one and the crown/N stamp is a standard EG proof. The barrels were newly made by VEB Earnst Thaelmann in East Germany. Some - not all - have a date stamp such as 953 (Sep, 1953)

The 20 in the sunburst is a unit or district mark. The X may - or may not be - a Russian capture mark. A post-war directive said that German police who were armed after the war would have arms that were distinctly marked and that may be the reason for the X. Who marked them and when may never be known.

Police magazines are normally marked 1 & 2 as you say.

There is a good amount of information about EG Lugers in the book "THE PARABELLUM IS BACK! 1945 ~ 2000" by Bauldino & Vlimmeren.

Thanks for the info about the barrel. I don't know why I thought the "N Crown" barrels came from Czechoslovakia... I checked the barrel for a date stamp - there's nothing other than the "N Crown."

I'm convinced that the "X" is a Russian capture mark. I compared it to the "X" on a Russian capture K98k, and it is totally identical in size, and even has the exact same weak stamping in one of the corners of the "X." Perhaps the VoPo stamp would have been the identification marking for designating it for official DDR duty? Again, I am no expert on P08s, or East German stuff.

I'll have to check the book out. I'd love to find out where the "20" in the sunburst is linked to.