Witness Marks--Evidence in Plain Sight

Dwight Gruber · 03-19-2003, 03:09 AM

Luke,

I'm going to turn your skein of logic around a bit. Also, let me preface what follows with "As I understand..."

The Instructions are not so much to be "used" by DWM...they are the process...the recipe... by which the P-08 is to be -properly- manufactured for the German army by whomever might have a contract. Erfurt was indeed subject to the Instructions. As was Simson in their turn, and Mauser. There is, in fact, no evidence that, throughout the life of the P-08 in Germany (someone else will have to tell us about Switzerland), the instructions (as amended through 1914) were thereafter changed in any way.

The linchpin of our hobby is, in fact, dependant on the presumption that these instructions were followed with sufficient reliability that we can make identifications and assessments on that basis. The recognized deviation which somehow permitted DWM (and Mauser) to not inspector-stamp each part, where Erfurt and Simson scrupulously followed regulations, is at least consistent. That all these manufacturers applied barrel-receiver marks implies, at least, that army inspectors consistently required their application before the pistol could be power-proofed.

...and John,

Krieghoff was contracted to produce Lugers by the Luftwaffe, not the army. As DWM was forgiven the requirement to stamp parts, might Luftwaffe inspectors, on their own, have allowed Krieghoff to abandon the barrel-receiver mark?

--Dwight

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03-19-2003, 03:09 AM	#6
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Luke, I'm going to turn your skein of logic around a bit. Also, let me preface what follows with "As I understand..." The Instructions are not so much to be "used" by DWM...they are the process...the recipe... by which the P-08 is to be -properly- manufactured for the German army by whomever might have a contract. Erfurt was indeed subject to the Instructions. As was Simson in their turn, and Mauser. There is, in fact, no evidence that, throughout the life of the P-08 in Germany (someone else will have to tell us about Switzerland), the instructions (as amended through 1914) were thereafter changed in any way. The linchpin of our hobby is, in fact, dependant on the presumption that these instructions were followed with sufficient reliability that we can make identifications and assessments on that basis. The recognized deviation which somehow permitted DWM (and Mauser) to not inspector-stamp each part, where Erfurt and Simson scrupulously followed regulations, is at least consistent. That all these manufacturers applied barrel-receiver marks implies, at least, that army inspectors consistently required their application before the pistol could be power-proofed. ...and John, Krieghoff was contracted to produce Lugers by the Luftwaffe, not the army. As DWM was forgiven the requirement to stamp parts, might Luftwaffe inspectors, on their own, have allowed Krieghoff to abandon the barrel-receiver mark? --Dwight