Mystery P-38

[loogee]

Originally Posted by drbuster

Charlie, when you first described this marking to me, it sounded like a "Bernerprobe". But after actually seeing it, it is definitely NOT a Bernerprobe. The backwards first letter should be a "B". This mark is a backwards small case "d" fused to a normal small cased "b". I have no idea what this mark means, but it is safe to say it's NOT Swiss.

dr....
What I had postulated was that this mark was a "special" Swiss mark used pre- and during WW2. Just as most countries' markings changed after the war....the swiss added a new upper left loop.
This mystery mark is so close to the modern Swiss mark....it seems probable. Books on gunmarks -I have a few- almost always show a country's different markings from pre-war/wartime to postwar. Could it be a mark used only on foreign/captured/reworked guns...?
So this mystery will go unsolved for another 35 years...?
Thanx again for the replies. Charlie.