Why was the "X" marked on RC / VoPo Lugers?

[alanint]

Originally Posted by luger.parabellum

Doug

How come that the vast majority of all the K98K that are being sold here are RC and have all the same reddish sort of stock, a new s/n written with an electric pen, the usual big "X" and sometimes the waffenamt cancelled, and believe me I don't want to contradict you Doug but they are NOT matching at all, apart from the fact that genuine matching K98K are practically non existent , I can assure you about that , I used to collect K98K and I had a biggish number of them in the safe at the time.

The only theory I can offer you, Sergio, is that the premier surplus stocks are finding their way to our, (US) market, (the most important market for these types of surplus sales on earth), and your market is getting the leftover "basket case" junk that our importers passed over.

[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by alanint

The only theory I can offer you, Sergio, is that the premier surplus stocks are finding their way to our, (US) market, (the most important market for these types of surplus sales on earth), and your market is getting the leftover "basket case" junk that our importers passed over.

Maybe you're right Doug about ... the basket case junk that your importers passed over..., I don't know for sure, I'm not an expert on anything, but let me say that it's pretty strange though.
In another forum long ago I "met" a young chap from the States that was stubbornly convinced to have a full original all matching K98K of Russian capture, and he affirmed that in the States full matching K98K were not difficult to find...
On the other side I've got some German friends that have started collecting K98K many years before me, and they are still collecting, but I remember that they confirmed what I said above.

[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

thus why I wanted to be sure what we said on the FAQ was stated as best guesses or empirical evidence.

I go along with the premise that guns were stored in oil - I have talked to folks who went over to look at the Lugers and K98's and the plastic grips are made newer than the 40's.
Two separate guns

RC - usually dipped - grips replaced - many times matching - usually an 'x' on them - probably never used

Vopo - reconditioned and then used by the East Germans, usually matching either force matched or original, with vopo grips, matching, to include magazine (2/1001 marked magazine)

Absolutely true, although Ed doesn't need me to confim it, but absolutely here we are talking about two different catagories of pistols.