Draw lines (Witness marks)

[Dwight Gruber]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by saxman:
<strong>The question appears to be still open as to whether the witness mark/draw lines were made before or after barrel installation</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">The question is not open. The Army instructions to the maunfacturers of Lugers as to how they were to proceed in applying witness marks are explicit. Government inspectors observed the work at many stages of manufacture to make sure that Lugers were manufactured as instructed. Original unmounted replacement barrels are observed with no witness mark.

Documentation in English describing the actual steps in Luger manufacture leading up to the final witness mark strike is not forthcoming. Description of the manufacture of other firearms, applied to the Luger by analogy, cannot be promulgated as fact.

--Dwight